[antimedia] antimedia: One of the lead stories today....

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Posted by antimedia:
One of the lead stories today....
http://www.antimedia.us/posts/1169003240.shtml


   ....was [1]a study by "experts" showing that more women are unmarried
   now than married.

     For what experts say is probably the first time, more American
     women are living without a husband than with one, according to a
     New York Times analysis of census results.
     In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a
     spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.
     Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a
     minority of all American households for the first time, the trend
     could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the
     ways government and employers distribute benefits.

   The story is a lie. In order to arrive at the numbers, the study had
   to include 15 to 19 year-olds and count military wives whose husbands
   are presently overseas as single women!

     When I signed off, only a few minutes into the show, Medved was
     explaining that the "report's" author, Sam Roberts, counted 15-19
     year olds in his population numbers to increase the number of total
     unmarried women. In other words, teenage girls living with their
     parents help pad Roberts' statistics. The US Census bureau, says
     Medved, uses the more reasonable and believable "20 year old and
     up" standard to determine the total number of unmarried women.
     Counting up from 20, and including widows (whose numbers are
     increasing as women live longer and longer), Medved contends that
     3/4 of all American women are married or widowed. Medved pointed
     out a few more numbers games Roberts played (including, apparently,
     counting as single women whose husband's are serving in the
     military overseas). (Hat tip to [2]Bookworm.)

   The last sentence prompted a sardonic response from Steve Schippert,
   whom I quote with permission.

     Let's forget the sad social commentary that comes along with this
     definition of marriage.
     Lets just take him to an Oceanside watering hole and have him
     'splain to the boys that their wives are fair game when deployed.
     That'll go over well.

   Steve is right. A few minutes in a bar with some married military men
   should convince this moron of the error of his ways.
   A more cynical view of the military I have never seen.
   Setting aside all that, however, what's the point of this story? That
   marriage is unnecessary and unimportant -- that the nuclear family,
   the strength of America, is no longer important. What a breathtakingly
   ignorant and malicious view of all that makes America great!
   Make no mistake. The fallacious nature of this "study" proves the
   authors' intent to sell an agenda rather than report facts. There can
   be no doubt about their intentions.

     âThis is yet another of the inexorable signs that there is no going
     back to a world where we can assume that marriage is the main
     institution that organizes peopleâs lives,â said Prof. Stephanie
     Coontz, director of public education for the Council on
     Contemporary Families, a nonprofit research group. âMost of these
     women will marry, or have married. But on average, Americans now
     spend half their adult lives outside marriage.â

   Why are they always "nonprofit research groups" instead of "liberal
   lobbying groups?

References

   1. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/us/16census.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
   2. http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/