Did anybody else fall for Heather’s April Fool’s Day joke? I totally did. Then, when I saw the Nebraska story, I wasn’t sure if it was the real deal or not. I couldn’t find anything in my usual online news sources either, but I’m still going to offer my opinion.
While I agree that the intentions behind the Nebraska bill sound good, and that couples would do well to examine their relationships more thoroughly before marrying and perhaps receive instruction, I am not one who tends to applaud government control. Heather noted that the bill doesn’t force couples to engage in premarital education courses, but simply offers an incentive.
Personally, I see charging a higher fee for those who don’t agree to classes as being a bit coercive. It’s something that many people might be willing to overlook, like they tend to do with so many government controls, if the outcome seems positive. If it meant stronger marriages and healthier, happier families, I might be swayed, but unfortunately there are no guarantees. It would depend not only on the couples but also on the classes.
Couples could easily just go through the motions in order to get the discount. It’s sad to think that this would happen and that people might not take the opportunity to invest in their relationships and in their future, but let’s be realistic.
Also, being the cynic that I am, especially when it comes to government intrusion in our personal lives, I’m betting that the courses couples can take in order to receive a discounted license must be state approved. This means the government has control over what is taught and learned.
State standardized marriages? I think I’ll pass, especially since there’s no guarantee that they’ll be any better than what we already have. It simply isn’t the government’s place to protect us from our ourselves or to micromanage our personal relationships.
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