Happily Ever After FOREVER

The Austin American Statesman commentary piece entitled “How to achieve ‘happily ever after’” by Ashley Sanchez relates her favorable opinion regarding House Bill 480. A creation of Free Market Foundation, HB 480 adds barriers for no-fault divorces for couples who have a child. The bill found a sponsor in Representative Warren Chisum of Pampa and is currently in the legislature. Free Market Foundation also abridges on such doctrines as the separation of church and state in other bills such as the push for bible classes in public schools.
Ashley Sanchez is a regular contributor to the Statesman. Her previous articles such as embracing clean entertainment tend to spotlight her focus on family values. Her piece seems to be aimed at Christian conservatives, hoping they agree with her stance.

Sanchez’s opening paragraph deals with her belief that marriage equates to happiness and those who do exchange vows are immediately carted off to “live happily ever after.” She then condescendingly notes that statistics suggest that we might not know how to be happy. The idea that happiness is somehow mutually exclusive to marriage is ludicrous. Sanchez later brings up a report from the group American Values who note that “(u)nhappy married adults who divorced or separated were no happier, on average, than unhappily married adults who stayed married.” I’m unsure if this was supposed to reinforce her position, since it seems like a complete wash. I’m sure the unhappy married person will quantifiably be unhappier when he sees the wait time involved from getting out of his miserable marriage.

Texas Department of State Health and Human Services show that less than half of all divorces involve children. That number does not take into accounts which of those divorces are cited as “no-fault”. The idea of using a “no-fault” reason to some couples might be a way to assure equal division of property. Placing blame on either individual for the reason of separation can be used by the court in determining property and custodial rights. Having the government tell me that I can’t finalize my divorce until two years have passes seems to be a tad big brother.
The author’s rose-colored view that marriage only occurs between people that are in love is a façade. People marry for different reasons. Chisum’s bill hammers government into our private lives. It intrudes by adding barriers. Mandating classes and wait times of divorce does not help individuals who are unhappy; it only replaces their will with the state’s.