Young men are running from marriage

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 07/02/2003 | Susan Reimer

[Tank-FL]

Other than a 29-inch waist and a full head of hair, there isn't much to recommend the twentysomething male.

He is footloose and fancy-free -- except for the fact that he is likely to be living with his parents. It takes him longer to leave home than his women friends, and he is more likely to return.

He is, of course, sexually active and therefore at increased risk of unmarried fatherhood, but he doesn't especially like kids. He considers them a financial burden and an irritant in any relationship with the mother.

He is openly suspicious that a woman would try to trap him with a pregnancy or that a one-night stand would result in a pregnancy and a long-term parenting relationship with a woman he doesn't care about and doesn't want to marry. This fear, however, doesn't keep him from regularly waking up with a stranger.

He has no biological clock because he can father children well past middle age, so he is in no hurry to marry. He is looking for a "soul mate," and he believes there is someone out there whom he is destined to love.

[Paul C. Jesup]

This article makes no sense, probably because it was writen by a woman who knows very little about 20 something year old men.

For example, these two statements contradict each other.

He is, of course, sexually active and therefore at increased risk of unmarried fatherhood, but he doesn't especially like kids. He considers them a financial burden and an irritant in any relationship with the mother.

He is openly suspicious that a woman would try to trap him with a pregnancy or that a one-night stand would result in a pregnancy and a long-term parenting relationship with a woman he doesn't care about and doesn't want to marry. This fear, however, doesn't keep him from regularly waking up with a stranger.

[Sabertooth]

Interesting how EVERYTHING is the fault of women.

Well, it'll be interesting once they get past the denial.

[longtermmemmory]

feminism is not marriage material.

[ffusco]

Make that "I don't know of a single woman who pays alimony...."

[Ciexyz]

Blame the poor economy. If men can't afford to support a family, then all of society suffers.

[longtermmemmory]

having represented people in court, no-fault divorce is hardly to blame. Women predominatly file for divorce (probably over 70%) It is expected the divoce woman will not have her lifestyle reduced but the man is expected to sacrifice.

No fault is not a problem when there are not children. When there are children, it is a ego over issues game.

[connectthedots]

We will have an empowering "burn-a-thon" at the end where we will burn makeup, pantyhose, high heels and other items that enslave us.

I always thought these things were used by women to enslave us men.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Don't do it.

Never, ever forget that your wife can lie to the cops and strip you of your job, your 2nd ammendment rights, and your guns confiscated by the authorities--with no due process.

Men in our society are treated very nearly as badly as women in Muslim cultures.

I will never again give anyone that power over me again....

[connectthedots]

Seminar #6: Why Won't Men Marry?

See seminar #5

[kdmhcdcfld]

Why anyone wouldn't want children is beyond me. In my opinion, my children (all five) have had the most influence in making me what I am, as an individual, today. And I think the same can be said for many of us.

[fawn796]

When I separated from my first husband, I took the children and left - paying all the bills we had made together. Never asked for child support. He tried to hit me with alimony - stating he needed to be kept in the manner he was accustomed to. My lawyer hit him with child support. He agreed to drop the alimony, and I dropped the child support. And before you ask, no I did not make a lot of money, but I was a hard worker, and he hardly ever worked (was self employed). So I guess you could say I made many times he what did.

That was a really rough time in my life, but I got over it. The "boys" on this thread need to get over whatever some woman did to them in the past (quit blaming them) - and get on with their lives!

[A_perfect_lady]

I am not going to flame you, but you do have your facts wrong. Like many of the more detrimental societal trends to afflict our country, California was the first state to pass a "no-fault" divorce law - in 1970.

Crap, I did a Google search and he's right. Well, it was 1969 according the the site I found, but either way I have been walking around convinced that it happened a good ten years earlier. But when you're wrong, you gotta admit it.

Yet we still know it to be true that after divorce, the men are usually better off financially and the women worse off. I suppose the draconian child-support laws are meant to mitigate that.

Well, I'll have to admit to bad information, but I cannot repudiate the statement that men have dumped wives for younger wives, and thus this entire thing cannot be blamed 100% on women. One poster was clarifying that he distinguished between "women" and "feminists"... that's somewhat better... well, shoot.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I think this article is a bit off. REAL women know how to act and REAL men appreciate them and they get married. 25 year old kids don't get married and haven't a clue about life. Of course, coming from single irresponsible parents, that isn't unexpected.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

prolly a high correlation between guys who behave this way and guys who weren't adequately fathered.

[PatrioticAmerican]

P.S. I got married at 32. No biggie. I married when it was right, my life was stable (government type, always traveled), and we wanted to. So far, so good.

[Cogadh na Sith]

If a woman doesn't locate a man to be her husband, it's because she sells herself cheap.

But the average American woman (hear her whine) doesn't want a 'man' they want a eunuch.

[BraveMan]

Of course, we all read Free Republic.

THAT is what makes you weird in Bill Clinton's America.

[Drew68]

For some thirty years now a quiet revolution has been waged throughout the Western world...

That is an excellent essay. It ought to be posted in its own thread.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I agree! My son was talking to me quite a while back about not wanting to go on a blind date because the girl had a little one from a previous marriage. I told him it was a good thing I didn't have that attitude when his father and I met - he had 3 kids and I had 1. (Yes, I consider him my son - I raised him from the age of 12.) Anyway...he ended up going on the date and just this march married the girl making me a Grandma to an adorable 3 year old.

[Odyssey-x]

There are three kinds of American women.

Uptight Dr. Laura types.

Not very intelligent party girls.

Intelligent girls who are feminist wenches.

What to do? Import your wife from another country who hasn't had its culture completely destroyed yet by cultural marxisim, trust me, it works. Asian and Latin American countries are good places to go looking for wives.