Interesting that things began to change after the 70's. It wasn't called the "ME" generation for nothing.
There was a segment on The OReilly Factor this past week about the declining rate of marriage in America. The two women guests danced around one of the biggest reasons. It was never mentioned and you will never see or hear it mentioned. It is a taboo subject.
Many men, my 22 year old son included, are afraid to get married and have children these days! Why? They are afraid of the family court system we have which is so biased toward women that father's basically have no rights at all! My son has seen what has happened to me (paying $900 child support per month for the next ten years), and I don't blame him or any of the young men out there for not wanting to have children. If no children, then why get married? It is too big of a negative outcome hanging over every man's head.
And, here in Ohio, they hand out alimony like it was beads at a Mardi Gras parade. The states WANT the 2% tax they collect on every dollar of child support and alimony paid. Ohio collected 2.1 BILLION in 2004, and 2% of that is over 40 million dollars. Yes, the state government corporations LOVE divorces - especially when children are involved. And all this doesn't count the Federal Incentive programs (Ohio got about 37 million of that 500 million dollar pie in 2004!). And then there are Federal matching funds that kick in. Believe me, it is a money making business that NO ONE on the mainstream media wants to touch with a ten foot pole!