"Covenant" Marriage Law

[Mark Charles Gribben]

In Michigan, one of Rep. Dalman's (a married woman) main reasons for wanting
fault-based divorce back, was the perception that too many women who had been
supportive wives as their husbands climbed the corporate or professional ladder
were left behind once the man had reached the pinnacle of his success and
looked for a "trophy wife."

I agree with Mr. Duncan who said we must look at the beginning rather than the
end of the marriage. Too many of us get married with no inkling of the
complexities marriage entails. I've been successfully married for nine years as
of 6/18, but marriage is nothing like I expected. And I'm sure that I would
have chosen the covenant option when I applied for my license. The problem with
state-endorsed marriage/divorce is that the state has little to say to the
parties seeking to enter into the contract and can only step in once the
parties choose to void the contractual relationship. I think the next logical
step is to have the state take a broader role (I can't believe I'm writing
this) in the start of the marriage as it does in the dissolution. That means
parenting education, relationship skills, and other scary things that too many
believe don't belong in educational settings.

Mark Gribben
gribbenm at pilot.msu.edu
505 N. Capitol Lansing, Michigan 48933