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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(September 2006)

Enter Our Blog Spot!

"Marriage In The News" is not a representation of The Real Proposal magazine...

The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society--and the world-- today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"--outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"--will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.

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Raising Girls That Pimps And Thugs Will Hate
  • Parenting Issues:  Raising Girls That Pimps and Thugs will Hate  TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, September 30, 2006
    I was channel surfing the other day when I landed on an idiotic Reggaeton music video. It was your emblematic Stooge-a-Palooza reel. The scene was typical: the “musicians” and their homies were wearing T-shirts that would be too large for Sasquatch, they sported baseball caps pull downed over their ears like some Fat Albert character. In addition, they all had the prerequisite teeth “grill” needed now to be in The Cult of the Absurd. . . . . The thing that floored me was not the musical gruel these dasypygals peddled, but all the gorgeous girls that were a part of the helix-missing miscreants’ music video. Yeah, dozens of beautiful teens and twenty-something girls were wearing Victoria Secret boy shorts and tiny tube tops as they writhed on the ground and upon the hoods of cars as these “artists” poured beer on them, slapped their butts and simulated sex acts with somebody’s daughter. Which left me thinking, “Where the heck are these girls’ parents?” In particular, where are their dads? . . . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    A Father's Presence Helps Young Girls Resist Shallow, Sexualized Self-Images  BlackAmericaWeb.com- By Tonyaa Weathersbee, June 20, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Real fathers don't abandon their children 
    Philly.com, June 18, 2006


  • Amanda Peet marries finacé David Benioff   ETonline.com, September 30, 2006
    "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" star Amanda Peet and screenwriter David Benioff were married on Saturday evening at the actress' alma mater, Friends Seminary, in New York City, People magazine reports. . . .

    RELATED STORY:  Amanda Peet Weds Screenwriter Beau  People magazine, By Lesley Messer, September 30, 2006

  • Danza, wife separate   The Washington Times- UPI, Sep. 30, 2006
    Actor Tony Danza, who commuted between Los Angeles and New York to tape his now-canceled talk show, and his wife, Tracy, have split after a 20-year marriage. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:  Tony Danza and Wife Tracy Separate  People magazine, September 29, 2006

  • Governor Schwarzenegger Terminates Last Piece of Marriage  Christian News Wire (press release), DC -September 30, 2006
    - Campaign for Children and Families, a California-based pro-family organization defending marriage, children, and family values, is appalled that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill putting the last nail in the coffin for marriage between a man and a woman in California. On Sept. 30, the last day to sign or veto bills on his desk, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed SB 1827 by lesbian state Senator Carole Migden, a San Francisco Democrat.  SB 1827 requires the state tax laws to award marriage status to homosexual couples.  Specifically, the bill requires registered “domestic partners” to file personal income tax returns as either “married filing joint” or “married filing separate.”  This is in direct violation of federal law which recognizes marriage as only between a man and a woman. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLES:  
      All Three School Sexual Indoctrination Bills Vetoed Christian News Wire (press release), September 28, 2006
Governor Schwarzenegger Terminates Last Piece of Marriage

  • Judge rules gay R.I. couples can marry in Massachusetts    Boston Herald- Associated Press, September 29, 2006 -
    - A Superior Court judge ruled Friday that same-sex couples from Rhode Island have the right to marry in Massachusetts, finding that Rhode Island laws do not expressly prohibit gay marriage. Wendy Becker and Mary Norton of Providence, R.I., argued that a 1913 law that forbids out-of-state residents from marrying in Massachusetts if their marriage would not be permitted in their home state did not apply to them because Rhode Island does not specifically ban gay marriage. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly agreed. . . . . State Attorney General Thomas Reilly said he would not appeal Connolly’s ruling. Reilly’s office had argued that Rhode Island laws’ use of gender-specific terms - including both “bride” and “groom” - made it clear that the laws’ intent was to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. . . .

SEE COURT'S DECISION:  Hillary GOODRIDGE & others [FN1] vs. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & another. [FN2]


Anna Nicole exchanges vows; no formal marriage
  • Anna Nicole exchanges vows; no formal marriage  7Online.com- WABC- TV, NY, September 29, 2006
    Nicole Smith exchanged vows with boyfriend Howard K. Stern on a boat near Nassau but there was no formal marriage and the ceremony is "not legally binding," her attorney, Michael Scott, said Friday.  The exchange of vows took place aboard a catamaran Thursday, 18 days after Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel Smith died as he was visiting her in a Nassau hospital, where she had given birth to a baby girl, Scott said. The couple "exchanged vows before God" but did not obtain a marriage license, Scott told The Associated Press. Stern says he is the father of baby of the 38-year-old former Playboy playmate. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      A story of modern celebrity: The trials of Anna Nicole  The Independent Online- UK, By David Usborne, September 30, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLES:
      The Anna Nicole Smith Tragedy  People Magazine

    RELATED ARTICLE:   Tired of Celebs? Blame yourself and the media  MiamiHerald.com- By Leonard Pitts, Jr. May 1, 2006

  • Marriage Boosts Parents' Mental Health  Forbes.com- HealthDaily News, September 28, 2006
     -- Unmarried parents are more likely to report mental-health problems than married moms and dads, a new study finds. The study also suggests that children of unmarried parents may be at higher risk of developing similar mental and behavioral issues, the researchers said. .  . . The findings are also significant because the U.S. rate of childbearing outside of marriage -- especially among people with limited education -- has increased dramatically over the past 40 years. In 2000, one out of three births was to unmarried mothers, according to federal statistics. What's more, 70 percent of births to black parents, and 43 percent of Hispanic births, occurred outside of marriage. Non-marital childbearing is associated with low socioeconomic status, a known risk factor for mental-health problems. . . . .

  • With hubby like this, who needs enemies?  New York Daily News- NY, By HELEN KENNEDY, September 28, 2006
    From his tax fraud conviction to fathering an illegitimate child to racking up speeding tickets, Jeanine Pirro's husband, Albert, has been her albatross. . . . Albert Pirro, a wealthy and influential Westchester real estate lawyer and lobbyist, helped bankroll his ambitious and successful wife's campaigns.  But the 59-year-old's troubles with the law and personal foibles - including reports of mob ties - have dragged her down. Through it all, Jeanine Pirro, 55, has stuck with her husband. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  Pirro & Pirro, a Partnership of Love, Power and Distrust   New York Times, By LESLIE EATON and MIKE McINTIRE (NYT) - Front Page - News, September 29, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:   Political Drama in New York  NEW YORK TIMES- Editorial, September 29, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:  Politics, Marriage, the Pirros, and the Hevesis  Gotham Gazette, September 29th, 2006

Jeanine Pirro_ Rep Candidate for NY State Atty Gen.jpg

  • HERE COMES THE ..BABY!
    Nicky has baby 3 months early.. 13 hours later she GETS MARRIED
      The Daily Mirror-UK, By Richard Smith, September 28, 2006
    BRIDE Nicky Heys had the perfect excuse for not getting to the church on time - after giving birth on the morning of her wedding. She could have been forgiven for being a teeny bit late as son Harry arrived three months early, weighing just 1lb 12oz. But determined Nicky, 35, walked down the aisle bang on cue... to a standing ovation from cheering friends and relatives. And yesterday she could hardly contain her joy as she told how she became a wife and first-time mum all in the space of 13 hours. . . . .

Irwin's wife tells of fairytale marriage
  • Irwin's wife tells of fairytale marriage  The Australian, From correspondents in Los Angeles, September 27, 2006
    TERRI Irwin, wiping tears from her eyes, said she would go through the pain of losing her husband again if it meant getting a second chance to be with him.  Clutching a handkerchief and her eyes red from crying, Terri spoke emotionally to US TV interviewer Barbara Walters about her fairytale marriage with Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. . . .

     

    RELATED ARTICLE:  'I think he's going to come home'  Sydney Morning Herald- Australia, September 27, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    There'll never be another Steve  The Herald Sun, By Robert Fidgeon and Brooke Williamson,  September 27, 2006

  • Condi is murmuring about marriage   SAWF News, September 26, 2006  
    US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has remained single till now, has said that she would like to tie the knot at some stage of her life, but didn’t divulge when or who that person might be. In a TV program, Rice, who would turn 52 this November, reportedly said that she would surely want to get married when she finds the right man for herself. Her comments about her marriage assume significance in the wake of speculations about her alleged romance with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay. Only a couple of weeks back the love affair was reported by the American press. . . . .
Condi is murmuring about marriage

  • Parenting Issues: The New Revolution in Parenthood: DOES BIOLOGY MATTER?  UExpress.com, By Maggie Gallagher, September 26, 2006
    Do mothers and fathers matter to children? When adult rights and desires clash with children's needs, how should the conflict be resolved? "These are the questions raised by this report," says Elizabeth Marquardt, the principal author of a stunning new essay, "The Revolution in Parenthood" (available at www.marriagedebate.com
    ) and co-published by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, where I am president). Hard on the heels of redefining marriage, legal elites are rapidly moving to change the very meaning of the word "parent," and in ways that disconnect parenthood -- not to mention children -- from biology, from the man and woman who together make the child. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs  Institute for American Values, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Institute for the study of Marriage, Law and Culture, Institute for Marriage and Family Canada, September 25, 2006


The Revolution in Parenthood: The emerging global clash between adult rights and children's needs
  • Parenting Issues: The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs   Institute for American Values, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Institute for the study of Marriage, Law and Culture, Institute for Marriage and Family Canada, September 25, 2006
    What's next after redefining marriage? Elizabeth Marquardt at the Institute for American Values argues in a new report that the next great frontier in law and culture is redefining parenthood. All of us recognize that through adoption and other means sometimes the law recognizes nonbiological parents. The great question, which has received too little attention is: Does natural parenthood matter all all? Or does the state get to make up and define who a parent is?. . . . . The report features the experience of the first generation of children conceived with the use of donor sperm, who are just now beginning to speak out about their experience. As a press release from the Institute for American Values notes, "These young people often say they were denied the birthright of being raised by or at least knowing about their biological fathers and that it profoundly shapes their ability to understand who they are. After finding out that she was conceived with donor sperm one 14-year-old girl in Pennsylvania wrote to Dear Abby that 'It scares me to think I may have brothers and sisters out there, and that [my biological father] may not care that I exist.'". . . . .  

  • Huckabee, Romney Expound on Traditional Marriage
    'Values Voter Summit' Hears from GOP Presidential Contenders
       Agape Press, By Jim Brown, September 25, 2006
    - Two GOP presidential hopefuls used this weekend's Values Voter Summit in the nation's capital to curry favor with conservatives. The two governors -- one from Arkansas, the other from Massachusetts -- shared their position on the issue of same-sex "marriage.". . . . I don't like it when people say, 'But you're against abortion.' I say, 'No, I value life,'" Huckabee said. The governor also admitted he is "not real fond" when people try to tell him that he is just against same-sex marriage. "I tell people I'm actually just for keeping marriage in the only manner for which it's ever been known in any culture, in any civilization throughout all of history."  And in a statement that drew applause, he added: "Dear friends, until Moses comes down with two stone tablets from Brokeback Mountain saying we've changed the rules, let's keep it like it is.". . . . .

    COUNTERPOINT COMMENTARY:
       The 'Values' Are Clear at 2006 Values Voter Summit  Free Speech Coalition, CA - By: Mark Kernes (Courtesy of AVN.com), September 24,2006

  • The Secret to Our Happy Marriage Is...   FOXNews.com, By Steve Doocy, September 25, 2006
    Dear Friends of "FOX & Friends," I’ve opened the floodgates!  Last week, I mentioned that to mark the publication of my first book “The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook” — a twenty year compilation of the funniest stories of marriage EVER WRITTEN (according to the author) — we are having a contest where, starting next week, each day we’ll honor one couple as “America’s Mr. & Mrs. Happy.”  I have been buried under a pile of e-mail and let me tell you something, these stories are terrific! . . . . . In the meantime please enjoy these stories, all by FOX News viewers whose assignment was to finish this sentence, “The secret to our happy marriage is...” . . . . .

    RELATED SITE: 
    The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook

  • Sticking with the marriage isn't helping the children  Pocono Record, By Wayne & Tamara, September 25, 2006
    I am the father of two children and a husband for 12 years. I love my son and daughter dearly, but my relationship with my wife has been suffering for years. In fact, it has evolved into more of a business relationship than a marriage. . . . We are best friends with another couple who also have two young kids. Since the day I met her, I've suppressed an attraction which grew stronger as I got to know her wonderful personality. After years of secretly fighting off the mutual passion and frequent flirting right in front of our spouses, we both gave in. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Is it ever too late to leave a bad marriage?  Inland Valley Daily Bulletin- CA, By Michael Stone, August 17, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE:  Adultery Is Killing the American Family The Conservative Voice, By Nathan Tabor, Sept 22, 2005

  • THE BATTLE OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
    Divorcing gay couples create new legal issues; Alimony, property questions have even lawyers confused
     
    San Francisco Chronicle, By Wyatt Buchanan, September 25, 2006
    Gay and lesbian couples in the United States cannot marry anywhere except Massachusetts, but many states that legally recognize same-sex couples now send them to divorce court if they break up. Same-sex couples who break up are finding themselves in a legal morass. State divorce laws conflict with federal tax laws; differences among states' laws can jeopardize child-custody agreements if one or both partners move; and some attorneys are shying away from same-sex divorces for fear of their own liability. . . . .

Is gay marriage more of a 'danger' than Hollywood?
  • Is gay marriage more of a 'danger' than Hollywood?  The Free-Lance Star, William L. R. Rice, September 22, 2006
    . . . These defenders of our morality fail to recognize a greater danger to the status quo. One need only review the movie magazines to observe that our role models in Hollywood do more to undermine marriage than gay couples.
    When famous movie actors have children out of wedlock, and the public clamors for photographs of such children, what are the youth of America to think about marriage? They must certainly conclude that marriage is not a requirement of parenthood. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Same-sex marriage and interracial vows don't equate  The Free Lance-Star, By Debbie Thurman, September 12, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage Gets the Silent Treatment  Townhall.com, By Harry Jackson, Jr., September 18, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Altruism Needs More Oomph   National Ledger, By John W. Lillpop, Sept 9, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
'TomKat' thumbs nose at marriage and reality  IndyStar.com, By Lori Borgman, April  23, 2006


  • How living together before marriage ruins relationship The Pilot- Independent, By Dr. Val Farmer, September 22, 2006
    . . . . They did OK as a couple until Sylvia had a baby. Then problems intensified and they started fighting. They had different expectations for each other and their new parental responsibilities. All the values Sylvia absorbed in her parents' home were coming home to roost. She no longer wanted to run, drink or party with her single friends. Sylvia wanted the closeness of hearth and home. She wanted an attentive and cooperative husband who was devoted to her and their son. She wanted a husband who would show enthusiasm for their relationship.
    Their son pushed Sylvia into the world of adult responsibilities. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:  
    Would you live together outside of marriage?  VANGUARD-Nigeria, By Chioma Gabriel, September 30, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE:  Living Together Before Marriage Has Disastrous Results Study Finds  Lifesite, NY - OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct 3, 2005

    RELATED SITE:  Vanier Institute

    RELATED ARTICLE: Cohabiters, Especially Poor Women, Are Unlikely to Wed   Newswise (Press Release, Source: Cornell University) - Jul 9, 2006

UK: Six in 10 men condone partners' lesbian affairs
  • Six in 10 men condone partners' lesbian affairs  This is London- UK, September 22, 2006
    Most British men have no problem with their partner having sex with another woman, a survey said today.  Some 61% took the view "Not a problem! I'm still number one", the study found. Another 31%, while finding it a bit odd, would be willing to forgive a one-off interlude.  Only 4% would be totally shocked and consider leaving and just 3% would feel they could not be near their partner now, the survey found. Women, however, were not so comfortable with thoughts of their lover in gay sex romps. . . . . The different attitudes were revealed in the Dream Dates survey by the Lycos internet portal, which involved 3,000 British people and was part of a larger Europe-wide study. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      In Nov 2003, the New Hamshire Supreme court ruled 3-2 that a lesbian affair was not adultery in a divorce case

Send Page To a Friend

  • A Marriage Made In Heaven?
    Dreaming of travel and a better life away from poverty and war, some Iraqi women are agreeing to marry men they hardly know
    .   Institute for War & Peace Reporting, By Sahira Rashid Jabir (Baghdad), Sept 21, 2006
    . . . Thousands of Iraqi men left the country during the Iraq-Iran war of the Eighties, and - now in their forties and fifties - are returning home looking for younger brides to give them children.  For some Iraqi parents, such marriages seem the perfect way to give their daughters the chance of a better life outside Iraq. But experts warn of problems. They point out that such marriages are often arranged quickly, sometimes in less than a month, meaning the couple hardly know each other before they pack up and head off to a different world. . . .

Dreaming of travel and a better life away from poverty and war, some Iraqi women are agreeing to marry men they hardly know

  • Teen-Violence Hot Line Is Planned  Townhall.com,  September 20, 2006
    Jessica Lee endured abuse from her high school boyfriend for two years, breaking up only after he burned her with cigarettes and slammed a beer bottle over her head. She has now joined an ambitious initiative to help teens in similar plights.  On Thursday, Lee and other former victims will be on hand in New York to help announce the creation of the first nationwide hot line specifically designed to combat the widespread problem of teen dating violence.  It will be run by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which mostly serves adults with its current operations. Calls to the new line will be answered by teens, plus other young adults, in the belief that young abuse victims would be more comfortable confiding in someone their own age. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
       Teens Report Surge in Dating Abuse  CNSNews.com, June 10, 2005

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    The abusive date. Why are we surprised?   Townhall.com, By Cal Thomas,  August 9, 2001

  • Marriage will ruin my sex life: Timberlake   Ninemsn- Australia, Sep 20, 2006
    Justin Timberlake reportedly does not want to marry Cameron Diaz because he's worried it will ruin their sex life. The 22-year-old singer, who famously dated Britney Spears, told Jay Leno he and Diaz "love" having sex.
    When asked by the talk show host whether marriage was on the cards, Timberlake joked: "That's the thing about that. We love having sex. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
    Passion dies 'as soon as a woman is sure of her man'  Daily Mail, August 15, 2006

Test your knowledge on marriage

  • Love and marriage don't always go hand in hand  Seattle-Post Intelligencer, By DR. JOYCE BROTHERS, September 19, 2006
    . . . . DEAR DR. BROTHERS: My handsome, straight brother, who's now 32 and still resisting marriage as if it were some kind of disease, truly believes that marriage would hurt him and wreck his life. It just kills me, because I love him and he now has the best woman he's ever had. He knows this, but he's going to lose her. Selfishly, I don't want to have to be around while he goes through another period of being a dejected bore. If he refuses to marry her, he's going to turn back into the selfish, irresponsible pig he was before. What can I do? -- H.S. . . .


  • Muslim boy meets girl, but don't call it a date  International Herald Tribune, France - By Neil MacFarquhar The New York Times, September 19, 2006
    CHICAGO So here's the thing about speed dating for Muslims.  Many American Muslims - or at least those bent on maintaining certain conservative traditions - equate anything labeled "dating" with hellfire, no matter how short a time is involved. Hence the wildly popular speed dating sessions at the largest annual Muslim conference in North America were given an entirely more respectable label. They were called the "matrimonial banquet.". . . . "These kids grew up in America, where the social norm is that it is O.K. to date, that it is O.K. to have sex before marriage," Imam Magid said in an interview. "So the kids are caught between the ideal of their parents and the openness of the culture on this issue." . . . .

  • Mel Gibson's daughter marries  The Age- AUSTRAILIA, September 19, 2006
    Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson's only daughter, Hannah, married blues-rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the weekend, People magazine said on its website, citing a report in The Times of Shreveport, Louisiana. Hannah Gibson, 26, and Shepherd, 29, of Benton, Louisiana, exchanged vows in California on Saturday, the report said. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
     Mel Gibson's Daughter Marries Guitarist  People magazine, By Stephen Silverman, SEPTEMBER 18, 2006

 

Mel Gibson's daughter marries

Marriage Gets the Silent Treatment
  • Marriage Gets the Silent Treatment  Townhall.com, By Harry Jackson, Jr., September 18, 2006
    . . . . As long as family breakdown is viewed as an ethnic or minority problem, the average American will not feel that he must address it. Black family breakdown is actually a foreboding signpost which points to the future of all American families, if left unchecked. My minister friend fails to see that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, along with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are redefining concepts of family, fatherhood, and relational fidelity for all America.
    . . . Recent studies concerning same-sex marriage have shown that in Sweden and the Netherlands, where such unions have been allowed, marriage is devalued---resulting in fewer and later marriages. Secondly, they lead to rising out-of-wedlock births akin to the current black community dilemma in the U.S. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Altruism Needs More Oomph   National Ledger, By John W. Lillpop, Sept 9, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    'TomKat' thumbs nose at marriage and reality  IndyStar.com, By Lori Borgman, April  23, 2006


  • Marchers protest South Africa same-sex marriage bill  JURIST- Paper Chase, By Katerina Ossenova, Sept 17, 2006
    Thousands of protestors took to the streets across South Africa Saturday protesting same-sex marriage as South Africa's parliament prepares to hold hearings on a bill that would place it on equal footing with traditional marriage. The parliament is expected to approve the Civil Unions Bill, which was mandated by a October 2005 ruling of the South African Constitutional Court holding that the 1961 Marriage Act prohibition against same-sex marriages violates the South African Constitution. The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), which led the protests, has called for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman.  Once the legal definition of marriage is changed, South Africa will become the first African nation to recognize same-sex marriage, and the fifth worldwide, joining Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Canada. . . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:  South Africa parliament set to approve same-sex marriage bill  JURIST, August 24, 2006
Marchers protest South Africa same-sex marriage bill

  • ' 55 bride takes hubby to court  Hindustan Times, India, By S Rajagopalan (Washington-US), September 17, 2006
    It may just be the stuff for a Bollywood potboiler. For a court in New York’s Nassau county, however, it is a real life situation of having to grapple with the belated fallout from a purported child marriage in Andhra Pradesh, dating back to the ’50s. . . . The doctor, Subba Reddy Madireddy, acknowledges the relationship with Rukinamma and fathering her four children but insists he never married her. So no question of divorce, he says. . . .


  • Bizare divorce saga: A man, a woman and missing millions  Chicago Tribune, United States - By ERIN McCLAM, September 16, 2006
    . . . . What it was never meant for is inmates like H. Beatty Chadwick, the slight, scholarly, enigmatic central figure in one of the most bizarre divorce cases in American history.  The charge is civil contempt of court. It is meant not to punish but to coerce _ in this case, to force Chadwick to turn over $2.5 million the courts say he hid overseas in a vicious divorce dispute. Except he won't. Or can't, depending on whom you believe. The standoff has given Chadwick, now 69, the record for the longest imprisonment on a civil contempt charge in U.S. history. . . .

Marriage and the Law- A Statement of Principles:  A Call to the Nation from Family and Legal Scholars
  • Marriage and the Law: A Statement of Principles
    A Call to the Nation from Family and Legal Scholars
      The Institute for Marriage and Public Policy (iMAPP), Sept 14, 2006

    " iMAPP has just released a serious new document: "Marriage and the Law: A Statement of Principles," signed by over 100 legal and family scholars. What's the big deal? Family law as a discipline has badly lagged behind the social sciences in incorporating the evidence that marriage matters to children and society; the family law bar is often one of the biggest obstacles to divorce or family law reform in the states. If it is really true, as Supreme Court once said, that without marriage “there would be neither civilization nor progress,” it makes little sense for the law to promote family diversity, confuse marriage with cohabitation, or fail to find new ways to discourage unnecessary divorce. With this statement, for the first time a group of distinguished legal and family scholars have taken the marriage debate directly to family law scholars, lawyers, judges and state legislators, with an eye to influencing the debate for years to come. . . . "


    RELATED DOCUMENT: Marriage and the Law: A Statement of Principles (Email log in required) The Institute for Marriage and Public Policy (iMAPP), Sept 14, 2006


  • Christie Brinkley Files for Divorce  Forbes.com- AP,  By ULA ILNYTZKY, Sept 14, 2006
    Christie Brinkley has filed for divorce from Peter Cook, two months after reports surfaced about his alleged affair with an 18-year-old employee, Cook's lawyer confirmed Thursday. . . The 52-year-old supermodel announced in July that she and Cook, 47, her fourth husband, had separated. They were married in 1996, and have an 8-year-old daughter, Sailor. Cook adopted Brinkley's son, Jack, now 11, from her marriage to developer Richard Taubman. Aronson said Cook "regrets that this happened. He was hopeful that he and Ms. Brinkley would be able to work their way through this problem and put their marriage back together, but obviously she has decided otherwise." . . . .
Christie Brinkley files for divorce



RELATED ARTICLE:  Sex With the Boss? Honey, You Know Better  Los Angeles Times, By Anne Taylor Fleming, July 25, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
The position is contrition   USA Today - By Karen Thomas, July 26, 2006


India in low caste marriage plan
  • India in low caste marriage plan  BBC News- Delhi, By Geeta Pandey, Sept 14, 2006
    The Indian government has suggested financial incentives of $1,100 should be offered to people who marry members of the lowest Hindu castes. Many Indian states already pay money to those who marry Hindus from the lowest castes who are also called dalits. But the amount differs from state to state - in Gujarat a couple gets the full $1,100 (50,000 rupees) - whereas in West Bengal state the amount is $45. The government says it now wants the sum to be the same throughout India. . . . . Caste is deeply rooted in Indian society and those marrying outside their caste are often ostracised by their family and the wider community. . . . .

  • Minister Charged By Church For Marrying Lesbians   KDKA-2- PA, By Ralph Iannotti, Sept 14, 2006
    -- A local Presbyterian minister is the talk of the town.  She could lose her ministry because she married a lesbian couple. Now, that minister, Rev. Janet Edwards, is on the offensive, defending her decision. . . . . In fact, a church committee has a big problem with Edwards and now, it has filed charges against her, saying it found enough facts to make a case for conviction, accusing her of violating the church constitution. Edwards says she did indeed officiate at the marriage of two women but her plea will be not guilty. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:  
    Banned in Boston: The Coming Conflict Between Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty  Cover Story- The Weekly Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006 Issue


  • Hevesi faces gay-marriage lawsuit   Rochester Democrat and Chronicle-NY, By Jay Gallagher, Sept 14, 2006
    — Four people from Westchester County have sued the state comptroller trying to overturn his decision to recognize same-sex marriages performed in Canada. The four, who are also suing Westchester County over its policy of recognizing same-sex marriages, claim that Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who is the sole trustee of the state employee pension system, exceeded his authority and acted illegally. . . . . . "Marriage has become an extremely emotional issue because certain people are trying to reduce it to nothing more than a benefits system for loving couples," said Brian Raum, an alliance lawyer. "These officials are clearly defying the law since New York courts have consistently defined marriage in the state as one man and one woman." . . . .

  • Lawsuit Challenges Gov't Funding of Faith-Based Counseling  Christian Post- AP, CA - Sept 13, 2006
    — A group is suing the federal government over grant money that went to a marriage counseling center, saying the Bush administration's initiative to support faith-based organizations has been used to unconstitutionally promote a fundamentalist Christian agenda. The Northwest Marriage Institute received $97,750 last year from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. ... The 13 plaintiffs, residents of western Washington, want the grant money returned, with interest, and an injunction to prohibit further federal funding of the Marriage Institute. . . .

  • Second child coming for McDreamy Dempsey  MSNBC, Sept 13, 2006
    - Another beautiful dream for TV’s Dr. McDreamy.  Patrick Dempsey and his wife, Jillian, are expecting their second child, Dempsey’s publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, said Wednesday. The “Grey’s Anatomy” star and his wife have a daughter, Talulah. . . .
Second child coming for McDreamy Dempsey

  • Britney keeping mum about new baby
    Singer reportedly forced to have emergency delivery due to pre-eclampsia
      MSNBC- Reuters, Sept 13, 2006
    LOS ANGELES - Pop star Britney Spears has given birth to her second baby in 12 months, according to celebrity magazines, but the middle-of-the-night delivery may not have gone as planned.  Publicists for Spears declined to confirm or deny Wednesday widespread reports the former teen idol gave birth at 2 a.m. Tuesday to a 6-pound, 11-ounce son at a Los Angeles hospital. . . . . . Spears, 24, joyfully announced the arrival of her first child, Sean Preston, on her Web site the day after he was born Sept. 14 2005. There was no such announcement early on Wednesday. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Britney Spears & Kevin Federline Have a Boy  People magazine, September 12, 2006

Whitney Houston Files For Separation From Bobby Brown
  • Whitney Houston Files For Separation From Bobby Brown  Access Hollywood- CA, Sept 13, 2006
     -- Access Hollywood has learned first from Nancy Seltzer, Whitney Houston's spokesperson, that the star has split from her long-time husband Bobby Brown.  What is now a legal separation is a technicality which will become a divorce filing in October. Seltzer tells Access that legal documents were filed Friday and that Bobby Brown was served with those documents yesterday. . . . . Whitney made a splash last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with a surprise appearance at the "The Society of Singers Presents the 15th Annual Ella Award honoring Johnny Mathis." Flanked by her mentor, Clive Davis, and cousin, Dionne Warwick (who performed at the event), Whitney looked every bit the picture of health and happiness, the likes of which the public hasn't seen from her in quite some time. . . . .

  • Former N.J. Gov. Tells Oprah of Affair   The Examiner- AP, By ANGELA DELLI SANTI, Sept 13, 2006
    TRENTON, N.J. - Former Gov. James E. McGreevey revealed during an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he was having an affair with another man while his wife was hospitalized for the birth of their child, according to audience members.  The nation's first openly gay governor told Winfrey he believed he was in love with the man, who would become a central figure in his downfall, said two audience members who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity. Winfrey asked them not to divulge the contents of the broadcast, which was taped in Chicago on Tuesday. . . . Winfrey landed the interview with McGreevey because of her sense of faith
     and spirituality, according to friends of the former governor. . . .

     

    RELATED ARTICLE:  McGreevey reveals truths, but leaves some lies intact  The Daily Record,  By Abbott Koloff, September 20, 2006

  • Wedding webcasts let loved ones watch from the comfort of home   HeraldToday.com, Bradenton-FL, By Kathy A. Goolsby- The Dallas Morning News, Sept 13, 2006
    DALLAS - The bride wore a floor-length gown, the groom a dark suit. But at least one wedding guest was clad in a bathing suit, and the bride's brother wore shorts and a T-shirt. Etiquette experts might have frowned, but newlyweds Stephanie and Eric Nicks didn't mind at all. Most of their friends and family watched the couple's Aug. 5 ceremony via the Internet from the comfort of their own homes.  Although wedding webcasts have been around a few years, wedding planners say they are on the rise as couples try to include as many friends and relatives as possible, even those who may not be able to attend the ceremony in person. . . .
    . "We're told anywhere from $800 to $1,500 for a live feed," Hutchens said. "But live wedding broadcast is becoming more and more prevalent in conversation, so it's definitely coming to the forefront. . . .
Wedding webcasts let loved ones watch from the comfort of home

CHAPEL OFFERING LIVE WEBCASTS: The Little Chapel of the Flowers  (Las Vegas)  

CHAPEL OFFERING LIVE WEBCASTS:  
Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
  (Las Vegas)

RELATED SITE:  Webcastmywedding.com 



Black Teens Disheartened Towards Marriage: Poor examples are making marriage elusive in their eyes
  • Black Teens Disheartened Toward Marriage: Poor examples are making marriage elusive in their eyes  Eurweb.com- Agape Press-CA, Sept 11, 2006
    A Black pastor and radio show host in Georgia says he has found that Black teenagers tend to be very tentative about the idea of marriage, and he believes he has gained some insight into why this may be so. Dr. Crawford Loritts is senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia, and also the host of a radio program called "Living a Legacy." He says he has found that today's Black teens are afraid of marriage because of the types of relationships they have observed in their families -- particularly their parents and grandparents' relationships. . . .
    Also, Loritts posits, hip-hop music and the culture that has grown up around it have influenced black teens and others to treat sex so casually that many see no excitement in being wholly committed physically to any one person. As a result, he says, many black teens today have a warped sense of what love and marriage actually mean. . . .


RELATED ARTICLE:  Thanks, Juan Williams, for Echoing What Black Conservatives Have Been Saying for Years   BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Gregory Kane, August 30, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Bill Cosby: African-Americans 'Not Holding Up Their End of the Deal'   ABCNews.com, June 29, 2005


  •  DOWNEY: 'Until death do you part' ends 39-year marriage covenant   Olean Times Herald- Bradford Publishing (Z-wire.com), By Joe Downey, Sept 09, 2006
    This is the fifth and final part involving the human and spirtual aspects of columnist Joe Downey’s 39-year marital covenant with his wife, Ruth Ann. She died July 29. We’ve looked at the human and spiritual aspects of the 39 years. This material was pieced together during a six-week period from mid-May through the end of June when Ruth Ann knew she was dying.

    • Whoever coined the words “don’t make any major decisions for at least one year after a spouse dies” knew what they were saying. The emotions are so tenderly fragile.
    • Food fills the stomach, reading occupies the mind and doing things fills time, but nothing fills the crater that is the human heart when a loved one dies.
    • Sometimes when the realization that you’ll never again see your spouse (in this life) plus a sense of panic that frequently follows, is enough to make you wonder if you’ll make it to your next breath, never mind the next minute or hour. 
    • Since this series has been so well received by the readership, we’ll look at some of the responses that readers have sent in; this will be in two-three weeks.We’ll have reaction from Allegany, Jerusalem, Olean, etc. Next week we’ll, as they say in television, return to regular programming.
    • Yes, it’s repetitive, but if only one more kiss could be had. . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  DOWNEY:  Despite her illness, Ruth Ann hung tight to her Lord’s teaching   Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 25, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:  DOWNEY: Marriage series focuses on relationship with Christ, ‘King David complex’  Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 25, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:  DOWNEY: Marriage Reflections: A covenant with Christ of 39 years  Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 18, 2006 

RELATED ARTICLE:  DOWNEY: ‘Marriage Reflections’: A look at 39 years of a covenant   Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 12, 2006


  • Longstanding couples give up on marriage   The Age, Australia, By Sarah Price, Sept 9, 2006
    EMPTY-NESTERS are taking flight in increasing numbers. The number of couples divorcing after at least 25 years of marriage has grown by 50 per cent since 1985, according to statistics from the Australian Institute of Family Studies.  Such couples constituted 15.7 per cent of all divorced couples by 2004. It's a trend demographer Bernard Salt said would escalate. Many baby boomers were married before the 1975 Family Law Act brought in no-fault divorce. . . . . 

  • Health Issues:  Divorce in midlife hurts women's heart health  Yahoo!News.com- Reuters-NY, Sept 6, 2006
    - Divorce apparently harms the cardiovascular health of women, but men's hearts appear to escape a split-up unscathed, a new study shows. . . . .  The health effects of marriage are well established. People who have ever been married live longer than their never-married counterparts, and are less likely to suffer from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Few researchers, however, have looked beyond ever-married or never-married status to study the effects of divorce on health. To investigate, the researchers studied data on 9,434 men and women between the ages of 51 and 61 in 1992 who were interviewed every two years up until 2000, and report the findings in the Journal of Marriage and Family. . . .


    RELATED STUDY:  Gender, the Marital Life Course, and Cardiovascular Disease in Late Midlife  JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY- Volume 68 Page 639- August 2006, By Zhenmei Zhang and Mark D. Hayward

  • Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Altruism Needs More Oomph   National Ledger, By John W. Lillpop, Sept 9, 2006
    . . . . . Regarding his plans to marry Angelina Jolie, Pitt said, "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able."  . . . . . He is obviously referring to gay marriage and while Pitt undoubtedly deserves some sort of an award for altruistic good intent, his actual deeds need more 'Oomph.' To really make a difference, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt should declare themselves totally celibate until men can marry men, women can wed women.  There's your real sacrifice. . . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
    Brad: I'll Marry When Everyone Can  People Magazine, September 8, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE:  Brad's Wedding Words: What He Really Means  Cinema Blend, By Julie Stone, Sept 9, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE:  The ultimate excuse for not marrying   American Thinker, AZ, Sept 10, 2006
Angelina Joile and Brad Pitt's Altruism Needs More Oomph

RELATED ARTICLE:  Angelina Jolie Gives Brad Pitt a New ExcuseNational Ledger, By Cathy Beers, Sep 11, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Angelina Jolie's former lesbian lover dishes steamy details... again  Inside Entertainment, April 19, 2006

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  • Marriage is best for bringing up children, says Tory study  The Telegraph.co.uk, By Graeme Wilson, Sept 7, 2006
    Marriage is the best environment to raise children and offers the greatest chance of a stable upbringing, an independent study commissioned by the Tories reveals today. Unmarried parents are up to five times more likely to experience family breakdown, according to the survey of 15,000 families carried out for the social justice policy review group headed by Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader. . . . . Some of the Conservative leader's advisers want him to tone down the party's support for marriage because they fear the party risks alienating support from unmarried families.  But the study said that such a strategy was misguided. . . . .