The Institute for American Values, a think tank whose mission is to study and strengthen the family and civil society, and leaders in the field of marriage, Maggie Gallagher and Elizabeth Marquart, each argue convincingly that marriage is society's most important institution.
They contend that non-marital child bearing has a serious impact on this institution. (Read more at www.americanvalues.org.)
The percentage of children born outside of marriage has skyrocketed since 1970, when 89 percent were born to married couples.
Today that figure has dropped to almost 60 percent. Many experts believe that child poverty, educational failure, child abuse and neglect, and child delinquency can be traced, in part, to this trend.
When asked to give the stereotypical image of an unmarried mother, most responses would be: a teenager. Others would say a racial or ethnic minority. The facts tell a different story. The largest group of American single mothers is white and 20 years old or older.
Some key statistics:
- 41 percent of all U.S. births are to unmarried parents;
- 54.5 percent of all Mississippi births are to unmarried parents -highest of any state;
- 18 percent of all births in Jackson, Mississippi are to teenage mothers - third highest of all U.S. cities.
Linda Malone-Colon, chair of the Psychology Department at Hampton University, and a nationally recognized authority in the field of marriage, makes the case that non-marital child birth is a major cause of the decline in marriage, and a root of poverty.
Children born to an unmarried mother are at risk of:
- Growing up in a single parent home;
- Living in poverty;
- Doing poorly in school;
- Being sexually active at an earlier age;
- Having an unwed pregnancy - perpetuating the cycle;
- Having higher unemployment;
- Lower income;
- Having troubled marriages and a higher risk of divorce;
- A higher suicide rate.
Governmental agencies have sought to reduce non-marital childbearing in an effort to reduce welfare dependency.
Other private organizations were motivated to strengthen the institution of the two parent family.
Some religious groups wanted to reduce abortions that are common to unwed pregnancies.
Here are some thoughts, regardless of the position that you choose to endorse:
- Recognize that non-marital child bearing is not a "teenager" problem - it now extends into adulthood.
- Understand that there is predictable economic and psychological crisis for the unwed mother and her children.
- The best gift a woman can give her child is a father, committed through marriage.
- Religious and school leadership should establish strategies that will eliminate the acceptance of unwed pregnancies as a cultural norm.
As far as I can determine, there has not been a concerted effort by religious leaders and the school system of metro Jackson to change the mindset of young people regarding the benefits of marriage compared to the consequences of an unwed childbirth. We have seen initiatives such as abstinence on the one hand and contraception on the other - both have fallen short of acceptable results. Obviously, abstinence is the most effective deterrent to conception, but sexually active people must act responsibly to assure that they are not the casualty of an unwanted pregnancy.
It is my contention that these leaders should convene a summit meeting that will focus on comparing the dire consequences of non-marital childbirths to the security of a better solution: Marriage before becoming a parent.
I hope to coordinate such an effort.