In the other case, the pregnant couple because they were being irresponsible in their sexual behavior, not practicing birth control/safe sex, etc. And in that case I know almost certainly that I’m relieved if they don’t get married. Already they’ve proven I think that they make bad decisions as a couple (hence the pregnancy as a result of their behavior). Why would I long to doom a child to being raised by people who make bad decisions together. At least unmarried they might have a chance to do right by the child without the distraction of being unhappily married to each other.

Marriage seems like a fine tradition to me, but given the number of marriages with divorces, infidelity, and general unhappiness, I wonder if it should be as widespread as it is. I guess I’m saying that I’m not sure why it’s often touted as the preferred configuration for people to live their lives. It seems as good an option as many. And people should choose what works for them. No?

Think it through. We all take our first, deepest and most lasting training at home, from observations of our parents. So many of your and my students couldn’t, to quote one of mine, “Pick their fathers out of a line-up.” As a male authority figure you have undoubtedly been as frustrated as I have been to be ignored by your students and then see them jump when any female authority figure speaks. In fine, most of our students had no direct male guidance in the home and therefore cannt conceive of how male guidance is necessary for children.

View the world from the perspective of a teenage girl raised in such an environment. If Mamma goes out for the evening and doesn’t come home till the next morning, or if Mamma goes out and brings home her choice who performs his function and leaves, Mamma thereby teaches daughter that the man’s sole functions are sex and support, and that support is not essential to this equation. How, Thomas, is this girl to learn the value of marriage and committment?

View the world from the perspective of that girl’s brother. His view of adult male success is to parade from bed to bed to bed. While all adolescent males, black, white, green, paisley, would think of this as the Promised Land, how does this young man learn to commit himself to his children as an integral part of his existence. His mother is content to receive the service without putting up with the bull so why shouldn’t he believe himself entitled to act the same.

True conservatives believe everything has a price that the desirer must pay. Perhaps, if we really want to have parents involved with their children’s lives and educations, we should pay for that behavior.

Let’s have the schools pay parents to come quarterly to meet with their children’s teachers. At the very least, it will eliminate the excuse that Mamma or Papi didn’t know that the child is truant, inattentive, disrespectful, not working or whatever other inappropriate behavior is being manifest. After all, if we believe that amending the tax structure has an impact on investment and consumption behavior and that Money Motivates Millionaires, why shouldn’t Money Motivate Mamma?