Diatribe: People Who Don’t Take Marriage Seriously Really Tick Me Off.

Have you ever watched one of those YouTube videos that show a wedding party dancing down the aisle to a current pop song dressed in silly costumes and putting on a show?  Whenever I see something like that I can’t help but wonder if the bride and groom realize just how much they take for granted when it comes to their marriage.  Clearly they see their wedding ceremony as a celebration of their love, (and well they should), but the marriage itself should be a serious endeavor.

More than 1,000 federal benefits and as many as 400 state benefits are afforded to couples that marry.  I don’t think most people realize exactly what this means.  We see so many people marry, divorce and marry again.  We see celebrities get married on a Saturday and have it annulled on the following Monday.  We see “My Big Redneck Wedding” broadcast on cable for everyone to laugh at like it’s a sit-com.

The majority of couples get married as a part of a religious ceremony.  But, while common religious beliefs are a very good foundation for a lasting relationship, they are not a requirement.  All tax-paying American couples, no matter who they are, should have equal access to the Federal benefits afforded to couples that enter into a marriage agreement with the government.  Period.