Difference between revisions of "War on the family"
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
[[category:wars on]]"[[War on the family]]" refers to either of two things: | [[category:wars on]]"[[War on the family]]" refers to either of two things: | ||
| − | * A '''fictional war''' which [[neoconservative]]s and many extreme [[conservative]]s believe is being waged by supporters of [[homosexuality]] in an effort to destroy or damage the [[traditional family]] structure and thus undermine social values which social conservatives consider to be essential | + | * A '''fictional war''' which [[neoconservative]]s and many extreme [[conservative]]s believe is being waged by supporters of [[homosexuality]] in an effort to destroy or damage the [[traditional family]] structure (of which they believe [[marriage]] is an essential component) and thus undermine social values which social conservatives consider to be essential |
* A '''genuine battle''' being fought by those same extreme [[conservative]]s against actual families which don't happen to follow the [[nuclear family|nuclear]] model | * A '''genuine battle''' being fought by those same extreme [[conservative]]s against actual families which don't happen to follow the [[nuclear family|nuclear]] model | ||
===The Fictional War=== | ===The Fictional War=== | ||
| − | Proponents of the fictional "war on the family" claim that the "traditional family" (by which they mean the [[nuclear family]]) is being destroyed by efforts to broaden the idea of [[family]] – especially the institution of [[marriage]] – beyond the boundaries of the [[nuclear family]] (one man, one woman, and their children), starting with [[gay marriage]]. | + | Proponents of the fictional "war on the family" claim that the "traditional family" (by which they apparently mean the [[nuclear family]], a relatively recent invention) is being destroyed by efforts to broaden the idea of [[family]] – especially the institution of [[marriage]] – beyond the boundaries of the [[nuclear family]] (one man, one woman, and their children), starting with [[gay marriage]]. |
However, no real evidence has been offered that these broadening efforts are having any kind of harmful effect, much less that they are harming heterosexual married couples in particular. Indeed, it seems clear that forcing homosexuals and other non-nuclear-oriented individuals to shoehorn their needs into the nuclear-family model ''would'' be (and has been, in the past) extremely destructive, in that the families they form tend to be emotionally unhealthy at best and have a strong tendency to fall apart as the non-nuclear-oriented individual finds her/himself eventually unable to cope with being stuck in a nuclear-style family. | However, no real evidence has been offered that these broadening efforts are having any kind of harmful effect, much less that they are harming heterosexual married couples in particular. Indeed, it seems clear that forcing homosexuals and other non-nuclear-oriented individuals to shoehorn their needs into the nuclear-family model ''would'' be (and has been, in the past) extremely destructive, in that the families they form tend to be emotionally unhealthy at best and have a strong tendency to fall apart as the non-nuclear-oriented individual finds her/himself eventually unable to cope with being stuck in a nuclear-style family. | ||
| + | '''also known as''': war on marriage, the gay-lesbian agenda | ||
===The Real War=== | ===The Real War=== | ||
| − | Many actual families, and many more people who would like to start a family, are in a state of legal | + | Many actual families, and many more people who would like to start a family, are stuck in a state of legal difficulty or (at best) ambiguity due to a number of factors: |
| − | * lack of legal and social support for family bonds that fall outside the "nuclear family" model | + | * lack of legal and social support for family bonds that fall outside the "nuclear family" model: |
| + | ** (lack of) "next of kin" rights, including: | ||
| + | *** right of hospital visitation | ||
| + | *** effective "power of attorney" in the event one partner is incapacitated | ||
| + | ** (lack of) shared guardianship of children | ||
* active attempts to prevent or restrict any legal support from ever being put in place (e.g. attempts to constitutionally "outlaw" [[gay marriage]]) | * active attempts to prevent or restrict any legal support from ever being put in place (e.g. attempts to constitutionally "outlaw" [[gay marriage]]) | ||
This situation greatly increases the hardships many families (with and without children) must face. | This situation greatly increases the hardships many families (with and without children) must face. | ||
| + | ==Links== | ||
| + | ===Opinion=== | ||
| + | * '''2007-04-21''' [http://www.idrewthis.org/2007/04/how-to-really-protect-marriage.html How to really protect marriage] | ||
Revision as of 23:48, 5 September 2007
Overview
"War on the family" refers to either of two things:
- A fictional war which neoconservatives and many extreme conservatives believe is being waged by supporters of homosexuality in an effort to destroy or damage the traditional family structure (of which they believe marriage is an essential component) and thus undermine social values which social conservatives consider to be essential
- A genuine battle being fought by those same extreme conservatives against actual families which don't happen to follow the nuclear model
The Fictional War
Proponents of the fictional "war on the family" claim that the "traditional family" (by which they apparently mean the nuclear family, a relatively recent invention) is being destroyed by efforts to broaden the idea of family – especially the institution of marriage – beyond the boundaries of the nuclear family (one man, one woman, and their children), starting with gay marriage.
However, no real evidence has been offered that these broadening efforts are having any kind of harmful effect, much less that they are harming heterosexual married couples in particular. Indeed, it seems clear that forcing homosexuals and other non-nuclear-oriented individuals to shoehorn their needs into the nuclear-family model would be (and has been, in the past) extremely destructive, in that the families they form tend to be emotionally unhealthy at best and have a strong tendency to fall apart as the non-nuclear-oriented individual finds her/himself eventually unable to cope with being stuck in a nuclear-style family.
also known as: war on marriage, the gay-lesbian agenda
The Real War
Many actual families, and many more people who would like to start a family, are stuck in a state of legal difficulty or (at best) ambiguity due to a number of factors:
- lack of legal and social support for family bonds that fall outside the "nuclear family" model:
- (lack of) "next of kin" rights, including:
- right of hospital visitation
- effective "power of attorney" in the event one partner is incapacitated
- (lack of) shared guardianship of children
- (lack of) "next of kin" rights, including:
- active attempts to prevent or restrict any legal support from ever being put in place (e.g. attempts to constitutionally "outlaw" gay marriage)
This situation greatly increases the hardships many families (with and without children) must face.
Links
Opinion
- 2007-04-21 How to really protect marriage