Nuclear Family > Single Parent
Statistically, the biggest predictor of family economic status is not race or geography, but whether households are headed by one parent or two. That’s why a family headed by a single white mother is nearly three times more likely to be poor than a family headed by married black parents. In fact, among all children living with a single mom, well more than a third live in poverty.
Overwhelmingly, one-adult teams occur because two involved parents tried to be a family, but fell apart. Until we address the reality of family breakup and find a way to help, we can’t effectively fight that key cause of family poverty. Today, 41 percent of US babies are born to unmarried mothers – but it’s inaccurate and misleading to call them all single mothers.As shown in a leading study, most unmarried mothers (82 percent) are still romantically involved with the baby’s father when the baby is born, in most cases living together, and the two parents hope and intend to raise their child together. So, in reality, for every 10 American babies, on average, six are born to a married couple, three to an unmarried but involved couple, and only one to a mother not romantically involved with the baby’s father. This presents an important opportunity. Studies show that when parents stay together, most families benefit. Parents tend to get and hold jobs, family wealth increases, kids do better in school, and family members generally report better health and happiness than in single-parent families. Communities gain through higher tax revenue and lower social costs. (excerpt above from http://www.csmonitor.com/)
This bring about a very important question. HOW CAN WE HELP COUPLE WITH NEWLY BORN CHILDREN STAY TOGETHER?
We spend billions on trying to help out single parents with food stamps, welfare, free child care, etc. but we spend almost nothing on helping parents stay together. If the benefits of a 2 parent households are so great than an increase in nuclear families would drop these welfare costs way down. Why are we always so reactionary? We treat the symptom instead of treating the cause. (This is true for our healthcare system as well but that a whole other store.)
Since 2009 (the start of the “Great Recession”) the wealth gap in the USA has grown at an alarming rate. For members of the 1% income has increased by 18% over between 2009 and 2012, for the rest of us a measly 1.8% increase in income. Many think this is a reason to raise taxes and redistribute the wealth to the rest of the country. Most economist even believe a 1% that controls a smaller portions of the wealth (lets say 45%) in a faster growing economy (due to consumer spending which is 70% of our economy) means more money for everyone, including the 1%ers themselves.
So if nuclear families provide greater prosperity for the USA why have we been trending in the other direct? Why would the the people in control be resisting the opportunity to make more money and pay less taxes?
It all comes down to one thing… CONTROL.
Since the late 60’s the war against the family has been raging and the casualties have been high. As stated before almost half of all new born babies are entering into the world without a full nuclear family in place. Many people ask how is this happening? I thought we took steps to fix this with abortion, birth control, sex ED class, etc.?
When all of the aforementioned steps were taken to fix un-wed pregnancies they happened at a lessor effect. Many believe these things actually have lead to an increase in the problem. Its like the TheTruth.com commercial on TV. (if you don’t know these were the anti smoking campaign run by big tobacco as part of their settlement for selling cancer sticks). After the ad campaign had run for several years an independent study was done to see if they were having any effect on lowering teen smoking. The study found it was actually having the opposite effect. Turns out a whole bunch of commercials with people saying the word smoking in it just increased people curiosity and made even more of them give it a try. Many people believe this was the intention of the ads by big tobacco from the get go.
This same logic can be applied to the safe sex, birth control, condoms, abortion, propaganda. It was supposed to make everything better and all it has done is crush the family. I believe the same logic to the tobacco applies, THIS WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT. This gets us back to my reasoning, CONTROL. There are a few things most people can rationalize about this type of control. First the more people who are in one parent households the more of them are poor and poor people are easier to control. Second poor people are on government programs (welfare etc.) which the government hands out so they are basically at the mercy of the USA government. IF the government was to say we have to do this our we will have to cut your welfare, then all of the people dependent on welfare are instantly on the side of that governmental decision because people don’t want to lose their benefits.
However I have a 3rd and more sinister reason for destroying the Nuclear family. ISOLATION. It is part of the government interrogation process. It has been studied in great depth, and has even been considered torture in some countries. What do we do to a criminal who we can’t fully control? What do we do to a terrorist we are trying to scare into giving us information? Its the one constant we keep across how we react to all of our enemies. ISOLATION. Its rooted in the subconscious of all humans. We are social creatures and it is psychologically damaging to isolate us. People who feel like they are alone or don’t fit in are the easiest to control. At very young ages the out cast of a class tends to be the easiest student to manipulate into getting into trouble. this has been proven time and time again over many studies. Most people consider it common knowledge. It is the perfect weapon of control. It has been blasted into pop culture with music, TV, Media, and now social media. (new studies show those who use Facebook on a regular basis are twice as likely to feel isolated than those who don’t, Google it) And what is the one place where all people feel like they belong, in their nuclear family. It was the logical next target. Without the family there is no safe harbor to be yourself and not have to worry about receiving cultural backlash. It is a place to learn and to grow with moral fiber, and it is being OBLITERATED right before our eyes.
TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH SOCIETY WE NEED TO FIX THE FAMILY.
This all seems well and good but when you actually look at it, you realize how daunting a task it will be. I offer a few ideas on how we can start heading in the right direction.
1.) Remove barriers to marriage. Many new parents decide – sometimes even the very day a child is born – that they want to marry, or at least to have the father legally acknowledge paternity. While not magically creating a stable family, these decisions offer legal protections and practical benefits.Yet, in most states, these tools are not easily available to new parents. Marriage may require a trip to a courthouse, payment of a license fee, a waiting period, a blood test, and a second trip to a judge or pastor. Procedures to acknowledge paternity may be obscure and legalistic. A couple who already has a mutual child and is eager to formalize their family, is making a responsible choice that should be encouraged. There are many simple ways to help them, such as streamlining marriage and paternity laws, and making marriage licenses and paternity forms available at all birthing hospitals. BRING BACK THE TAX BREAK FOR GETTING MARRIED, IN FACT MAKE IT EVEN BIGGER SO PEOPLE HAVE A STRONG FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO GET MARRIED.
2.) Teach relationship classes. Along with sex ed. We spend so much time on teach children how to have safe sex, but we never teach the about when to have sex, why to have sex, or how to have a strong healthy relationship. If being part of a nuclear family is the largest factor for being poor or not poor how can we leave this out of our children’s education.
3.) Family propaganda. Where are the shows on TV about a strong nuclear family? Why aren’t dads heroes anymore? How about a song about being happily married? Sending a positive message to media can make wanting a nuclear family cool again. There is no need to always have such poor messages on main stream media.
4.) Be a good example for your kids. This may be the biggest issue, that is PARENTS NOT WANTING TO BE PARENTS. If you are parent please realize you are raising the future of the world. I know its tough and no one is perfect, but if you find yourself making life changing decisions based on what YOU WANT INSTEAD OF WHATS BEST FOR YOUR CHILD STOP IT. You gave them life and brought them into the worlds. They are your own flesh and blood and nothing should ever be more important to you than them. I can’t tell you how much it breaks my heart every time I hear a story about a parent neglecting their children. IT IS YOUR DUTY TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR KIDS IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. Also if you see a parent doing something like this, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Either say something yourself or call the cops. The absence of a good deed in the face of evil is evil itself. Remember that.
Ok. That’s all I have for you, but if you want to read more about trends causing the colaps of the family check out some links below.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2013/0130/To-fight-wealth-gap-save-the-family/(page)
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=99864
http://prairiestarms.libguides.com/content.php?pid=392772&sid=3217316
http://theresurgence.com/2011/07/12/the-decline-of-the-nuclear-family
Post about social media
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/
http://www.dailytech.com/Facebook+Envy+Leads+to+Depression+for+Some/article29723.htm
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/too-much-facebook-time-leads-to-depression-in-girls/11115
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