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Is Marriage Outdated? The marriage ritual is anglo-saxon in nature and archaic in today's society. Marriage for tax break reasons is not a very romantic notion nor should it be a reason for two people to stay together. Would you be with the person you are with if you were not married to them? Angelina & Brad would say 'yes', as would Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell, and Tim Robbins & Susan Sarandon. The notion of two people staying together because they want to be together is romantic and sincere. The reality of people staying together because there is a piece of paper which obligates them can make for an unhealthy relationship and on a wide-spread basis it makes for an unhealthy society. Marriage can commit people to a sort of oppression when they are not where they want to be in the relationship. Society tells people to try to work the marriage out and that something must be wrong with them if there is a problem within the marriage - this pressure is particularly felt by women. These oppressive, restrictive and negative connotations are an unhealthy standard for everyone. Can we expect people to find happiness if they are unhappy and/or trapped in their marriage? What sort of citizens exist in an oppressed society? What happens when people reach a boiling point? Do they turn to drugs? Perscription pills? Extra-marital affairs? Abuse? Family killings? Taking it out on others around them? I ask you, 'Where does it lead?" At present, marriage is an elitist union which is most often only allowed between women and men throughout the majority of societies in today's world. I love the notion of a white wedding. I feel it is my right to have one, if I so desire. Having a commitment ceremony without the paperwork would be just as valid of a ritual and much healthier for society as a whole. Maybe the wording just needs to be changed from 'white wedding' to 'white ceremony'. Maybe it's time we start changing the conversation to one that might better fit a healthy society. Would an engagement ring be anymore valid in showing one's love and commitment to the other person than a 'commitment ring'? Of course not. The difference would simply be the paperwork. At present, gay couples with children need to be married so that both parents have legal rights to the children. The only problem is that under most current laws both parents don't have rights to the children because each parent has to be of a different sex. So, marriage doesn't actually help gay couples in that way. Many couples feel their health care benefits would be eliminated if they were not married. The problem is with the law. It should not force people to be married to be committed. Disney's health care covers gay couples out-of-wedlock. Our society is not worse off for it and Disney's policy proves that it is entirely possible to cover couples out-of-wedlock. It is our decision, as a nation and globally, whether or not we are willing to accept these norms or dismiss them and decide that such laws do not work in the best interest for healthy and happy individuals or societies as a whole. If the institution of marriage must continue then I like what Brad Pitt had to say about it... Basically, he said that he and Angie would consider getting married after everyone else who wanted to be married had a legal right to be married. 
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