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More on strange math

As pointed out by Marshall in the comments, states without bans on gay marriage have shown much larger decreases in the divorce rate than states that have prohibited gay marriage. Of course, correlation does not equal causation, but as Nate Silver points out at 538.com, in the face of these data one certainly cannot say that gay marriage is detrimental to straight marriage. The evidence of society's imminent downfall are not in the stats...

Not that there was really any doubt about this outcome. Straight people have been doing a perfectly good job of messing up marriages for years before gay people even thought about taking vows. Just ask Karl Rove. In case anyone forgot, Rove was the political strategist that put the fight over gay marriage at the forefront of the GOP agenda a decade ago as part of the "culture war." From his statement about his divorce: "the family requests that its privacy be respected." So when straight people get divorced, it's a personal matter and we should leave them alone. But when two gay people want to get married, it has to be put on a ballot measure.

Note: Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments on the last post. This is all part of my effort to write about more than my kids. Not that there won't be more cute pictures and videos. We have plenty of that to post soon. It's just that we don't want to end up as those parents who can't think of anything to talk about other than Owen's latest exploits at school or the color of Marcus' poo :)

Comments

mama mia said…
I totally appreciate the opportunity to hear more than what is out in mainstream news about today's issues. If not for you kids and the Daily Show, I'd not hear of other articles/studies/stories that may be contrary to what's on the network news shows.
But the photos and music videos are most welcome too :)
Anonymous said…
Please don't tell us the colour of Marcus' poo... unless he eats a crayon. :)
JohnJohn said…
Don't worry, e. We'll keep that to ourselves.

heh heh colour :)
Anonymous said…
John, I am late to reading your discussions, but think you put everything very well in these 2 posts. We do have a few gay friends, including one couple who is raising a child together, and it bugs me that they can't marry the same way that my husband and I have. Their love and commitment is very obvious. Maybe some day this form of discrimination will end.

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