2008 Woodie Awards
Regions of Missouri find ways to force religion into legislature
By: Karen McGlenn
Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial
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The board said the couple, who have been together for 13 years, violate a city ordinance, outlined in Division 1, Section 6-76 of the code of ordinances for the city of Black Jack. The ordinance states no more than three people may live together if they are not related by "blood, marriage, or adoption," their definition of family.
To clarify, if two people have more than one child together and aren't married, they can't live in Black Jack, Mo. How ridiculous!
This is not the first such case. A February article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch revealed that in 1999, another unmarried Black Jack couple, who had triplets, was told they couldn't have a permit because they didn't meet the definition of family. A Ladue couple was sued in 1985 because they were living together and were not married. Ladue has since changed its policy. And yet another couple in Black Jack was told in 2004 they would not be allowed to live in their home with their five children because they were unmarried. Amy Madison, the mother in that case, said in the article that the city's housing director Debra Irvin told her she, her fiancé and their children were not considered a family "in God's eyes."
All I have to say is: are you freakin' kidding me? Just because you don't have a piece of paper saying you are legally bound to each other, then you are not considered a family? What about love and commitment? A family is there for each other through the good times and the bad. A family supports each other, spiritually, emotionally and financially. That is what makes a family.
Other communities in this area have similar definitions of family. They include Clayton, Creve Coeur, Olivette, Florissant and Maryland Heights, according to a study done by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The city of Black Jack gives the official reason for the ordinance as trying to maintain housing and minimize overcrowding. I think that is bunk. Black Jack and these other communities are discriminating against people who have done nothing wrong. Somehow, people who choose not to get married, yet have children together, are not desirable citizens. It doesn't matter if they have good jobs and pay their bills and contribute to the community.
I think what is most interesting about this case and the others, is that at least two of the couples involved were interracial. Makes you wonder if it really is about "overcrowding."
People get married because, if you are in love, that is what society says you should do. And as we all know, marriages last forever, right? According to http://www.divorcemag.com, in 2002, 10 percent of the U.S. population was divorced. Also, the likelihood of new marriages ending in divorce was 43 percent, as of 1997. Makes you want to rush to the altar, doesn't it?
We see celebrities treating marriage as a form of entertainment, something to amuse themselves. Jennifer Lopez seems to be borrowing a page from the Elizabeth Taylor book on marriage. She's been married to waiter Ojani Noa and Chris Judd, a former backup dancer, engaged to actor Ben Affleck and is now married to singer Marc Anthony - all since 1997. Maybe she gets frequent flier miles.
Who says that marriage is the be-all, end-all to life? Sure, I would love to get married, but if I didn't want to, then why should I be penalized for it?
As for the definition of a family, I believe that whomever you love and make a life with, that is your family. I don't have a husband, but my son and I are a family; the IRS says so. It shouldn't matter if you have one kid or 10, if two people love each other and are committed to each other, they should be allowed to live together, married or not.
Karen McGlenn, a senior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.