But the fact that a woman is more likely to initiate a divorce tells us only that she is more likely to be unhappy in the marriage, and absolutely nothing about the cause of the unhappiness. It's the institution of marriage that's being deconstructed by the researchers, who see the call for responsible, married fatherhood as a backlash to the gay-rights and feminist movements. Fathers, in other words, are a burden. This perspective is mirrored in our political life. In contrast to the relentless efforts by government to collect support from absent fathers, and the energetic lobbying by divorced dads, there have been few policy attempts to strengthen married fatherhood.
Some national politicians find feminist rhetoric irresistible.
Very few governors have been willing to talk about the importance of marriage. And only Oklahoma governor Frank Keating has proposed a plan to fund pro-marriage initiatives. The future of American fatherhood depends on whether we can frankly acknowledge the need to reduce the number of fatherless homes. Send it along.