23% of women between the ages of 30 and 34 have not been married (up from 6% in 1970). Not a surprise.
What was a surprise to me was a comment from David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values who was quoted as saying it concerns him that some people don’t feel the need to ever get married. Why would anyone have a problem with someone not getting married? Do they think people that aren’t married contribute less to society? That they create problems? That their kids will be worse off? Why do they care???
Just for the record, I resonated with this quote:
“The majority of people still want to get married, but they see it sort of as dessert now, something that’s desirable rather than necessary,” said Dorion Solot, executive director of the Albany, N.Y.-based Alternatives to Marriage Project.