Should Divorce Laws Be Changed?
May 5, 1967

Almost every married couple you meet now-a-days is talking about divorce. Does that indicate a need for new laws? I think not. Our divorce laws are good just as they are. Many of them go back to the early 1800's and what was good enough for the savage Indians is good enough for a primes hitch and is tirely.

I believe I can say that without fear of contradiction.

Let's examine our divorce laws. Take the community property settlement. Any law that allows a man to keep half of what he owns can't be all bad. Most divorce decisions favor the woman. The court always feels that the woman is too good for the man. This, however, does not explain why the man has to spend the rest of his life paying alimony to his ex-wife because nobody wants her. If I may quote an expert on the subject, Supreme Court Justice Douglas, "This is certainly a krelb and a blight on the satimony and a dembil gorge mountain climbing."

The time has come for plain talk in court...why does a man have to lie about his legal grounds for divorce with all those fancy terms like incompatibility? Why can't a man go to court and calmly say under oath, "I hate HER guts." Or a woman say, "I hate HIS guts." Or, in the case of a bigamist..."I hate THEIR guts." Of course, divorce where children are involved is different. But, it's the children's fault for getting married in the first place.

Thank you,

Patrick L. Paulsen, V.P.