Just in case you're interested, I wrote a letter to the government on the outstanding family issue that is the rising divorce rates:


Letter to the Norwegian Socialist Left Party, 21st. Of July 2003.

Hello, I am a seventeen years old boy who plans to vote left at the next election at the parliament.

I’m wondering if the Socialist party is planning to do something to fight and reduce the divorce rates. Divorces are an increasing problem in Norway. More and more couples, including couples with children, break up, and this is at least as emotionally damaging to the children as other problems like living with a violent father or mother, or a parent who is a drug- or alcohol abuser. When the parliament and other organisations spend money and resources on fighting violence, child abuse, and substance abuse, they should also try to fight the rising divorce rate.

My suggestion is that the parliament let the schools spend time on teaching about family life: Pupils in middle school and high school should learn about dividing responsibilities, raising children, and other things that keep a family together and happy. It’s in my opinion meaningless that pupils in Norwegian schools spend hour upon hour learning about sex and private organs without getting any sort of education about what to do with the resulting child.

Pupils should also get to learn about conflict solving, communication, and separations and divorces. Let the children know what divorces include, and how conflicts can be solved before relations between parents become so bad that divorces are necessary.

I already mentioned that divorces are damaging to children, but I want to elaborate a bit on this point. Children with divorced parents struggle with depressions, and are statistically more likely to commit suicide than children with two parents. Single parents also tend to have a worse economy and less time to take care of the child than two married parents or two parents living together.

This is why I think the SV should fight for education on family development in Norway as a part of its child- and family program. Children need to parents as much as they need a place in a day care centre (which you fought for them to have), and a safe upbringing.

Шyvind Wallentinsen,
Houston.

Let me know what you think:).

Well I agree with you the breaking up of families is always a bad experience, However I don't think the goverment should regulate peoples personal lives.


I think voluntary programs to educate people on conflict resolution can be a good idea. But the gov should never step in and force or prevent a divorce.

Well I agree with you the breaking up of families is always a bad experience, However I don't think the goverment should regulate peoples personal lives.
IMO, this doesn't fall into the category of intervening with private lives.

What I proposed is an educational program, not a change of laws or anything. Education is just education -you can choose to use it, or you can choose not to use it. Driver's education would be an example of education that you had to follow, or the govt. would punish you (if you drove to fast, for example). Nobody's going to give you a fine if you fight with your wife/husbound, though -althoguh it's bad, as you said, it's your private life.

But to sum it up, IMO it's the same as home-making class, for example. It teaches you to cook meals, which is something you'll do a lot in private. However, you can choose to cook it in a different way when you get home. You can put it in a metal helmet from the Korean war and cook it on the fire of the burning body of a dead horse for all I care.

Touche: well then I agree with you completely.




Bodo (http://www.eurotravelling.net/norway/bodo/bodo.htm)

my parents are divorced, but I wouldn't want the government telling them to stay together for my sake. I don't want anyone pushing anyone around.

Some nice pictures of Bodш there, Griff:). Don't make me homesick now:D.

My parents are divorced, but I wouldn't want the government telling them to stay together for my sake. I don't want anyone pushing anyone around.
Your point is about the same as Griff's point, and it is indeed a good one.

However, I still support Family Development classes, as long as they aren't intended to "push people around", as you put it. I don't intend in any way to make your parents look or feel bad for divorcing, or for them to stay together when they really cannot stay together. It's like euthanasia in a way: It's a sad thing, but in many ways it's just the right thing.

What my aim would be is that parents/couples didn't reach the point where they wanted a divorce in the first place, but rather stayed happy. I'm not pointing a finger at yours or anyone else's parents saying that they did something wrong, but in some cases, stress and the likes are a cause for divorces and break-ups.