Oct. 17, 2004

Dear PMI Visitor:

With the National Election fast approaching, and the country extremely divided, you may wish to add your feelings on both the divorce rate and divorce laws into your voting consideration. Some things have occurred that you should know about.

In both the 1996 and the 2000 GOP Platforms, there was a profound recommendation that specifically said that states should reconsider their divorce laws to protect the innocent spouse and children. But it has been removed here in the 2004 Platform, and we let Senator Frist, chairman of the Platform committee, know of the advisability of keeping it there. Knowing the history of a female Congressional Member on the Platform Committee, from Pennsylvania, on this issue, it‚s sudden elimination appears suspicious as a preference of hers. The use of the word innocent has laid the direction for conduct to be a mandatory consideration in any divorce, burying the ugly falsehood of no-fault-only as acceptable law.

But this 2004 election could be very significant if those of you, divorced, have a real awareness of the political power you have. The Census figures are nothing less than astonishing, and I give them to both Parties: there are 22 million unremarried divorced citizens in the United States. Twenty-two MILLION! It breaks down to 13 mil women and 9 mil men. No legislation of any kind, to benefit this unique population, has been passed by state or federal legislatures over the past 25 years. Carefully constructed avoidance of any benefit to this group, who by definition have lower financial security, a loss of insurance benefits for nearly 1/2 of this group, a dismissive regard by politicians and the general public, one political leader has said it doesn't resonate. Becoming aware of how HUGE your numbers are, you might think of how to apply this new power. Generally, as the sayings go, women vote Republican until they are divorced; then they vote Democratic. And as more men vote Republican, divorced men need to confront the complete lack of regard with which new legislation speaks to their needs. Not with protests limited to child custody issues, but with a broader choice of issues. The Democratic Party never did put any reference to the repair of divorce statutes in its Platform, but then it never claimed to have staked out Family Values.

The irony in all this is that when George Bush was Governor of Texas, he issued a Divorce Awareness Proclamation, in 1997. NOT marriage strengthening, but he pointed the spotlight on Divorce and the laws. Today, he is probably unaware of his exemplary history on this fundamental domestic issue but his party certainly has a hypocritical record (NO record) on Family Values IF divorce laws are being examined. Same-sex marriage is the substitute. Last week candidate John Kerry appeared on the Dr. Phil show, and was willing to discuss his divoce record and the issue generally, all to his credit. We urge you to give divorce, and its exploitation of its victims, due political consideration, and let them know of it before Nov. 2nd.

Most cordially,
Phyllis H. Witcher, President

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