You know how sweet it is when you've got solid statistical evidence to back up your arguments? Well, here we go, fellow progressives. There is now concrete evidence that shows how wrong opponents of same-sex marriage have been.
One of the main arguments from those who oppose allowing same-sex marriage is that it would destroy marriage, or at least weaken it as an institution, leading to widespread divorces, polygamy, dogs marrying cats and what-have-you. WRONG. The National Center for Vital Statistics has new information about the divorce rates in all 50 states. So, guess which state has the lowest divorce rate in the country. Yes, its Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been allowed since 2004.
Not only has same-sex marriage not wrecked the institution of marriage in Massachusetts, the divorce rate there has gone down every year since 2004, until now it stands at 2.0 per thousand. Some perspective on those numbers: 2.0 per 1,000 was the annual divorce rate for the United States in 1940. In other words, five years after allowing same-sex marriages, Massachusetts divorce rate has dropped to the level of the U.S. more than a year before Pearl Harbor. Talk about old-time values! By comparison, North Carolinas divorce rate is 4.0 per thousand. Id say if NC is to have any hope of lowering its divorce rate to decent levels, the General Assembly better hurry up and legalize gay marriage pronto.