November (Web-only) 2002

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Don't forget marriage, says Alex Kotlowitz
"With the Republican victory last week, Congress now appears likely to set aside funding for programs that promote marriage among the poor," writes Alex Kotlowitz in today's New York Times. He had initially thought the plan was "nuts," "But now I wonder if the conservatives who are driving this effort might be on to something. … There is now growing consensus among social scientists that, all things being equal, two parents are best for children. It would seem to follow that two-parent families are also best for a community. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes families to build a village."

Kotlowitz, who wrote There Are No Children Here, criticizes liberals for ignoring—or even disparaging—"the importance of marriage in reinforcing the bonds that hold society together." But conservatives, he says, seem to argue that if you get poor people married, they won't be poor anymore.

It's unclear how government can really "promote marriage" with the desired results, Kotlowitz says. But it's still worth examining. "Even if conservatives don't know how to get there, at least they recognize that marriage, this very private institution, has very public consequences. Liberals, who have a much firmer understanding of the obstacles poor people face, need to enter that conversation."

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The Washington Post reported the story last Friday. "Jesus wants his followers to drive the least-polluting, most efficient vehicle that truly meets their needs—though first he might look at other ways to get around," Ball told the paper. "He'd definitely be in favor of us taking public transportation."

But Ball took issue with Weblog's recent summary of the campaign. A press release tied the "What ...