It seems that North Americans emailed him in some number, urging him to marry the girl; he could not understand why, since no one he knew, parents included, cared one way or the other; marriage was just government paper, and also no one else's business. Europeans seemed to understand this.
If the "North Americans" in question were specifically from U.S.A. part of the push to get married can be the lack of any benefits if you are not married. It is a horribly prejudicial system here, and doing anything as a couple if you are not married can be a complete quagmire or legal forms to get you to the same rights (inheritance, visitation in hospital, health insurance, custody of children...anything at all that involves a contract of any kind). And sometimes still they won't be recognized unless you push through the legal system. I know of one apartment complex that won't allow unmarried people of opposite sex to rent an apartment together! (But I guess that would make it easier for gay couples, contrariwise...)
[Speaking from experience - renting an apartment and buying cars and insuring them together was bad enough, but I wanted to buy a house because I hated renting and was told by many, MANY people to marry before even starting down that road! Marriage isn't a religious thing for me, it isn't even a signal that we love each other more than unmarried couples, or a signal of greater faith that we'll stay together - it was a piece of paper that smoothed things when entering contracts!]
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2004-11-08 10:47 am (UTC)If the "North Americans" in question were specifically from U.S.A. part of the push to get married can be the lack of any benefits if you are not married. It is a horribly prejudicial system here, and doing anything as a couple if you are not married can be a complete quagmire or legal forms to get you to the same rights (inheritance, visitation in hospital, health insurance, custody of children...anything at all that involves a contract of any kind). And sometimes still they won't be recognized unless you push through the legal system. I know of one apartment complex that won't allow unmarried people of opposite sex to rent an apartment together! (But I guess that would make it easier for gay couples, contrariwise...)
[Speaking from experience - renting an apartment and buying cars and insuring them together was bad enough, but I wanted to buy a house because I hated renting and was told by many, MANY people to marry before even starting down that road! Marriage isn't a religious thing for me, it isn't even a signal that we love each other more than unmarried couples, or a signal of greater faith that we'll stay together - it was a piece of paper that smoothed things when entering contracts!]