Boomers are divorcing in greater numbers than young/er couples, but what the articles aren't addressing,

is: (and this could be coupled with, the fact that more young/er people consider themselves as "nons" - not identifying with any church) young/er people are choosing to shack up, even after the baby is born.  What's the stats now?  Something like, nearly half the babies born, are born out of wedlock.  Unfortunately, even in our enlightened times, such a circumstance does turn and bite, in the statistical forms of lower grades, longer unemployment periods, and addiction and related behavioral issues. (Garbage Generation, Daniel Amneus, 1991 - okay, that was a long time ago, but one terrific book)

Out of wedlock??   it's not desiring to white-wash anything, but doggonnit, i just don't like using that certain other word.  The one that pharisicals, in the olden days, would, hurl around - with a pinky extended - and without skipping a beat, cruely consign those children to workhouses, and lock them out of getting any kind of reasonably decent employment - that is, if they survived the first few workhouse potato-gruel winters.

Good old days...my. freaking.... foot.

So, maybe the mess people are in these days, is directly related to the outright meanness demonstrated by our victorian grandparents.  Can ya spell "sins of the fathers being visited upon..." ?  Oh, the women were so proper, being careful not to show an ankle while getting into a carriage ... gag me with a spoon :(  By the way, around the time feminism was getting into gear, (wouldn't have anything to do with the rent and grocery money having been drank up, would it??) women were leaving mansion kitchens and laundries, and flocking to factories, because though the work was hard, the pay was better, and (for the most part) the boss wasn't nosing/judging their workers' personal decisions.  Meanwhile, the judgy rich beeches - with their prim-n-proper high-necked 40-yards of fine fabric - were scrambling for cheap household labor (yeah, cry me a river :).