This week's column: Divorce (not me!)

A Chicago billboard is causing quite a stir. But it’s not the bare male torso or woman’s cleavage peeking from a black lace bra that’s causing the controversy. It’s the message between the two images: “Life’s short. Get a divorce.”

While neither Nate or I come from families of divorce, we are starting to see it among people our age. Right after college, it seemed like everyone was getting married. Now, just a few years later, three couples we know are divorced or in the process of it. Luckily, none of the three have children involved.

Divorce, although considered by some to be a modern phenomenon, actually dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, according to my internet research. It was liberally granted in ancient Rome under the theory “matrimonia debent esse libera” (“marriages ought to be free”). Either husband or wife could renounce the marriage at will. Divorce was eventually restricted by Christian leaders. The Christian church considered marriage a sacrament instituted by God and Christ indissoluble by mere human action. After the 10th century, divorce was generally prohibited. Husbands and wives were allowed to live separately (like today’s legal separation) but were still married. This is where alimony came from. The husband, even after separation, was bound to support his wife.

Marriage later became considered a civil contract, which was able to be terminated. Today divorce is quite common. It’s estimated around 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. Your chances of a successful marriage don’t improve following divorce. According to divorcestatistics.org, 60-67 percent of second marriages fail and 70-73 percent of third marriages end in divorce.

So apparently lots of people are taking the advice of the all-female law firm who used the billboard with the catchy slogan as advertising. Critics say the ad promotes divorce, still seen as taboo among portions of our society. Supporters, as well as the sponsor law firm, say it promotes happiness among people living in a bad relationship.

I guess I have mixed feelings on the subject. The message alone has a lot of truth. Life’s too short for a lot of things, including living in a bad marriage. Although I’ve seen situations where people “stay together for the children,” sometimes I think the children would be better off without the tension and unhappiness in the home. At the same time, the use of sexual imagery is in poor taste. It leaves the impression that’s all there is to marriage. Everybody knows that’s not true; there’s also bills, raising children, working together, playing together and talking together.

Chicago won’t have to worry about whether or not the billboard is motivational or grotesque. It was taken down Tuesday. I don’t endorse censorship, but this may have been the right thing to do. There was nothing wrong with the message, but how it was presented was in poor taste.