November 7, 2010
The Marriage Disconnect
In linking to a post by James Joyner, Instapundit Glenn Reynolds directly conveys Joyner's concern, which the latter states thus:
I'm not sure what's shocking: That the rate for blacks has tripled in my lifetime or that whites have now surpassed the level of pathology Moynihan described.
But note this part of the extended block quote that Joyner draws from the relevant AP article:
As the issue of black unwed parenthood inches into public discourse, Carroll is among the few speaking boldly about it. And as a black woman who has brought thousands of babies into the world, who has sacrificed income to serve Houston's poor, Carroll is among the few whom black women will actually listen to."A mama can't give it all. And neither can a daddy, not by themselves," Carroll says. "Part of the reason is because you can only give that which you have. A mother cannot give all that a man can give. A truly involved father figure offers more fullness to a child's life."
Anchor Rising readers are familiar with this point, but this point of view belongs fully articulated in the same-sex marriage debate. It makes for a disjointed set of ideological points to lament out-of-wedlock birth — especially in these terms — and not to explain why it is less lamentable than the inability of homosexual activists to change the definition of marriage.
In an article published today in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, the 17-year-old daughters and sons of lesbian mothers were asked about sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior.
The paper found that none of the 78 NLLFS adolescents reports having ever been physically or sexually abused by a parent or other caregiver. This contrasts with 26 percent of American adolescents who report parent or caregiver physical abuse and 8.3 percent who report sexual abuse.
Posted by: Swazool at November 11, 2010 11:28 AMDo you suppose, Swazool, that the study's methodology could have had something to do with the result? The lesbian parents, in these cases, have been allowing the researchers to "follow them," asking the children broad and personal questions. I'd say you'd have to be pretty credulous not to wonder about selection bias and even whether parents afraid of what their kids might say would withdraw from the study.
Meanwhile, the numbers cited for "all adolescents" were taken from "a representative sample."
Posted by: Justin Katz at November 11, 2010 9:20 PMI would suppose that the methodology could have something to do with the result, probably in as much as Lila Rose does in your other post "an early sense of direction"
Posted by: Swazool at November 11, 2010 10:10 PMFine. The study that you cite produced results consistent with the reality that lesbian parents aren't necessarily physically or sexually abusive — a premise that I think only the most pathologically closed-minded would dispute. Lila Rose's investigation proved that at least some Planned Parenthood facilities are happy to humor racists to procure donations and to cover up sexual abuse in the course of killing unborn children.
Posted by: Justin Katz at November 11, 2010 11:06 PM