Nine facts about marriage and childbirth in the United States
Washington Post – EZRA KLEIN – Mar 25, 2013
2) We are very near the “tipping point” when most births will happen out of wedlock.
“48 percent of all first births are now to unmarried women. Thus, the nation is at a tipping point, on the verge of moving into a new demographic reality where the majority of first births in the United States precede marriage.”
3) Most unwed mothers are not teen mothers
“Many people continue to think of ‘unwed mothers’ as more or less synonymous with ‘teen pregnancy,’ but these numbers show that it’s well past time to retire that idea, particularly when we consider all births rather than just first births. Today, only 23 percent of all unmarried births are to teenagers. Sixty percent are to women in their twenties.” Go to story
excerpt from interview with Ms Sandy Nixon, television reporter, Philadelphia, Jul 9, 1975:
Ms NIXON: Where do women fit into these four classes?
PRABHUPADA: That I already explained. Women’s position is subordinate to man. So if the man is first-class, the woman is first-class. If the man is second-class, the woman is second-class. If the man is third-class, the woman is third-class. In this… Because woman is meant for assisting man, so the woman becomes suitable according to the man, her husband.
Ms NIXON: Would you say that women are inferior to men?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
Ms NIXON: Why?
PRABHUPADA: By physiological condition. Just like you are. Your bodily features are different from the man’s features. You cannot deny it. So according to the bodily features, the psychological condition and everything is there. How you can deny it?
Ms NIXON: Do you think that I am inferior to you?
PRABHUPADA: It is not the question of inferior or superior. Different. Now you take one inferior or superior. That is your calculation. But the bodily features are different. That is material. But spiritually, they are all one. Materially… Just like your bodily feature and a man’s bodily feature is different. Now, so far question of inferior, superior, that is your calculation. But we say that by nature, a woman and man is different.
Ms NIXON: What does this mean as far as whether women can do the same things that men can do, or whether women can lead people?
PRABHUPADA: Well, women can bear children, but the man cannot. Is it possible to bear children? A man can become pregnant? Is it possible?
Ms NIXON: No.
PRABHUPADA: Physically… Therefore there are so many things which is possible in man and which is not possible in woman, by nature. How you can say that they are of the same nature?
Ms NIXON: I’m not saying they’re the same. What can…
PRABHUPADA: Then if you not saying that, then they are different in their physiological condition. So now this physiological condition, you may calculate, “This is better, this is better.” That is your calculation. Our calculation is the man and woman are different in their physiological condition.
Ms NIXON: But you say women are subordinate to men.
PRABHUPADA: Yes, that is also natural. Because when the husband and wife are there or the father and daughter is there, so the daughter is subordinate to the father and the wife is subordinate to the husband.
Ms NIXON: What happens when women are not subordinate to men?
PRABHUPADA: Then there is disruption. There is disruption, social disruption. If the woman does not become subordinate to man, then there is social disruption. Therefore, in the western countries there are so many divorce cases because the woman does not agree to become subordinate to man. That is the cause.
Ms NIXON: What advice do you have to women who do not want to be subordinate to men?
PRABHUPADA: It is not my advice, but it is the advice of the Vedic knowledge that woman should be chaste and faithful to man.
Ms NIXON: What should we do in the United States? We’re trying to make women equal with men.
PRABHUPADA: I am not trying. You are already not equal with the man because in so many respects, your functions are different and man’s functions are different. Why do you say artificially they are equal? As I told you that the husband and wife—the wife has to become pregnant, not the husband. How you can change this, both the husband and wife will be pregnant? Is it possible? Is it possible?
Ms NIXON: No, it is not.
PRABHUPADA: Then by nature one has to function differently from the other.
Ms NIXON: But why does this mean…?
PRABHUPADA: So how you can change?
Ms NIXON: Why does this mean that women have to be subordinate?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
Ms NIXON: Just because they bear children and men can’t?
PRABHUPADA: Well, by nature… No, as soon as you get children, you require support from the husband. Otherwise you are in difficulty.
Ms NIXON: Many women have children and have no support from husbands. They have no husband.
PRABHUPADA: Then they have to take support from others. You cannot deny that. The government is giving you support. But the government is embarrassed. If the husband supports the wife and children, the government is relieved of so much welfare contribution. So that is a problem.
Ms NIXON: What happens when women support men?
PRABHUPADA: First of all try to understand that you depend. The… After man and woman unite, there is children, and the man goes away, and you are embarrassed. The woman is embarrassed. Why? Why this is, is made possible? A man and woman unite, and the woman becomes pregnant, and the husband goes away. Then the poor woman is embarrassed with the child. She has to beg from the government. So do you think it is very nice thing? The Vedic idea is that woman should be married to a man and the man should take charge of the woman and the children independently so that they do not become a burden to the government or to the public.
Ms NIXON: Do you think the social unrest…
PRABHUPADA: I am thinking like this. You give me the answer. Simply you go on questioning. I question you, do you think this burden to the government or the public is good?
Ms NIXON: I don’t understand what you’re saying.
Nitäi: Do you think that the burden caused when the husband goes away from the wife, that burden to the government is good?
Ms NIXON: No.
PRABHUPADA: So that has happened. Because the woman does not agree to be subordinate—she wants equal freedom—so the husband goes away and the woman is embarrassed with the children. And it becomes a burden to the government.
Ms NIXON: Is there anything wrong when the woman works?
PRABHUPADA: There are so many things wrong. But first thing is the wife, the woman, the wife of somebody, and the child born by somebody, they should become burden to the government or to the public? First of all answer this thing. Why she should become burden to the government? What is your answer? Do you think, from social point of view, this position of woman and the fatherless children are very nice thing? No.
Ms NIXON: What I’m trying to say is that… This may happen to some women. I’m talking about women who are not…
PRABHUPADA: Not… These are the general cases. You cannot say, “some.” I see in America mostly the woman…
Ms NIXON: Oh, then what you’re saying is not all women should be subordinate to all men.
PRABHUPADA: No, woman should be subordinate to the man, so that the man can take charge of the woman. Then that woman is not a problem to the public.
Ms NIXON: Is it true for all woman and all men?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, that is the nature. You take even in the dogs. The dogs they also take care of their children. The tigers, they take care of the children. So in the human society, if the woman is made pregnant and the man goes away and she is embarrassed, she has to beg from the government, that is not a very good situation.
Ms NIXON: What about women who do not have children?
PRABHUPADA: Well, that is also another unnatural thing. Sometimes they use contraceptives. They kill children, abortion. That is also not very good. These are all sinful activities. These are sinful activities, to kill child in the womb. And take shelter of abortion. These are all sinful activities. One has to suffer for that.
Ms NIXON: Is the social unrest in this country caused because…
PRABHUPADA: Because of these things. They do not know that.
Ms NIXON: And if women were subordinate to men, it would solve all of our problems?
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Man wants that woman should be subordinate, faithful to him. Then he is ready to take charge. The man’s mentality, woman’s mentality different. So if the woman agrees to remain faithful and subordinate to man, then the family life will be peaceful.
Ms NIXON: Thank you. It’s late.
