President’s view lacks foresight

THE EDITOR: The President of TT is of the opinion that common law marriage is wrong. Whatever the reason she thinks this way, Paula-Mae Weekes has demonstrated an improvident line of thought.

If this de facto union is wrong, where is the space for courtship, which may or may not lead to a civil marriage?

This may have gone over her head, but the fact is unless you decide to have an arranged marriage (or have one thrusted upon you as is common in non-Western parts of the world), there is no way in which a person drops everything they wish to do with their life in order to be in a relationship as prescribed by our President.

The President can express her views; it is her right. But as President she must have decorum and precision in her speech. What type of blanket statement is, “Any relationship outside of marriage is wrong?”

If courtship is not an option, then – other than arranging a marriage – what? The head of state is behoved to issue her own statement expounding on her ethics on marriage and relationships; the TT Council of Evangical Churches' reasoning cannot be a valid substitute for our President’s own articulation of the reasoning behind her views.

JUDAH HOPE

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