Not long ago divorce was seen was a disaster. It was an issue that was whisper about, not to be spoken about in front of children.

Not long ago divorce was seen was a disaster. It was an issue that was whisper about, not tobe spoken about in front of children. If someone in the family was going through a divorce, itbrought shame and embarrassment to the entire family. The divorced person became theskeleton in the closet.

Today, much of the stigma of divorce is gone. Many public schools offer support groups forchildren of divorced couples. The number of people who are divorced has increasedsubstantially. In 1970 some four million Americans were divorced. In 2005 the figure was 18million.

Why has this happened? What has contributed to the over 281% increase in the number ofdivorced people? One factor has already been noted. With more divorced individuals, thestigma has lessened. This is not to say that divorce is completely accepted. A lifelongmarriage is still the ideal. However, it has become more acceptable for people to terminatetheir marriage if they find themselves unhappy in the relationship.

Another factor that contributes to the increase in divorce is a more lenient legal system. Inthe past, it was extremely difficult to get a divorce. Today, in most states, the legal processfor obtaining a divorce has been made easier. As a relatively easier process, it is thus morelikely that larger numbers of people would be willing to go through the process. It is possiblethat in the past there were just as many unhappily married people as there are today.

In 2005, the divorce rate was 18 billion. Fact or Opinion?