Morality, as Language, cannot be Legislated

    There recently arose an effort to "institutionalize" marriage by elevating it to a constitutional ranking.  During the previous weekend, the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico overwhelmingly approved such a measure.   Although these efforts might have the best of intentions in trying to deal with the serious social problems caused by children out of wedlock, we disagree upon considering its effectivity and the social order which such laws would establish.   Obviously,the arrangement established by this archaic ruling is the imposition of  a social order 'from above', making illegal what has become a common practice (two partners living together but unmarried). Not that this tactic is necessarily "bad", but that it is simply inefficient by ignoring the costs and benefits involved; it is like trying to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer.  If an adolescent girl genuinely understood the high costs incurred upon having a baby out of wedlock, 99.99% of them would not commit acts which clearly go against their own well-being.  Similarly, were these to learn to take control over their lives, they would not be psychologically easy instruments of third parties.   It is somewhat absurd to try to deal with a temporary social issue by imputing it upon the constitutional domain.  It not only oversimplifies the dynamics of contemporary society, but it also presumes that the state has more power and influence than it actually holds.   Finally, the state should not pretend to literally act as the parents of the citizens in its collectivity, but rather should help these fulfill their own roles and duties.