Married couples don’t start that way. And the path to matrimony is full of potential dangers.
No matter how careful one is, the acquaintance date or long-term partner can become abusive. Scary situations have become so common that teens now attend seminars on dating violence.
This is why NC has domestic violence laws which defend unmarried people, from teenagers on their first date to cohabitating senior citizens, against physical abuse, sexual assault, and stalking. Restraining orders and other legal tools acknowledge that abuse in a romantic relationship differs from other kinds of aggression.
But if it passes, NC Amendment One is likely to prohibit legal recognition of any dating relationships. This would take away our court system’s ability to enforce domestic violence protections unless a couple is married. (See: http://tinyurl.com/6qpastw pp. 14-18)
Abusers will get off the hook and out of jail, as they have in other states (like Ohio) passing similar amendments. And every potential abuser will know this.
Amendment One would remove an important legal safety net for all unmarried NC residents, including our teenagers. My daughters will begin to run the dating gauntlet very soon. For their safety as well as that of every other unmarried person in this state, I hope it does not pass.
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