Poor men shouldn’t marry even half a wife!
May 05, 2006
SIR —The Domestic Relations Bill (DRB) has been deffered again by Parliament. As an ordinary person, I am one of those who have not read it in detail.
SIR —The Domestic Relations Bill (DRB) has been deffered again by Parliament. As an ordinary person, I am one of those who have not read it in detail.
But going by what the discussants on radio talk-shows are giving us, it needs to be looked at critically before being returned to the next parliament.
I have heard there is a clause in it which says that whoever wants to marry more than one wife should ensure that he provides for both adequately, and loves them equally. How can such things be written in a law?
What is ‘equal’ love? Is government going to invent a ‘love-meter’ for polygamists?
Can matters of the heart be legislated upon?
And this ‘provide for them equally,’ what is that? I know many rich polygamists and I also know many poor ones.
Is government going to send chiefs into the villages chasing people’s wives (back to their parents) because the man cannot afford meat?
Marriage cannot be a question of wealth. And indeed if it is to be, it should not be limited to polygamy.
Let us just say all poor people should not marry; not even half a wife! Monogamy is probably a better family set-up than polygamy but these issues had better be left social forces and not the law.
Edward Okadapao
Tororo
But going by what the discussants on radio talk-shows are giving us, it needs to be looked at critically before being returned to the next parliament.
I have heard there is a clause in it which says that whoever wants to marry more than one wife should ensure that he provides for both adequately, and loves them equally. How can such things be written in a law?
What is ‘equal’ love? Is government going to invent a ‘love-meter’ for polygamists?
Can matters of the heart be legislated upon?
And this ‘provide for them equally,’ what is that? I know many rich polygamists and I also know many poor ones.
Is government going to send chiefs into the villages chasing people’s wives (back to their parents) because the man cannot afford meat?
Marriage cannot be a question of wealth. And indeed if it is to be, it should not be limited to polygamy.
Let us just say all poor people should not marry; not even half a wife! Monogamy is probably a better family set-up than polygamy but these issues had better be left social forces and not the law.
Edward Okadapao
Tororo