After 27 years, three kids, and $130 billion dollars, Bill and Melinda Gates are calling it quits. “We no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives,” the couple explained in a joint statement. “We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.” Putting aside for a moment the insipid boomer twaddle about “growing” into “phases” as the raison d’être of marriage, the Gates’ request for privacy reads as equally ridiculous. Divorce is not a private matter.
A couple cannot wed in private. Even elopers at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas require the presence of a minister and witnesses to tie the knot. They recite vows before the King — if not the King of the universe, at least the King of Rock and Roll. And they make a promise to society as well that they will remain together “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death” do them part. Usually, the betrothed invite family and friends to watch the ceremony and afterward to take part in a reception. Weddings are public events because marriage is a political institution. It is the fundamental political institution, and as marriages collapse, so does society.
.png)
.png)
