Valentine’s Day is here, and so I thought, as the resident Catholic at Daily Wire (take that, Michael Knowles!), it would be appropriate and, who knows, maybe even helpful, to talk about it.
Now, the first thing I should tell you is that I am not American. I&#8217;m Australian. When I moved to America back in 2005, I was genuinely shocked at how many holidays you guys have. Hallmark and unbridled capitalism. That’s who I’m blaming!
But the truth is that I have a knee-jerk reaction to being told that I must celebrate something. When that happens, I take the reverse position and refuse to celebrate it. This is how I feel about Valentine&#8217;s Day. As my dear wife can attest, not once in our 20 years of marriage have I bought her flowers on Valentine’s day. It’s my petty way of fighting back against the commercialization of Catholic feast days. That’ll show ‘em!
But enough about me, who is this St. Valentine fella, anyway? How might we as Catholics celebrate a day named for him despite — or even in answer to — the marketing blitz that accompanies it?
<h3>St. Valentine</h3>
Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about St. Valentine is how extraordinarily little we know about him. Almost nothing. Maybe nothing at all.
One thing we can say with certainty is that “Valentine” is English for the Latin Valentinus, a fairly common name in the early Church. Valentinus comes from the root-word valens, meaning strong or worthy. But here&#8217;s where things get fuzzy: Early Christian records point to at least three martyrs named Valentinus, all honored on February 14.
So, briefly, one of these martyrs was a Roman priest who lived during the third-century persecutions and was executed for refusing to renounce Christ. Another was the Bishop of Terni, also martyred around the same time. Both were said to be buried along the Via Flaminia. By the Middle Ages, pilgrims were honoring “Saint Valentine” without being quite sure which one he was. Some historians even suspect they were the same man, remembered differently by different communities. And then there&#8217;s a third Valentine, a North African martyr and his companions. This Valentine is only mentioned in passing, without a story, like so many early Christian witnesses.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/matt-fradd?elementPosition=5&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Portrait+Carousel">Watch Matt Fradd&#8217;s Pints With Aquinas On DailyWire+.</a>
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You can see why there would be some confusion about St. Valentine. When several men share the same name, live in the same period, die in similar ways, and are remembered by different Christian communities, their stories naturally begin to overlap. What survives in the historical record is not one clear biography, but several distinct witnesses remembered under the same name. What this means is that once we move beyond the bare historical facts, we’re no longer dealing with a single, settled biography. All that survives are traditions. Some early, some later, some more detailed than others.
But there is value to be found in these traditions. Let&#8217;s look at two stories that may or may not have happened. Each, in its own way, nourishes our faith, and our understanding of what it means to live as a Christian.
<h3>First Story</h3>
In one particularly popular account, Valentine was a third-century Italian bishop from Terni, a city north of Rome. He ran into trouble for the usual reasons Christians ran into trouble back then: He kept being Christian. This did not sit well with Emperor Claudius II.
Valentine was placed under house arrest in the home of a Roman judge named Asterius, presumably so he could think about what he’d done and change his ways. Instead, he spent his time doing what Christians are famously bad at not doing. He talked about Jesus. A lot.
Eventually, Asterius, who was unconvinced and likely a bit worn down, decided to turn the situation into a test. If Valentine’s God were real, surely he could prove it by curing the judge’s blind daughter. Valentine agreed, placed his hands on the girl’s eyes, and she received her sight.
This, understandably, made an impression.
Asterius, now trembling with wonder, asked Valentine what he should do in response to such a miracle. Valentine told him to destroy the false gods in his house and be baptized. Which Asterius did. Asterius, along with his entire household, was baptized, standing, we’re told, among the broken fragments of their former idols. A strong visual.
Word of all this eventually reached the emperor. Valentine was summoned before Claudius himself, who, according to the story, found him quite charming. Sadly, charm only gets you so far when you refuse to renounce your faith. Claudius ordered Valentine executed.
And, so, Valentine was beaten with clubs and beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. But not before writing a note of comfort to the girl whose sight he had restored, signing it, “From your Valentine.”
It’s a lovely story. Whether it’s true or not, we don’t know.
<h3>Second Story</h3>
Another story has Valentine as a Roman priest quietly helping Christians during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius decided that unmarried men made better soldiers than married ones. Wives, apparently, were bad for morale. Some things never change&#8230;which is also why I don’t buy my wife flowers. That’s a joke, a bad one, but a joke nonetheless.
Anyway, the point is that the emperor outlawed marriage for young men altogether.
Valentine, undeterred by the imperial decree, carried on marrying couples anyway, but discreetly. The side benefit was that married men could then avoid being drafted into the emperor’s pagan army. Obviously, Claudius took a dim view of this situation once he noticed. Valentine was eventually hauled before the emperor. Claudius rather liked him, found him charming, and very nearly let him off. Unfortunately, Valentine would not stop being Christian, and this proved a deal-breaker. He was sentenced to death.
From there, the stories begin to multiply, and rather enthusiastically. In one telling, Valentine refuses to worship the Roman gods, is thrown into prison, and heals the blind daughter of his jailer. In another, he leaves her a note before his execution, signed, “From your Valentine,” which is either deeply moving or suspiciously tidy, depending on your temperament.
So, what can we take away from these varying traditions?
Well, we could reflect on the certainty of death and what remains after us in this world. There may be stories told about us after we are gone — for a while — until the people telling those stories themselves are gone. A deeper reflection leads us to the truth that ultimately only one person will remember us; only one person knows the inner truth of our lives. And that person is God.
This being true, we Christians should place our stories in the hands of the only One who&#8217;s remembrance matters. As the ancient saying goes, &#8220;Preach the Gospel, die, and be forgotten.&#8221; Yes, forgotten to the world, but remembered by God. St. Valentine may exist for us in the hazy record of varying traditions. But God knows the truth. In God, Valentinus or the several men for whom he stands, is known and loved for eternity.
<h3>A Prayer to Saint Valentine</h3>
Let’s end where the Church has always ended: in prayer.
<blockquote>Saint Valentine, faithful martyr of Christ, 
you who bore witness to love stronger than fear and hope stronger than death, 
pray for us. 
Pray for those who are married, 
that their love may be patient, enduring, and rooted in truth. 
Pray for those who long for love, 
that they may seek not merely affection, but holiness. 
Pray for those who are wounded by love, 
that they may find healing in the Heart of Christ. 
Teach us that real love is not fragile or fleeting, 
but willing to suffer, to remain, and to give itself fully. 
Saint Valentine, 
martyr of faithful love, 
pray for us. 
Amen.</blockquote>
And now, if you will excuse me, I&#8217;m going to pick up some flowers for my wife!

Screenshot

Valentine’s Day Talk

Catholics

Christianity

Matt Fradd

Valentine's Day

For many people, Saint Valentine’s Day is a time for beautiful flowers, fancy dinners, and sentimental cards. But its origin tells a tougher story. St. Valentine is remembered not for romance alone, but for risking his life to solemnize marriages at a time when commitment was discouraged. Valentine’s Day was never meant to be only about feelings. It was meant to be about choosing responsibility.
That message is especially relevant for men today – single, married, childless, or empty nesters.
If you are a single man and not dating anyone, the advice is simple and uncomfortable: be brave and ask a woman out in real life (“IRL”), not through an app. Courage is not optional. It is a skill and character trait, and like any other skill or habit, it improves with practice. Real men do hard things not because success is guaranteed, but because avoidance slowly erodes confidence.
Despite the dominance of dating apps, most marriages began face-to-face. Data show that most couples meet through friends, work, school, religious communities, or social settings. Apps promise efficiency, but they often deliver paralysis. The illusion of infinite choice makes commitment feel premature and rejection feel catastrophic.
Asking someone out in person clarifies things quickly. You get a real answer. You gain real confidence. Even a “no” strengthens you. Bravery practiced in dating carries over into every other domain of life such as work, leadership, and family. Men who avoid small risks rarely rise to meet large ones.
If you have been dating for a while, Valentine’s Day is a moment for honesty. Indefinite dating is not neutral, nor is it kind. It is a decision that disproportionately affects women, and stringing someone along in the name of flexibility is neither kind nor mature.
Many American couples date for a few years before engagement and marry within a year or so after that. While there will always be exceptions, the norm points in one direction: clarity. If you see a future, say so. If you do not, say that too. Ambiguity disguised as thoughtfulness is still avoidance.
Marriage, done seriously, is not a trap. It is an accelerator. St. Valentine knew that the first command in scripture is for men to be “fruitful and multiply.” That must have inspired his work to one degree or another. We shouldn’t be surprised it’s good for us to follow God’s commands.
And if you don’t believe the Bible or St. Valentine, at least consider the data.
For married men, the <a href="https://aibm.org/commentary/why-marriage-is-good-for-men/#:~:text=Married%20men%20are%20richer%20men&amp;text=That%20sounds%20like%20exactly%20the,similarly%20credentialed%20but%20unmarried%20peers.">evidence</a> is striking. Married men earn more over their lifetimes than their unmarried peers, even after controlling for education and background. They also live longer and report better health outcomes. Marriage tends to push men toward steadier work, better habits, and longer time horizons. In short, it civilizes us.
Happiness data tell the same story. Across decades of survey research, married men with children are significantly more likely to describe themselves as “very happy” than single men (35% vs. 14%, according to <a href="https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey">research</a> by the Institute for Family Studies). This advantage persists across income levels, racial groups, and age cohorts. Marriage is one of the strongest predictors of long-term well-being available in the data.
That does not mean marriage is easy. It means it is formative.
In a modern working world, it is increasingly difficult to see the lasting results of your labor. Projects end. Companies change. Metrics reset. Even success feels temporary.
Family is different. In raising children, effort produces visible, enduring outcomes. You can watch values take root. You can see growth unfold year by year.
Men with children often discover that legacy is not an abstract idea. It sits across the dinner table. Passing on what you believe — discipline, faith, responsibility, restraint — requires proximity and patience. It also requires sacrifice. That is not a bug of family life; it is the feature that shapes men into something sturdier.
So, married men with kids, are you passing this wisdom on to your children? Not many are. According to a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/">Pew Research Center</a> poll, nearly 90% say it’s extremely or very important for their kids to have financial independence and jobs they enjoy, while only 20% say it’s extremely or very important to get married and have kids. Use this holiday to teach, even if your kids have left the nest.
This brings us back to St. Valentine.
According to early Christian tradition, Valentine secretly officiated marriages in defiance of imperial orders because he believed commitment strengthened society and formed men. His resistance was not sentimental. It was purposeful. He treated marriage as a moral institution that oriented men toward duty, continuity, and love grounded in action.
Valentine’s Day was never meant to celebrate perpetual adolescence or provide an excuse for a nice date.
So this year, men, take inventory. If you are single, work toward being marriageable: able to earn income, willing to put others ahead of yourself, and ready to lead through sacrifice. If you are marriageable, go on a date — one you initiate, in real life. If you are dating, get serious about marriage. Make a decision. If you are married, move toward children and invest deliberately in the next generation.
Valentine’s Day does not ask for grand gestures. It asks for forward movement.
Love that lasts is not accidental. It is chosen. Repeatedly. Bravely.
That was St. Valentine’s wager. It remains a good one.
* * *
Derrick Morgan is executive vice president of The Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Medium shot man kissing girlfriend on cheek in taxi filled with flowers

The Part Of Valentine’s Day No One Talks About

Heritage Foundation

Relationships

Women

There is a whole genre of media and marketing dedicated to hating on Valentine’s Day.
To some, the holiday is too corporate, too cliché, too pastel pink. To others, it’s way too focused on love, a subject that has simply become passé. Forget the dozen red roses, the cheap chocolates, and the polyester teddy bears. The primary object of today’s Valentine’s Day angst is no longer how the celebration of love has been consumed by corporations. It’s that a day to commemorate romance exists at all. 
Take Target’s <a href="https://x.com/LisaBritton/status/2009427614339912093">viral</a> man-hating sweater. For $30, you can go out today to purchase a crewneck in the cutesy pink and red hues of Valentine’s Day with a message sure to pour cold water on any romantic overtures: “Dump Him.” If that isn’t your style, you can always <a href="https://www.target.com/p/women-s-emotionally-unavailable-crewneck-pullover-sweater-wild-fable-blue-quote/-/A-95218608">snag</a> “Emotionally Unavailable.”
When paparazzi <a href="https://fashionmagazine.com/style/celebrity-style/britney-spears-baby-tee/">caught</a> Britney Spears wearing a “Dump Him” t-shirt in 2002, she and Justin Timberlake had just broken up. Considering that she later <a href="https://people.com/britney-spears-justin-timberlake-pregnancy-abortion-exclusive-8362622">claimed</a> his disinterest in being a father led to her choice to have an abortion, she may have had good reason to be bitter. But today, the directive to “dump him” feels less like a tongue-in-cheek callback to the era of “girl power” feminism and more like a gender wars-inspired imperative. It was just a few months ago, after all, that &#8220;Vogue&#8221; ran an <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-now">article</a> with the headline, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?”
Imagine the pandemonium if the genders were swapped. If the Target men’s section were marketing a “Dump Her” sweater, yet another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/targets-dei-drama-costs-big-as-boycotts-impact-sales">boycott</a> would be taking place. Women’s magazines would throw a fit. And Andrew Tate would buy up the whole stock. 
It may seem like Target is engaging in a nefarious plot to thwart women’s dating chances and keep them single. But Target, like other organizations, is just responding to the market. As the &#8220;Vogue&#8221; contributor says, “Even partnered women will lament men and heterosexuality — partly in solidarity with other women, but also because it is now fundamentally uncool to be a boyfriend-girl.”
Skepticism about men and relationships is everywhere. Zoos and animal shelters have lately made it a habit of soliciting donations around Valentine’s Day by offering to name <a href="https://sazoo.org/crymeacockroach/">cockroaches</a> or <a href="https://people.com/animal-charity-offers-to-neuter-your-ex-ahead-of-valentines-day-in-viral-post-11900397">neutered cats</a> after ex-lovers. The internet seems to take it as a <a href="https://gizmodo.com/facebook-thinks-saying-men-are-trash-is-hate-speech-1795170688">truism</a> that “men are trash.” Disney princesses now find themselves, not romantic partners. One of pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s top songs is “Manchild,” a song about, well, you can guess. “If I&#8217;m not there it won&#8217;t get done,” she sings in one line. “I choose to blame your mom.”
The message is: as a woman, being happy with a man is something for which you probably ought to apologize. “This sweater is cute, idk why you guys are hating on it,” says one online review of the “Dump Him” jumper. “I’m in a happy relationship with my boyfriend of 3+ years &amp; find it adorable!! If it resonates, it resonates, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t, so be it.”
For perspective, I texted a photo of the sweater to my grandmother, who has been married for over 70 years. &#8220;Don&#8217;t like it!&#8221; she said. &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t wear it! Or buy it!&#8221;
Fans of the sweater say they see it as a reference to men who are toxic or abusive, but there are no such caveats in the cotton. It reads as public, performative disdain, the kind that other women are meant to giggle at and men are meant to applaud in order to prove themselves. 
St. Valentine, who is said to have <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/st-valentine-death">sacrificed</a> his life in the third century to marry couples when the emperor wanted men to stay single to focus on war, might not be too pleased to hear about this.
All this anti-love messaging is coming at a time when Gen Z seems to have little interest in dating, anyway. Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/08/for-valentines-day-5-facts-about-single-americans/">reported</a> in 2023 that “roughly six-in-ten young men report being single.” So there likely isn’t even a “him” to dump.
With marriage and romance losing their cultural clout, gender relations were already unraveling when Target decided to profit off the chaos. What we need is a return to mutual respect — and maybe a little Valentine’s Day cheesiness — to stitch them back together.

Untitled design – 2026-02-13T170610.827

This Valentine’s Day, Don’t ‘Dump Him’

Dating

Gender

love

romance

Target

Cosmopolitan U.K. just <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a70301743/men-dating-icks-non-negotiables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published the findings</a> from their dating survey and unfortunately it’s even more depressing than expected.
The accompanying article comes with a primer on the dating lingo of today including discussions about having the “ick” and “non-negotiables.” There’s also an entire paragraph dedicated to ways that people keep their distance including “zombie,” “orbit,” “breadcrumb,” “bench,” and “pocket.”
No, this isn’t a joke. This is the absolute state of dating in the year 2026.
The survey asked 250 single men about their dating dealbreakers, and the responses ranged from reasonable (&#8220;being rude to people&#8221;) to oddly specific (&#8220;must not like tickling people&#8221;) to hilarious (&#8220;use of the word &#8216;ick'&#8221;). One man said he doesn’t associate with women who refer to themselves as &#8220;influencers.&#8221; Well, in that case, same.
Buried beneath all the modern dating terminology is a deeper issue: people are exhausted. Instead of just meeting someone, feeling a connection, and going from there, modern men are spending way too much time searching for something that doesn’t exist. They&#8217;re ghosting potential partners for taking too long to text back, and also for texting too often. At this rate, no one will ever move past the “talking phase,” and that’s a really big deal.
Now fewer people are dating, getting married, or having kids than ever before. We&#8217;ve turned courtship into a job interview. Romance, in the way it used to be understood, is dead.
All hope is not lost, however, and dating doesn&#8217;t have to be this miserable forever. It can even be fun again. You know, back when people actually talked to each other instead of swiping left on everyone with the tiniest hint of “ick” potential.
Enter Michael Knowles&#8217; <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/collections/michael-knowles/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yes or No: Dating and Relationships Expansion Pack</a>. This is a great way to interrogate your date about their dealbreakers in a fun way. With over 125 cards covering everything from interfaith marriages to whether &#8220;fur-babies&#8221; are replacing actual children, this game turns all that obsessive pre-screening into actual conversation.
Will you agree on whether watching porn is cheating? Is dating multiple people simultaneously fine if you&#8217;re not &#8220;exclusive&#8221;? These are the questions inspiring both laughter and deep conversations when everyone&#8217;s cards are on the table. <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack?_pos=2&amp;_sid=ebb86dcc4&amp;_ss=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grab the deck now and save 25% off until Valentine&#8217;s Day!</a>
Dating should be fun, not terrible. So grab the expansion pack, pour some drinks, and remember that dating isn&#8217;t about finding someone perfect. It&#8217;s finding someone whose imperfections coordinate perfectly with your own.
Happy dating, everyone.
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Pixelated broken heart on smart phone screens

Survey Reveals Modern Dating Is Even Worse Than You Thought

Daily Wire Shop

Marriage

Question: do married people observing the modern dating scene feel like they caught the last chopper out of ‘Nam?
Answer: Obviously, yes.
Anyone who found their significant other in a time before dating apps ruled the internet and swiping left and right became a national pastime is bound to feel a sense of deep relief. 
Yes, the dating pool has grown into a vast dating ocean, allowing individuals to narrow down their choices on a granular level. But with this change comes a slew of new problems, including shifting cultural values, a deepening political divide, and what seems like a whole lot more predators and psychopaths lurking in our midst.
It’s enough to make even the most optimistic person consider a life of intentional solitude.
And the stats back it up:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">47% of Americans say dating is harder today than ever before​.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">63% of men under 30 are single—double the rate of women​.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">75% of young adults say finding a committed partner is nearly impossible​.</li>
</ul>
It happened for a myriad of reasons. Once upon a time, a man was expected to pursue a woman (except for the Sadie Hawkins dance) and then the pair would explore a partnership if they both liked and were attracted to each other. 
These days, singles practically need a pre-date screening form before anything resembling a date can occur. This vetting process might include questions on topics that people from ten years ago couldn’t begin to understand: 
✅ Polyamory
✅ Digital consent
✅ Ethical non-monogamy
✅ Situationships
✅ OnlyFans
✅ Soft launches
✅ Ghosting
While keeping clear about your intentions and not treating dating like a marketplace might help with some of this, one solution is a lot of fun.
With the new <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/yes-or-no-dating-relationships-expansion-pack?_pos=1&amp;_sid=2644f6881&amp;_ss=r&amp;variant=42534601523260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yes or No: Dating &amp; Relationships Expansion Pack</a>, you can finally cut through the nonsense and find out what people really think about love, relationships, and dating in the current era. Think of it as that modern vetting form, but in game form. It’s the ideal item to break out and play before devoting any time to someone who thinks it’s possible to have a committed relationship with an AI chatbot.
This expansion pack is designed to help you cut through the noise and discover the truth about modern dating. With 125+ new cards covering the toughest relationship questions, you’ll finally get the real answers and narrow down the field to people who are worth your while. 
Some sample questions include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Are interfaith marriages doomed to fail?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Are “fur babies” replacing real children?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Is it okay to date multiple people at once if you’re not exclusive?</li>
</ul>
No more dodging. No more pretending. This special Yes or No game inspires real, raw discussions that help cut the nonsense and weed out the worst candidates for your affection so you can both stop wasting your time.
Modern dating is a mess — but you can navigate it better when you know what people actually believe. Instead of opting out, take a chance on love and figure out how to best navigate the challenges of dating in this strange new era.
Stop swiping and start living. Get your Yes or No: Dating &amp; Relationships Expansion Pack today and take back control of the conversation.
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Romantic dinner

Modern Dating Is A Dumpster Fire

For those with a special someone, today is Valentine’s Day. For all the single ladies, it is Galentine’s Day. But what is it for the bachelors? To my knowledge, men do not band together en masse on February 14th to mix up fruity pink cocktails, watch chick flicks, and build solidarity in their singleness. In fact, bromances appear to be in decline, as 15% of men say they <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/07/american-men-suffer-a-friendship-recession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have zero close friends</a>. 
The male friendship recession is just one manifestation of the boy crisis, a crisis worth reflecting on especially today, the day of big romance. The boy crisis is widespread, impacting boys and men academically, economically, physically, and spiritually. On average, the IQs of boys are declining. The <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/leading-causes-of-death-in-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second leading cause of death</a> for American men under 45 is suicide. Largely due to drug abuse and physical and mental problems, only 25% of men ages 17-24 <a href="https://amarkfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DOD-QMA-2020-Brief-PUBLIC.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualified for military service in 2020</a>. As the wages of those with a high school degree decline, some men are willingly checking out of the workforce altogether, so much so that male workforce engagement now matches the level it was during the Great Depression. All this adds up to millions of young men who have been left without purpose.
While our education system and the shift from a manufacturing to a global knowledge economy have done their fair share of damage, according to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Crisis-Boys-Struggling-About/dp/1942952716" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys are Struggling and What We Can Do About It</a>, (Farrell &amp; Gray, 2018) the ultimate driver behind the boy crisis is dad deprivation. Approximately 40% of children are born out of wedlock; because of this and high divorce rates, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2023/6/15/23758334/fathers-day-brad-wilcox-fatherhood-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Brad Wilcox</a>, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, states, “only about half of children will spend the duration of their childhood with both of their biological parents.” Moms and dads contribute in unique and essential ways to the raising of children, but boys especially need the modeled manifestation of what it means to be a good man, and their first model is their fathers. 
Single parents, who have sometimes been unwillingly left behind by divorce, make valorous sacrifices for their children, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00533.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nonresidential fathers are doing a better job of staying involved</a>. But the practical realities of fatherhood apart from marriage are often challenging. For example, according to The Boy Crisis, “when unmarried couples live together when their child is born, by the child’s third birthday, 40 percent of those children will have no regular contact with their dad for the next two years—between ages three and five.” For this reason, if we want to get serious about addressing the boy crisis, we need to get serious about marriage. Understanding the purpose of marriage will help us fortify it.
Many now believe that romance is the cornerstone of marriage. Once it dissipates, the couple should part ways so that each individual can find that lovin’ feeling again. More frequently than in the past, couples are divorcing for <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-two-parent-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less serious reasons</a>. The dissolution of &#8220;low conflict&#8221; relationships is <a href="https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol36/3/36-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly detrimental for children</a>, as they can experience more stress and more of a feeling of loss following separation. 
Much of our culture reinforces such attitudes towards relationships. The radical autonomy of expressive individualism permeates our moral imagination. Expressive individualism, “involves growing and changing as a person, paying attention to your feelings, and expressing your needs.” As Andrew Cherlin, a sociology and public policy professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Go-Round-State-Marriage-Family-America/dp/0307386384/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1707922637&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today</a>, under such conditions, “marriages are harder to keep together, because what matters is not merely the things they jointly produce—well-adjusted children, nice homes—but also each person’s own happiness.” And by happiness we mean pleasure and psychological self-actualization, not human flourishing grounded in virtue and obligation.
In truth, admirable marriages are replete with work and adventure. Their purpose is to provide a stable and loving environment for the rearing and education of children and to form the character of each spouse. Marriage is often not easy or comfortable. As human beings, we grow attached to our favorite vices, and letting them go can be painful. But it is also freeing. Ideally in marriage, rather than prioritizing his or her own emotional satisfaction, through choice and circumstance, each spouse sacrifices for the sake of that mysterious third entity: the marriage.  
Our culture largely no longer promotes this understanding. Those Galentine’s Day favorites (excluding the incomparable work of ethicist Jane Austen) often don’t depict what it is that really matters when looking for a spouse. Indeed, it is no accident that many chick flicks end at the altar, perhaps because marriage occasionally falls short of being camera-ready. This is not to say that all romantic films are bad. Part of the reason they appeal to us is because they affirm how important relationships are for long-term happiness. The choice of a spouse is the decision of a lifetime.
Yet numerous singles today have been left confused about how to choose well. Many children of divorce grow up lacking a model of a solid marriage. As adults, such children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0736-9735.21.3.353">can have a negative view of marriage</a>, struggle to work through conflict in a healthy manner, and are unsure what characteristics to prioritize in a partner. <a href="https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/commentary/the-culture-online-dating-encourages-hook-ups-not-marriage">Online dating makes this worse</a>. After being bombarded with profiles, users end up thinking that they should be able to find someone who embodies all the features they dream they desire.
We need to shift our cultural conversation around marriage, to move away from pure romance toward the deep, abiding, and sacrificial love that husbands and wives offer each other and their children. Doing so will help end the dad deprivation that is the main driver of today’s boy crisis. And then, perhaps, our boys, too, will have valentines.
* * *
Brenda M. Hafera is the Assistant Director and Senior Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Simon Center for American Studies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Picture of young man surprising woman with flowers

Young Men Searching For Purpose On Valentine’s Day

Boys

divorce

fatherhood

Fathers

Gen Z

Readers Pass

A January issue of New York Magazine featured a rather unusual <a href="https://nymag.com/press/2024/01/on-the-cover-of-new-york-a-practical-guide-to-polyamory.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cover story</a> called “A Practical Guide to Polyamory.” The cats on the cover were creepy enough. The concept being pitched was even worse.
The piece was an ode to an alternative lifestyle which the media is trying to paint as the hip new thing. All over the internet, including in big-name <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/13/books/molly-roden-winter-more-book-open-marriage.html#:~:text=100%20Notable%20Books-,How%20a%20Polyamorous%20Mom%20Had%20'a%20Big%20Sexual%20Adventure'%20and,with%20work%20and%20child%20care." target="_blank" rel="noopener">legacy</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/18/lifestyle/6-signs-you-should-introduce-polyamory-to-your-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publications</a>, there’s been a <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1747967378074288265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push</a> to normalize concepts such as “ethical non-monogamy” and “throuples.” To hear these outlets tell it, a traditional male-female couple is, like, totally uncool, dude.
At <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors</a>, we’re not buying into any of it. Despite what the media wants you to think, it’s almost Valentine’s Day and that means a celebration of love as it was meant to be. One man, one woman, and one perfect gift on a day to celebrate that affection.
Right now, men are probably shopping for the perfect gift to show their wives or girlfriends that they’re not considering joining the polyamorous community. The single best way to convey that point without saying a word is to treat your significant other to an exclusive <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valentine’s Day bundle</a> that’s firmly rooted in reality. When it comes from Jeremy’s Razors, she’ll never have to wonder if that box of chocolates is really just a ploy to start a conversation about adding a third person to your union.
<a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT JEREMY&#8217;S VALENTINE&#8217;S DAY EXCLUSIVE BUNDLES </a>
Ladies, this concept goes both ways. The manliest men are only interested in committing to one woman forever, and these heroes of the world deserve a superior shave along with a few chocolate bars to celebrate their commitment to traditional values.
Money talks. Besides boycotting Left-leaning publications that promote subversive lifestyles, conservatives can take a stand against insanity by committing to purchasing products made by companies that know the difference between a man and a woman, and that furthermore think marriage means a partnership consisting of one of each.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when declaring someone was your one true love would have been the mainstream opinion.
Marriages were made up of one XY chromosome man and one XX chromosome woman who together, God-willing, helped propagate the species with a bunch of adorable little offspring. The rationality of this coupling of man and woman was never disputed. However, the war on reality has now extended to this very foundation of society. Destroy monogamous relationships and you destroy the nuclear family. Once that goes, civilization crumbles.
You may have whiskers, but you’re not a cat. Real men are meant to devote themselves to one woman and build a life with her and only her. Jeremy’s isn’t afraid to say that. This is one reason why we’re here: to remind all of you that there are still companies that will take a stand against degeneracy.
Fighting back against the culture war often feels like trying to bail out a sinking ship using nothing but a spoon. But the part they’ll never tell you is that a lot of us have spoons, and if enough of us band together, those little spoonfuls of sanity can add up to making a difference.
It all starts with the decision to support companies that promote the values you want to see in the world. And this Valentine’s Day, you won’t find any creepy cats or “ethically” cheating spouses at <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/valentines-day-2024?utm_campaign=vday24&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw-site&amp;utm_content=na_polyamorous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors</a>.

Jeremy’s Razors

Forget Polyamorous Cats: At Jeremy’s Razors, Valentine’s Day Means One Man And One Woman

Forget Polyamorous Cats: At Jeremy's Razors, Valentine's Day Means One Man And One Woman

Jeremy's Chocolate

Jeremy's Razors

Americans are expected to shell out roughly $25.9 billion on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/valentines-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valentine’s Day</a>, marking one of the highest spending years on record despite <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflationary</a> pressures and the looming possibility of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recession</a>, according to a <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/consumers-plan-increase-valentines-day-spending-nearly-26-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from the National Retail Federation.
The average lovebird will spend $192.80 on their significant others, marking a 10% increase from $175.41 last year and the second-highest figure since the group began tracking spending on the holiday nearly two decades ago. Roughly $14 of the $17 rise in spending per consumer will be used for pets, friends, co-workers, and teachers rather than significant others.
“Valentine’s Day is a special occasion to shop for the people we care most about,” National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay remarked. “This year, as consumers embrace spending on friends and loved ones, retailers are ready to help customers celebrate Valentine’s Day with memorable gifts at affordable prices.”
Virtual shopping is the most popular mechanism for obtaining gifts, according to the trade association, with 35% of respondents indicating that they will use online stores. Roughly 32% of respondents plan to “give a gift of experience,” marking an increase from 26% last year. Men were especially more willing to offer an experience-driven gift.
The findings occur as inflation remains elevated relative to recent years, but somewhat mitigated in comparison to record highs last summer. Price levels declined slightly last month amid a decrease in energy prices: year-over-year inflation fell from 7.1% in November to 6.5% in December, marking the largest overall decline in nearly three years even as food and shelter prices continue to increase, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Retail and food services sales reached $677.1 billion in December, adjusted for holiday and seasonal variations, according to an advance <a href="https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimate</a> from the Census Bureau. The metric nominally increased 6% relative to levels recorded one year earlier; the reading, which was not adjusted for price levels, was therefore eclipsed by inflation.
Data from the National Retail Federation also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rise-in-holiday-spending-to-be-outpaced-by-inflation-forecast-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that Americans spent record amounts during Christmas and the winter holidays, even as many American households <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/some-consumers-financed-holiday-spending-with-record-amounts-of-debt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> their expenditures using record amounts of debt. The average amount of obligations among those who spent beyond their means rose to $1,549, marking a 24% increase from the previous year, according to a <a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/holiday-debt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from LendingTree. The percentage of debtors who expect to take five months or more to pay off their debt rose from 28% to 37%.
The global economy has experienced lackluster performance even after lockdowns and public health mandates ended across the world. Most analysts believe this year will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-short-investor-who-foresaw-2008-recession-lays-out-predictions-for-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see a recession</a> in the United States, a reality that would follow one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst stock market</a> performances in modern history last year, while some are more optimistic. Bank of America Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett said in a <a href="https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/year-ahead-2023/investment-market-outlook-forecasts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that a recession will occur in the first half of the year before markets attain a “much more solid footing,” while an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/economists-predict-whether-2023-will-see-a-recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlook</a> from Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius noted analysts at the company believe “there are strong reasons to expect positive growth in coming quarters.”

Valentines Day aisle, heart shaped gift boxes of Chocolates, Target, Queens, New York

Americans Will Spend Nearly $26 Billion On Valentine’s Day Despite Inflation And Recessionary Risk: Estimate

Americans Will Spend Nearly $26 Billion On Valentine's Day

Economy

Inflation

Recession

U.S.

Speaking at the sentencing trial of the shooter who massacred 14 students and three teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day in 2018, the father of a 14-year-old girl who was murdered gave unforgettably heartbreaking testimony in his victim impact statement.
Dr. Ilan Alhadeff spoke of his beloved oldest child Alyssa as the member of the audience wept.
“I wanted to tell this jury what happened to my family and this community,” he began. “I want to tell you what happened to my Alyssa.”
“On February 14, 2018, my fourteen-year-old daughter was right where she was supposed to be: in her high school English class. Four years later, she’s supposed to have been in her second year of college. Soon, she’d go on to be a professional soccer player; she’d get her law degree, and maybe become one of the most successful business negotiation lawyers the world would see,” he said.
“She was supposed to get married,&#8221; he continued, breaking down in tears. “I was going to have my father-daughter dance. She would have had a beautiful family, four kids, live in a gorgeous house, a beach house on the side. All those plans came to an end with Alyssa’s murder.”
He spoke of how his beloved daughter’s death affected their family: “Alyssa’s murder impacted so many people in so many ways; after Alyssa’s death, my father was never the same. He passed away a year later. My elderly mother lost her granddaughter and struggles to find happiness in her life. Then there’s my father-in-law, who always said Alyssa could do no wrong. They had a very special bond, one that you love to see between grandparents and grandchildren.”
“But this was broken only by Alyssa’s murder,” he said. “My mother-in-law, she also had a special bond with Alyssa. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t get emotional and go to tears when talking about Alyssa.”
“Alyssa was the captain of her soccer team and the center of all her friends,” he recalled. “She lifted them up; she helped them study; she was the shoulder to cry on and she was the ear to listen. No matter what her friends needed, she was there for them.”
Distraught, he said, “Most of all, she had this infectious laugh that now I only get to watch on TikTok videos.”
Pulling himself together again, he continued, “Then there are Alyssa’s brothers: one was too young to comprehend but asks to go to the cemetery to see his sister from time to time. This is not normal. For the older one, I feel like Alyssa was his best friend. He looked up to her in so many ways. The night of the tragedy he stayed up the whole night night calling me every hour asking me if we had found her yet, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him on the phone that his sister was murdered, so I had to wait until we got home and had to share this tragic news to him. It broke my heart to say this to him.”
“About a year or so later, he asked if he could switch rooms so he could be closer to her,” he recalled. “He holds back his sadness and anger about losing his sister but recently at the gravesite, he gave a speech and just came to tears. This is not normal for young boys growing up. They should not know of such sorrow, such loss, and tragedy.”
He then turned to his wife: “My wife, the mother of our children, lost her first-born daughter. She gives talks about how it was like someone ripping her heart and stabbing it. She fights every single day to keep Alyssa’s name alive, whether it’s with our foundation, with the school board, with the girls’ soccer club, she wears bracelets with Alyssa’s name on it. She occasionally sprays Alyssa’s perfume just to try and smell her. She even sleeps with Alyssa’s blankets.”
He finally spoke about himself: “Then there was me. My first-born daughter. My shining star, daddy’s girl, was taken from me. I get to watch my friends, my neighbors, colleagues spend time enjoying their daughters, enjoying all the normal milestones, taking in the normal joys and I only get to watch videos or go to the cemetery to see my daughter.”
“It was four years ago to everyone but to me it was yesterday,” he said emotionally.
In a heartbreaking statement, he said, “Alyssa will always be 14. And I will always be at that point in life with her.”
“All I know is that a piece of my heart was not just cut out, but it was ripped out of my damn chest. For four years I’ve watched so many struggle while the only option I’ve had is to keep it together for my family. Inside I burned like a damn inferno; it took me so long to feel empathy again . &#8230; Unfortunately I have to live my life with anger now and make it fuel my existence,” he admitted.
He concluded, “Missing our daughter every single day. No parent is supposed to have this grief. Without our daughter Alyssa, our lives have been changed forever.”
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Confessed Gunman Nikolas Cruz On Trial For Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas Mass School Shooting

‘Alyssa Will Always Be 14’: Father Of Parkland Victim Gives Unforgettably Heartbreaking Speech At Trial Of Shooter

Father Of Parkland Victim Gives Unforgettably Heartbreaking Speech At Trial Of Shooter

Florida

Parkland Shooting

Rapper Cardi B generated some controversy online when she asserted that men should pay more than women on Valentine&#8217;s Day.
Last Thursday, the &#8220;WAP&#8221; singer exclaimed that even though men deserve gifts on the special day, they should spend more money on gifts for their significant other.
&#8220;Yes ! Men do deserve to get gift as well for Valentine&#8217;s Day, but the gift have to be less expensive then the girls gift,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1359952838898585600" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">she tweeted</a>. &#8220;Soo if he buys you flowers you buy him grass.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes ! Men do deserve to get gift as well for Valentine’s Day,but the gift have to be less expensive then the girls gift . Soo if he buys you flowers you buy him grass.
&mdash; Cardi B (@iamcardib) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1359952838898585600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cardi-b-valentines-day-debate-men-spend-more-women">Fox News</a>, Twitter users either criticized Cardi B for perpetuating classic gender stereotypes or for suggesting how much money people should spend from the comforts of her wealthy position as a celebrity. The following day, she boasted about the many gifts her husband Offset has lavished on her.
&#8220;Ok so due to my Vday tweet men came on my twitter roasting me sayin &#8216;but you bought your man a lambo&#8217; but remember&#8230;I got 550K ring on my left hand, 400k ring on my right, Thousands of dollars In Birkins, soo much jewelry, a lambo truck and rollsRoyce truck ..so we even in gifts,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360303092797902851" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">she wrote</a>.
&#8220;So if ya don’t like the flowers &amp; grass comparisons let me give ya one that make men happy.If you buy her thousand dollars Louboutin heels she should buy you a ps5 that’s around 550$ .It’s fair &#8230;now if you think your gift should cost more then ur girl gift you are just a b***h.&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360304111669841920" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">added</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
So if ya don’t like the flowers &amp; grass comparisons let me give ya one that make men happy.If you buy her thousand dollars Louboutin heels she should buy you a ps5 that’s around 550$ .It’s fair &#8230;now if you think your gift should cost more then ur girl gift you are just a bitch <a href="https://t.co/hiUcxS1rUD">https://t.co/hiUcxS1rUD</a>
&mdash; Cardi B (@iamcardib) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1360304111669841920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The Daily Wire reported in December, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-subsidized-npr-names-raunchy-wap-best-song-of-2020">National Public Radio</a> (NPR) named Cardi B’s “WAP” the best song of 2020 prior to the New Year and chastised its critics as moral crusaders.
“Cardi B dropped exactly one song this year, but after ‘WAP,’ any more might have been overkill. Raunchy, fun and infinitely quotable, she joins Megan Thee Stallion for a shameless ode to, well, wet-ass p****, that flies in the face of those who might suggest these women’s sexuality is a shortcoming,” wrote Briana Younger. “At every turn, the two dare listeners to look away with a perfect storm of irresistible qualities: the familiar, through a prominent sample of Frank Ski’s Baltimore club classic ‘Whores in This House,’ the taboo in subject and attitude, the spectacle of unity between two of music’s brightest talents.”
“Meg is a more traditional stylist, whose voice oozes unassailable confidence, while Cardi is all theatrics and humor, effortlessly selling every last line, no matter how ridiculous (or anatomically incorrect) — a synergy that refracts the best qualities of one through the prism of the other,” she continued. “Together, they are magic.”
Younger then targeted the song’s critics, referring to them as “zealots and moral grandstanders.”
“To no one’s surprise, a pair of women honoring their own ladyparts and the pleasures they dish out and expect returned in spades drew the ire of the insecure, of zealots and moral grandstanders,” she wrote. “The backlash, however inseparable from the song’s cultural narrative, only bolsters the argument for its politics of pleasure. At its core, ‘WAP’ is Cardi and Meg’s assertion that their expression, both artistic and sexual, belongs to them and them alone.”
“Such a filthy bit of joy may be born of entertainment, but it persists as necessity — fake prudishness be damned,” she concluded.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cardi-b-wont-let-her-two-year-old-daughter-listen-to-wap">Cardi B Won’t Let Her Two-Year-Old Daughter Listen To WAP</a>

Million Dollar Bowl

Cardi B Sparks Controversy: Men Should Pay More Than Women On Valentine’s Day

Cardi B

A version of this article was published in February 2020.
Like St. Patrick&#8217;s Day or Mardi Gras, 21st-century society has largely forgotten the religious origins of St. Valentine&#8217;s Day. While some may blame that on the overabundance of shameless commercialism, that&#8217;s only half the story. Truth be told, we know little about the revered Saint from whom we derive today&#8217;s festivities — a man whose ethos rivals that of St. Nicholas.
Who exactly was this St. Valentine? How did he become synonymous with romantic love? Is there, in fact, a man behind the myth?
Though historians have dismissed much of what&#8217;s been said of St. Valentine as little more than embellished hagiography, we do know some undisputed facts about the man, namely, that he existed under the reign of Emperor Claudius II and was martyred for practicing the faith around the year 269 AD. In fact, so little historical evidence exists on the details of Valentine&#8217;s life that historians now debate whether his legends pertain to two different Saints or one St. Valentine, who would have then called by his Latin name, &#8220;Valentinus.&#8221;
So unreliable are the accounts of St. Valentine that, in 1969, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church">Catholic Church</a> removed his name from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Roman_Calendar">General Roman Calendar</a>, opting to leave his liturgical celebration to local calendars. Nevertheless, archeologists and historians do agree that the man existed. His bones can even be visited at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin; the Catholic Church still considers him a Saint
All that aside, the most popular interpretation of St. Valentine&#8217;s life, given the time and culture in which he existed, is quite topical. Though typically associated with courtly, romantic love, St. Valentine could almost be considered a defender of biblical marriage in a time of sexual confusion. Father Frank O&#8217;Gara of Whitefriars Street Church <a href="http://www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story">described him as a priest</a> who gave his life in defense of holy matrimony.
&#8220;He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudius who persecuted the church at that particular time,&#8221; Father O&#8217;Gara explained to CBN. &#8220;He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died.&#8221;
&#8220;I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived,&#8221; continued Father O&#8217;Gara. &#8220;Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to the Christian faith. But obviously, the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this.&#8221;
&#8220;The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict,&#8221; he added.
When Emperor Claudius caught Valentine violating the edict, legend says that the saint was imprisoned and tortured as punishment. Some legends have been attributed to him during his time in prison, according to Father O&#8217;Gara.
&#8220;One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind,&#8221; said the priest. &#8220;He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.&#8221;
St. Valentine suffered a violent martyrdom in the year 269 A.D. when he was allegedly sentenced to a three-part execution by way of beating, stoning, and decapitation. Legend has it that his last words were in a note to Asterius&#8217; daughter – &#8220;From your Valentine.&#8221;
Whether or not such stories about St. Valentine are indeed true or just embellished hagiography is beside the point, according to Father O&#8217;Gara, because St. Valentine symbolizes a principle that all Christians should live by. &#8220;What Valentine means to me as a priest is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe,&#8221; he exclaimed. &#8220;And with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do that — even to the point of death.&#8221;
Though February 14 is St. Valentine&#8217;s feast day, the holiday known as &#8220;Valentine&#8217;s Day&#8221; and its celebration of courtly, romantic love actually comes from Geoffrey Chaucer&#8217;s poem &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlement_of_Foules">Parlement of Foules</a>,&#8221; which associated the day with the pairing of birds in mid-February.
Love is in the air, indeed.

To My Valentine Postcard with Two Cupids

Who Was St. Valentine? Separating The Man From The Myth.

Catholicism

A North Carolina sheriff’s office is asking jilted lovers to turn in their exes with outstanding warrants as part of a “Valentine’s Day Weekend Special.”
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office announced the “special” on its Facebook page last Thursday, asking residents who know someone with an outstanding warrant to turn them in:
<blockquote>Did you know?
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is now offering a Valentine’s Day Weekend Special!
Do you have an ex-Valentine and know they have outstanding warrants? Give us a call (252) 459-4121 with their location and we’ll take care of the rest.
This Valentine’s Day Weekend Special starts off with a set of limited-edition platinum bracelets, free transportation with a chauffeur, a one-night minimum stay in our luxurious [5-star] accommodations, and this special is capped off with a special Valentine’s dinner.
We know this special is so incredible that you may be tempted to provide additional referrals. We don&#8217;t blame you, this special is too sweet to pass up. Operators are standing by!</blockquote>
The NCSO included a photo of some handcuffs next to three red roses on what appears to be a white satin sheet along with the post.
As the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/12/sheriffs-ask-people-to-turn-in-wanted-exes-for-valentines-day/">reported</a>, the post attracted some mixed comments. Many enjoyed the post, writing comments such as, “Not only does our county police force provide us with great service, they also keep us entertained. Thank you, NCSO!,” and, “Did you mention a new outfit too.”
Others, however, were not amused, with one person writing, “Who came up with this crap? Talk about tone death[sic]? Not surprised tho.”
The humorous post is reminiscent of a similar ruse from law enforcement agencies around the country. As KTVU <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/police-across-the-country-offer-to-test-drugs-for-coronavirus-but-not-everyone-finds-it-funny">reported</a> last year, police departments in various cities and counties posted “warnings” that illegal drugs might be contaminated with the coronavirus and that people should bring them to police in order to be tested. The St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas, for example, posted: &#8220;WARNING: If you have recently purchased meth locally, it may be contaminated with the coronavirus. Please take it to the sheriff&#8217;s office or police department and they will test it for free.&#8221;
KTVU reported similar posts from police departments in Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin.
While most found the posts amusing, as with the NCSO offer, some criticized the police departments for allegedly joking about those with addiction or diminishing a pandemic.
The Merrill Police Department in Wisconsin followed up their post.
&#8220;Just to give you some history, we have actually experienced people report their illegal drugs being stolen, being ripped off in a drug deal, being sold a look-a-like illegal substance, etc. We have even experienced drunk drivers coming to pick up arrested drunk drivers as their &#8216;sober responsible party,'&#8221; police said in the follow-up. &#8220;So this attempt, although a long shot, still had some possibility behind it.&#8221;
&#8220;We will take those easy grabs at removing poison from our community whenever we can. That is our role which we un-apologetically must fulfill,&#8221; they added.

Bride in hand cuffs

Sheriff Asking Jilted Lovers To Turn In Exes Who Have Outstanding Warrants This Valentine’s Day

Police

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