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"Should divorce be made more difficult?"
(asked at Crossroads Shopping Center on 01-21-98; published in the EJ on 01-25-98)

Richard Sanford, Technical writer & novelist, Issaquah

"I kind of have the feeling the problem the bill is designed to solve, which has to do with children's situations during divorce, wouldn't necessarily be solved by this because children might be equally at-risk in situations inside a bad marriage."

Regien Huting, Management assistant, Woudenberg, Holland

"In Holland, it's pretty easy to get divorced. I guess it shouldn't be too easy -- but if two people don't get along anymore, they shouldn't have to linger in a marriage. And it depends on if there are children. I think too many people think you don't have to work at a marriage."

Gary Clifford, Retired human resources manager, Redmond

"No. Sometimes I think divorce is something that should be done. It's better for the children not to prolong things, because it puts them in the middle. It's better for the parents because two people shouldn't be forced to try to get along -- life is too short. Hopefully people are mature enough to decide for themselves... But the guy better pay his child support!"

Carole Longmire, Temporary worker, Bellevue

"That's kind of a tough one. There seems to be a lot of divorce because if you can't make it work, you just go to court and say, "That's it." But really, you should try to work things out because it's not good for the kids."

Dana Larsson, Project manager, Lake Stevens

"Yeah. I just think it's too easy. There's too much involved and people don't think it through and usually divorce doesn't end up the way they think it might. If it was more difficult, then maybe as many people wouldn't get divorced -- they'd have more time to think about what they're doing. A lot end up thinking they're going to be happier and they aren't any happier."

Marshal Caluya, Fishmonger, Seattle

"No. I don't think it should because it's a difficult enough experience to go through as it is -- I survived my parents' divorce as a child, and survived my own, as an adult... But if my parents had stayed together, it would've been a lot easier on all of the kids."

© 1998 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

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