Unmarried Missouri couple and children face eviction

Fascism because they won't spend $10 on a marriage license? I'll bet their dog has a license. . .

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You're really missing the point, Angie.

Look up the definition of fascism. This is not about getting a license, and, frankly, it's not for you to dole out punishments to unwed couples.

Here's a short cut: Fascism is a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism
or
A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.

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I completely agree too, absurd, insane and probably racially related. The states need to get with the times or they will be left behind. Personally this drove me to be an expat for life. Sorry but I won't be back either... Stuff like this boils my blood and well if they don't accept you, I'll go where I'm welcome instead.

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Couple of things:

1. Missouri is not a common law state. So, no this couple does not have a legally recognized relationship by the state of Missouri.

2. Black Jack is a suburb of St. Louis, and while there are lots of colleges in the metro area, none in very close proximity to Black Jack. It is not a college town so I'm guessing this law was not designed to keep frat houses out of the burbs. There must have been some other motivation behind this law. Whether it was racial in nature or not, I can't say.

2. I live very nearby, and to my knowledge, Black Jack is a fairly racially mixed area. I wouldn't think that interracial couples are all that out of the ordinary there.

3. Despite the above, I still think race could definately be an issue in this case. Like anywhere else, many people in this area welcome diversity and some do not.

4. The city council is just plain wrong to deny a housing permit to an obviously stable couple who are just trying to raise their kids and live their lives. Governments need to stay out of our bedrooms. They shouldn't have to conform to anyone's definition of family. They ARE a family.

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I posted a comment of my views on this subject a while back on Is America Burning, and for anybody interested in reading, I've Cut n' Pasted the bulk of that comment here:

Love for one another, one's children is NOT 'proven' with a scrap of paper, a few signatures and two rings, and it is certainly NOT 'proven' in the eyes of God - in fact, bar the fact that it helps people legally because of certain backward, bigoted ?traditions? that have been upheld, it means nothing to God or anyone else. Not really. Not in the grand scheme of things. Some people may feel it is important, and that is their God given right, but that does NOT mean that being in love, living together and (possibly) having children suddenly means more if the people involved are married, because it simply doesn?t. NOTHING can mean more than pure, true love - it is impossible.

Love is love, plain and simple. It can be between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man, parent(s) and child(ren), grandparent(s) and child(ren), aunt(s)/uncle(s) and child(ren), friend(s) and friend(s), human(s) and animal(s), human(s)/animal(s) and God... Marriage does not equal love. Right now marriage equals a leg up, a trump card in the eyes of the law enforcers because that is the way it has always been.

And in conclusion to this, let us just remember that the people causing the problems here are NOT the loving families living together and 'proving' their love, commitment and support toward one another and their children daily in thought and word and deed - the people causing the problems are those afraid to admit that somewhere along the line someone deciding what was right and wrong, good and bad, and better and worse got it WRONG.

Thank you for reading, and goodnight.

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How sad, what's next, wearing a scarlet letter?

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Everyone seems to have a lot of opinions about a place in which they don't live. This isn't simply taking place in 'Missouri'; we're talking about north St. Louis, which is hardly a bastion of racism. This is not an issue of race.

They are in violation of a city zoning ordinance. Cities all over the country are allowed to define zoning categories in whatever way they choose, to reflect the needs of the community. These decisions are made by appointed and elected officials, in public hearings.

I'd have a big problem if someone wanted to move into my city and change the community's laws simply to suit their needs. Shelltrack and Loving need to ask themselves, if the community's values do not reflect their own, why choose to live there? I wouldn't. The housing market is good in Florissant, and there plenty of other, affordable houses.

As far as living in sin, well, that's between them and God. But either you've made a commitment, or you haven't. As I so often tell my son, pee or get off the potty. You don't need a wedding to get married, unless the wedding is more important to you than the marriage.

If this city ordinance *is* a moral judgement against cohabitation, how is others' condemnation of *that* basis any less of a judgement?

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Well, Jared, what if the city ordinance said that only married couples could drink from particular water fountains?

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Did anyone else read the "related article" that has more details? I love this quote:

"Larry Hensley says Shelltrack and Loving should conform or move. He says that's what he did 20 years ago when he moved from neighboring Florissant, which barred him from keeping bees in his backyard."

Because keeping bees and keeping children is just the same. Right.

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I was thinking the same thing as Cary (commenter #4) - how does this city ordinance apply to this family? Since there are only two individuals unrelated to each other - not three! I was totally confused when I heard this story on the news...

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Where in Missouri does this couple live? I live in Missouri and I've never been aware of this law ever. I agree the 2 races combined have everything to do with this. This is so wrong and we the people of Missouri need to stand beside this couple and each other on this issue. I live with my boyfriend but my goodness we are a white couple. You know I don't care if a couple is purple and pink it's not for us to judge others just because we disagree how they live. I would appreciate if someone can email me and tell me where this couple lives. And again I probably over looked it somewhere....

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