Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am really happy that same sex marriage is now legal but now I think we need to tackle discrimination of singles. Do you feel singles are discriminated against? Singles pay more for insurance, vacations and many more areas. Singles do not get the social security benefits of married people. FMLA is geared toward married people. Its so ingrained in society that we don't notice it. When we get old, we won't have help like married people.
How is insurance more expensive? Or vacations--are you referring to double occupancy rates? I took FMLA to care for my mom when I was single, and as a married person. I don't think it was different.
Singles have the absolutely lowest amount of recognition in our society. Now that LGBTs are zooming ahead os us, I'm happy to see that someone stepped in to voice what many of us have already been experiencing for years.
I don't know about insurance but vacations are definitely more expensive. Singles are forced to join group tours if they do not want to do something alone and group tours are very expensive. Group tours always add on a surcharge for a single room as well, called the "single supplement". Usually in the amount of $400 but it could be higher. Married couples don't necessarily bother with group tours. If they are experienced travellers, they can go to Italy on their own. A couple is much safer out and about at night in Rome than a single. Although an experienced single traveller could go alone to places, it isn't necessarily fun or safe, so sometimes the group tour is the only way to go.
Also singles have to cover the entire cost of the car, hotel, and other fees on their own, whereas a married couple has 2 salaries and can split the costs. It might come out of one pot but it's still only 1/2 the cost for each person. Plus one spouse may get little perks from the other spouse. For instance, the spouse might have access to a family vacation home in the mountains or might have siblings with vacation homes in various parts of the country or might have frequent flyer miles to use up. A single person doesn't have access to these "extra" perks that one gets through marriage.
Just about everyone that I work with has access to a vacation home or timeshare through their spouse, so that saves significantly on their vacation expenses.
FMLA being geared towards married people- I think the OP means that FMLA is unpaid so how would a single person take FMLA if it's unpaid? Whereas a married person still has their spouse's income to rely on. Sure, if they relied on 2 incomes, they might miss one income but it would be temporary. They would still have ONE income to rely on. Better than nothing. the single person would have NO income at all.
I was single for decades - until I was 40 - so I do have experience as a single.
I dont think singles are discriminated against. Sure it costs less per person to travel as a couple than as a single but so? Large families cost less per person also for many things....it is less safe to travel as a single so find ways to lessen those risks. You can tag along with others when exploing a city for instance. Near enough for safety but not so much that you a part of the group.
There are pros and cons to being single as there are to being married. That isnt discrimination. Its reality.
I don't feel discriminated against, and it has been my choice to be single. Now that I am engaged I guess I will experience what that is like. Also, if I have been discriminated because of my race or sexual orientation those are not choices in my opinion. It is our choice to be single. That is like saying the South is discriminated against, and I experience it because I live here. I could move, so that would be my choice. You could marry.
FMLA only covers you to care for yourself, spouse, parents, children and adopted children. If you are single and need care a sibling or friend would not be covered under FMLA unless you live in a state that has expanded it but most have not. There is also the income issue, 2 is better than 1. I know many people who would love to get married but it just never happened. Married people take for granted all the benefits they get. Social security is something else that singles don't get the same benefit as married. It is so ingrained in our society that singles don't know they are being singled out. People just say get married but if it were that easy then it would have been done.
FMLA only covers you to care for yourself, spouse, parents, children and adopted children. If you are single and need care a sibling or friend would not be covered under FMLA unless you live in a state that has expanded it but most have not.
There is no difference between single/married in the hypothetical situation you posed.
Quote:
There is also the income issue, 2 is better than 1. I know many people who would love to get married but it just never happened. Married people take for granted all the benefits they get.
Just being married doesn't automatically grant you two incomes. You're definitely making assumptions here.
Quote:
Social security is something else that singles don't get the same benefit as married.
How so? I you talking about a non-income earning spouse potentially getting benefits based of that of their income earning spouse? If that's your point, what would you propose for single people? If you are single, you pretty much have to work unless you come from a rich family, therefore you'd have your own wages and corresponding SS benefits.
Quote:
It is so ingrained in our society that singles don't know they are being singled out. People just say get married but if it were that easy then it would have been done.
Like most generalized complaints about things being unfair, I suggest you focus on doing things that make your life better. Things that help to provide for a positive future and worry much less whether something is "fair" or not, particularly if you don't have any control over it. Focus on the things in your life that you DO control.
Just my 2 cents.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
