If you’re not married or don’t have kids, don’t fret because you’re not alone. It’s no secret that millennials are opting out of the typical societal norms like the whole wife/husband and kids thing. The reasons for this cultural shift in our country has a lot to do with finances. It simply costs too much to have a wedding and to have children. People are in knee-deep with debt, and the main thing they want to do is get a job and lead some kind of fruitful life — marriage is just not conducive to all of that.

Another thing to consider is that some just don’t want to get married. They see what marriage can do to a relationship, they know what it’s like to come from a broken home, so why go through that whole charade? The problem with remaining single, especially for Latinas is because we have added pressure! It’s so hard for Latinas to stay single because they’re pressured into marriage by their families.

However, in this day-in-age, people have to face reality: marriage isn’t for everyone.

To some, marriage is just another word for prison.

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Before marriage, a person could be described as truly free. You can come and go as you please. Travel wherever you want, leave your clothes on the floor, spend your own money on just you. After marriage, it is quite a different story. You can’t do sh*t without telling the other person. They need to know where you are 24/7. You are basically chained to that other person. What kind of life is that?

People are lying when they say they’re happy in their marriage.

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The only reason people ask you “so, when are you going to get married?” it’s only because they want you to be in this miserable club alongside them. It’s no fun to bitch and complain to friends who are happy in their single life. They want you to be sad too.

Your family shouldn’t dictate what you do with your life.

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Your family is at least partly to blame for the problems in your life. If they’re pressuring you to get married and to have kids just so it doesn’t reflect poorly on them, you can tell them they’re going to have to wait a very long time. Maybe forever.

Just because you marry someone, doesn’t mean a person is going to change for the better.

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One of the worst reasons to marry someone is if you think they will magically become someone different overnight. If he/she is messy before, they will be dirty after. If he/she was a cheater before, they will cheat later. If he/she eats like crap and doesn’t exercise, they will remain slobs afterward too. Yes, people can change for the better, but people do continue to be who they are regardless if they’re married or not.

If you’re already in love with someone, why change what isn’t broken?

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There are so many happy couples that have been together for ages and never got married. Maybe it’s just a Hollywood thing, but there has to be something to that. People who remain together, and are faithful to each other, despite having those rings or marriage license are the ones that are genuinely in love.

Do you really want to spend your entire life with this person?

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If your partner has issues, chances are, you do too. In fact, we all have so much baggage, and we carry that into every relationship. One question to ask yourself before you get married is: can I handle this person’s baggage, and can they handle mine? Real love is loving a person and accepting their flaws.

Let’s be real about why people genuinely get married.

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Here’s something that rarely gets said: you were born alone and you will die alone. We are not trying to be dark and gloomy about life, but people should not get married for the reason that they don’t want to be alone. People must accept who they are, where they are in their life, and work on themselves, before getting married. If you’re getting married because you don’t want to grow old alone, then get a dog, make friends, be a good person. Don’t dangle someone in just because you’re scared of being alone. That is utterly depressing.

The state of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is currently in limbo, as it has been since Donald Trump became president. The Democrats are fighting to keep the program that protects young undocumented people from being deported, while the Republicans are putting up their own fight to end it. In the end, however, it’s not going to be up to either party. The U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately decide in October the fate of the program and the estimated 800,000 people that are currently enrolled. There is one man that is fighting DACA tooth and nail and has been doing so for years. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is one of the fiercest critics of DACA and he just filed an amicus brief on behalf of Texas, and 12 other states. 

An amicus brief is a legal document that is “filed in appellate court cases by non-litigants with a strong interest in the subject matter,” and Paxton has a robust interest in the matter. The other heads of state that signed the legal document include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

“The DACA program was a lawless exercise of executive power, and the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA was absolutely necessary to uphold the rule of law,” Paxton said in a statement. “By creating DACA and DAPA, the Obama administration attempted to bypass Congress and unilaterally amend our immigration laws. The president’s duty is to ensure that the law is faithfully executed, not to unilaterally re-write the law anytime the president disagrees with Congress’ decision.”

The fight against DACA has been Paxton’s most significant battle since 2017.

He alleges that that DACA “puts undue financial strain on states. Under DACA, states bear the cost of providing social services including healthcare, education, and law enforcement, to non-citizens. Texas alone incurs more than $250,000,000 in total direct costs from DACA recipients each year.”

He’s actually wrong about that. DACA recipients, many of which that are highly paid professionals, contribute billions to the United States, which is why most Americans want the program to remain as is. 

Several appeals courts have already ruled that DACA must remain in place. They stated that the president can make some changes but cannot end it altogether. 

In November 2018, a Court of Appeals in the Ninth Circuit ruled “the cruelty and wastefulness of deporting productive young people to countries with which they have no ties.”

That is why the case has been turned over the Supreme Court. The highest court can also hear from both advocates and opponents, and try to settle this matter out of court. However, because the House and Senate are so divided, no conclusion has been met. 

“We will continue to fight tirelessly to protect these outstanding young men and women as we work to ensure America remains a nation of hope, freedom, and opportunity for all,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement after the court’s announcement this summer, according to the New York Times. 

Paxton is eager to win this fight, despite not hearing from his own party, including people that voted for him.  

Republican voters have told him to end this battle because it’s not worth it. In 2017, Norman E. Adams, Co-founder of the Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy, and a conservative voter sent Paxton an open letter, in which he stated: 

Dear Mr. Paxton, 

First of all, I want you to know that my wife and I contributed to your campaign and voted for you. We did the same for President Trump, and we are proud of what he has done. We are not as happy with what you are doing. General Paxton, your threat of a lawsuit to overturn DACA is a big mistake. Instead of opposing DACA, Texas should follow President Trump’s lead on the 800,000 so-called “dreamers.” Evidently, you have been convinced that opposing DACA is good for you politically. We did not elect you to practice politics. We elected you to use good judgment and to make sound decisions that benefit Texans.

Paxton can fight all he wants but he should know that DACA supporters (both Democrat and Republican) will fight for DREAMers as well. And, since he is DACA’s loudest critic he doesn’t have much a chance to win anyway. 

READ: Experts Are Warning The U.S. Supreme Court About The Economic Impacts Of Rescinding DACA Protections