I wish women in the U.S. automatically kept their last names when they marry

[maggiesfarmer]

287. no, I'm not fishing. please take my questions at face value

I'm also not trying to get into a flame way. I've read a many of your posts, and while I don't agree with all your opinions, I generally respect the thought that went into your comments. I've asked two very straightforward questions multiple times and you keep referring me to your OP, which doesn't address either directly. I'm genuinely trying to understand this issue.

1. how does "automatically kept their names" differ from what we have today? if you've answered that questions anywhere, please reply with quote. again, I'm not fishing, not trying to get to any secondary point; just want to understand what change it is that you're advocating for. I'm not clear what you mean by 'automatically'. As I stated in above posts, women in the US today do keep their names upon marriage unless they request to have it changed. If I'm mistaken here, please correct me.

2. today, people have a legal option to change their names. your comments seem to imply that you don't want people to be able to change their names, citing the difficulty in tracking down old acquaintances and the simplicity of the European system. I'm trying to figure out if you're advocating to legislate that option away or only advocating for social change without legislation. again, I haven't seen you respond to that point -- if you have, please reply with quote.

I just reread your previous comments for at least the 4th time, and copied them below. I am highly confident that neither speaks to what you mean by "automatically" keeping names and neither addresses whether or not your advocating for legal change.

OP

It's close to impossible to locate women friends from school or childhood, because marriage annihilates their name. The dissolving of the woman's name upon marriage is encouraged and associated as somehow being a romantic act.

Men can be located easily because they change nothing when they get married. They remain themselves.

Easier in Europe, where everyone keeps their last name when they get married.

REPLY:

Here you go:

Colonial American women's rights were restricted by the patriarchal view of English Common Law. As in England, women were viewed as chattel and had no individual legal rights.

Yet once a woman married, all of her rights and properties were governed by her husband.
Husband and wife were considered "one person at law" to be controlled by the husband. A wife and her children were a husband's possessions. However, some wives had a degree of financial independence from their husbands through dowries.

Read more: About Colonial Women's Rights | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_4571155_colonial-womens-rights.html#ixzz1kQ8a9800