How is the family perceived?According to 67% of Lithuanian citizens, families consist of a married couple with children; while 32.2% describe as “family” also couples who live together but aren’t married. These figures were made known during the presentation of the research on the way in which Lithuanian citizens view the family, held a view days ago. Accordingly, 48,7% of interviewees defined as “very important for children to be born of a married couple”, 31.2% said “it’s important” and 15.6% that “it’s not particularly important”. When asked which element confers to a woman the greatest security and dignity, 87.8% replied “marriage”, and only 6.5% believe it’s the fact of being ‘single’. Furthermore, 96,8% of Lithuanians affirmed that “the best circumstance to raise a child” is “the family founded on marriage” where the child “receives all the care he needs”. According to 74.8% of interviewees, the State mostly supports single mothers, 13.9% believe it supports families with children, and 11.3% the children of separated couples. It should be noted that 79.1% agree on the implementation of family policies, 14% said that existing policies are sufficient, and 6.5% replied that it’s not an issue to be addressed by the State. What could help build a stronger family? According to over 60%, “children’s education is paramount”, however “flexible working hours” are also important.Draft law in the defense of lifeIn the past weeks the Lithuanian Parliament decided to plan a draft law for the protection of life in its early stages. If it were approved, women would no longer be allowed to abort as a result of their personal decision. The bill underlines that “human life starts from the moment of conception” and that lawmakers are obliged to “give priority to the rights of the child”. According to the document, there can be exceptions such as the risk of death for the mother, pregnancy resulting from sexual abuse and the certainty that the child will be handicapped. Perhaps the most debated point is considering union between men and women as “the basis of families”: but Lithuanian psychologists, sociologists and judges maintain that “the family is the best environment for bringing up a child”.No to the publicity of alcoholics on televisionIn the past few days a press conference initiated by archbishop S.Tamkevicius and by card. A.J.Backis was held in Vilnius in response to polemics triggered by the government’s prohibition to transmit publicity of alcoholic beverages during football matches. The representatives of Lithuania’s Bishops Conference affirmed: “healthy competition and physical activity are part of human culture. There is no doubt that today, football matches, especially at international level, are strictly connected to the name and the honor of the respective Nations, this is why they must be viewed with a sense of responsibility”. “Before parents’, educators’ and teachers’ requests to help the youth avoid falling into a state of degradation, we cannot remain silent to claims that sport enthusiasm will decrease without publicity and alcoholics consumption. It’s sad to see that often alcoholics are related to national sentiment. True participation, true enthusiasm and the support for one’s team cannot be expressed with acts of violence or by getting drunk”, the prelates affirmed. They pointed to the importance “of not being subjected to commercial pressures”. In the meantime, on January 1st the law on publicity control came into force. It prohibits television publicity of alcoholic beverages from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Commercial television networks, unhappy about this income decrease, are putting pressure on MPs who supported the ban.
