Mazzei Minute 10/03/25

The institution of marriage and the goodness of having children is under attack.  The cultural revolution waged by communists in America did effectively take over education and government institutions, but now we have a critical moment in the history of Oklahoma and the USA to save our communities, and country, from the damage caused by the radical left.

My pastor, Andrew Forest of Asbury Church, likes to say, “Family is how we fight,” and he is so right.  All the data and studies point to a huge correlation between better education results, higher income and a greater level of happiness for married adults with kids.  

I don’t mean to suggest that single persons or single parents can’t lead a successful and fulfilling life; they surely can. I am committed to ensuring opportunities remain open to every single adult who strives to achieve. And for single parents who have chosen life and opportunity for their child, I will champion policies that remove barriers, break the cycle of generational poverty, and create pathways for both parent and child to thrive. But as a society, we must recognize we are strongest when we promote a pro-family culture, which the left prefers to destroy. 

As a result of the socialist war on the goodness of American values and families, there are now just 30 marriages for every 1,000 unmarried adults in the US, only one-third of what there were fifty years ago.  Only 1 in 3 single young adults today are even sure they want to get married.  Cultural acceptance of cohabitation, same-sex unions and intentional childless romantic relationships, writes Frank DeVito for the Institute of Family Studies, have gutted the meaning of marriage as a life-long union between a man and a woman for the purpose of raising children.

Charlie Kirk said it best, “Having a family will change your life in the best ways, so get married and have kids. You won’t regret it.” We Mazzei’s just had our first wedding – one of the triplets, Chrissy, married a fine young man, Demetre Page, and the wedding celebration with our entire family was truly one of the most fulfilling and joyful proud father moments of my life. 

Our readers know I talk a lot about the importance of being a no-income tax state.  For a conservative counter-revolution in Oklahoma to become a beacon of light for the tradition of family, maybe the first step toward becoming a no-income tax state should be to prioritize eliminating income taxes for a married male and female with one or more children.  

As Oklahoma’s next governor I could joyfully tell young adults every day, “get married, have babies, and you don’t have to pay income taxes!”