A person's upbringing and family doesn't necessarily affect his/her family values. If someone's family is "mixed up" or "ghetto" and (s)he had enough sense and resilience to get "50 degrees," then obviously (s)he has a good head on his/her shoulders and wants something more than what (s)he has been taught. It's unfair to think that an "apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I know SEVERAL people (myself included) that may not have had a fairy tale upbringing and wishes to offer more to the family that (s)he may one day have. If you discredit someone based on something that is outside of his/her control, you could miss out on something great. None of us are able to choose our families, nor can we control or alter their behaviors, regardless of how hard we try.

AMEN! I think as our nation is moving away from traditional values, what you perceive as jacked could be normal to others. There are a lot of non-traditional families and even more single parents. We can debate why there are so many out of wedlock children, divorced parents, gay/lesbian parents etc., but being close minded is not a viable solution...It is what it is.

I think the best thing those of us who are married or plan to get married and have children can do is provide a stable home environment for our families. My parents have been married over 30 years, so my husband and I definitely strive to maintain a healthy and happy home environment.

I think that for me, it is more important that we have a similar social background rather than economic background. For instance, if he grew up "poor" but had parents that encouraged him to explore the world via books, volunteer opportunities, etc., that would be more preferable than a "rich" kid who wasted his youth with nonsense. I need intelligence, and THAT can be found no matter how much money you had/have.