Written by: Michael Arnold
Rick Santorum has fared extremely well in the GOP race thus far. Although paid little attention until recently, the underdog runner is now being identified by many Republicans as the best conservative choice. His ascent to the top, however, should be regarded with alarm.
Senator Santorum is a man who is frighteningly out of touch with the people he is hoping to represent. His beliefs on cultural morals, especially in regards to the LGBT community and family values, are beyond antiquated, they’re absurd and overbearing.
Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum
In a recent Fox News interview, Santorum expressed his support for the reinstatement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” claiming that gay rights and black rights are not on an equal platform. In sum, he defined homosexuality as a “behavioral” choice and made the pitiful and awfully supported assertion that gay people “can stop being gay.” Rather than extending equal rights to all American citizens, Santorum believes that we must fight back against those “trying to impose their values” upon the nation.
Impose their values? While Santorum expresses his belief in imposing the denial of fundamental rights upon a significant segment of the American citizenry, he makes the dual claim that this segment is somehow imposing something upon America at large. The logical flaw in this argument is so blatant that it borders on arrogance.
The nation’s social values should not be dictated arbitrarily by someone who believes he understands what is best. What America needs is a president who is committed to understanding the people of the nation, what they want, and how to respect their liberties. Santorum’s record has proven that he is not that candidate.
Senator Santorum takes no shame in making the claim that traditional marriage is superior to other lifestyles; meanwhile just under half of the country currently leads a traditional “nuclear family” lifestyle. He has inserted his extreme religious beliefs into his political policy by imposing the inclusion of intelligent design and other non-scientific theories into Pennsylvania state curricula. He does not believe in every American’s implicit “right to privacy;” and he claims that the use of contraceptives are “a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”
The proof is there. This man simply does not respect basic American rights, and he is by no means suitable to lead a changing nation.
Acceptance and support of a diverse populace is a crucial element of being the President of the United States. While Senator Santorum’s beliefs and policies are alarming, his growing support is even more so. Voters have yet to realize that electing a leader who does not respect the rights of one group, can just as quickly strip rights from another.