Up until recently, I was a naysayer. I did not believe that Rick Santorum was capable of winning–neither the GOP primary nor the general election.
That was until I saw his response to students at The New England College, where Santorum was fielding questions on many issues including gay marriage.
For most political observers, it should be pretty easy to remember that former Sen. Rick Santorum has always preached the importance of restoring and preserving the ‘American family’. And for far too long, I discounted his views as ‘unelectable’. Not that I didn’t agree with the former senator that life is precious at birth, or that families are strongest when they have a mother and father to lead them–but it seemed to be the only thing Mr. Santorum always wanted to talk about.
Today at his speaking engagement at New England College, former Sen. Santorum encountered students’ questions on gay marriage. In an attempt to stump him, students attempted to use the Declaration of Independence to prove that gay marriage is a human rights issue–”…all men are created equal.” Contrary to what the students were probably expecting, Mr. Santorum turned the questions around on them. Mr. Santorum essentially asked them to provide an objective standard for how to define an appropriate marriage, and they could not.
In American culture today, and in civilizations throughout world history, people have struggled to find a standard or moral code that is acceptable to everyone. Yet, even among the most “progressive” among us, there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
For these students, it seemed that they weren’t willing to accept polygamy as an acceptable form of marriage–even though other civilizations and religions practice these types of relationships. Men can love men, and women can love women–but some of them drew the line at multi-partner relationships and marriages.
This was a fascinating interchange between Mr. Santorum and the students. It provided context for a debate that is greater than politics–one that involves the meaning of life. So many of us have our own political beliefs, yet we fail to realize where these beliefs originate.
Usually in these political debates between politicians and ‘concerned citizens’, it gets out of hand with shouting or anger. But Mr. Santorum presented his case in such a logical, reasonable, and gracious way that it seemed to inspire intellectual discussion rather than indiscernible shouting.
Maybe this event will just be a quick snapshot of ‘what could have been’ of a dying campaign, but I tend to think this event may have turned the tide on Rick Santorum’s candidacy. Whether he is electable in a general election, or in the GOP primary–it is unclear. But if political observers take notice of this event at New England College, I think Mr. Santorum’s political gains are on the rise.
At worst, Mr. Santorum just provided rational thought to an increasingly uncivilized debate.
Posted on January 6, 2012
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