Santorum or Sanity

Promoting his recent book on a CN8 broadcast, Senator Rick Santorum shared his thoughts on the topic of contraception:

"I vote and have supported birth control because it is not the taking of human life. But I'm not a believer in birth control, artificial birth control. Again, I think it goes down the line of being able to do whatever you want to do without having the responsibility that comes with that...I don't think it works, I think it's harmful to women, I think it's harmful to our society, uh, to have a society that says that sex outside of marriage is something that should be encouraged or, or, or, or tolerated, particularly among the young. And uh, we've seen very, very harmful long-term consequences to our society. So birth control to me enables that and I don't think it's a healthy thing for our country."

Isn't it wonderful when a holier-than-thou blabbermouth allows such irrational nonsense to roll off his lips in a public forum? No wonder President Bush and his handlers do everything in their power to keep Dubya from anything resembling a spontaneous exchange with a citizen not vetted and given the Radical Right seal of approval. He's likely to say something downright idiotic, irrational, meanspirited or dishonest. Which brings me to my question: What the hell is Radical Rick talking about? What responsibility? He sounds serious and important until you realize he makes no sense.

Let's see.

Intentionally recreational sex using contraception (vs. intentionally procreative sex) allows the participants to avoid responsibility...for not having children?? No, that's inconsistent and nonsensical.

...avoid responsibility...to God, who scowls in pain when two people enjoy the pleasures of corrupt, sinful flesh? Nope, that's just superstitious, magical nonsense having no place in our laws. (And besides, my God doesn't think our bodies, desires and pleasures are anything but wonderful, which makes Rick's God look like a grouchy, whiny, impotent loser.)

...avoid responsibility...to a sexual partner? Not if that person is a consenting adult who presumably has similar motivations and desires.

And what harmful consequences? Fewer unwanted pregnancies! Decreased STD's?

Oh well. Despite the absence of reason, clarity or both, Santorum and his Radical Right God Squad seem intent upon foisting their beliefs on the rest of us. They have recently come to believe that God calls them to inject their "faith" into the public square. But despite the fact that history has shown attraction to be more powerful and lasting than promotion, they've become promotion machines after decades of failing to attract. If they get their way, we will probably see the end of contraception, sex outside of marriage, profanity, foreplay, dancing...anything remotely pleasurable.

These aren't the married conservatives I used to work with on Wall Street, whose free time was spent in strip clubs boozing, drugging and trying to convince dancers to “party” with them at nearby hotels. These are Big Government Conservatives. Unlike Big Government Liberals, who try to enforce expanded liberties, this crew hopes to broaden restrictions. They love to claim that non-conservatives embrace the likes of France, Holland and Sweden--the dirty Godless heathen of the socialist empire of Europe (apparently, no greater insult could be hurled by a BGC). Yet the Radical Right seems eager to transform America into its own version of North Korea or Afghanistan under the Taliban. Their political desires have nothing to do with liberty or democracy, but with the tyranny of their fundamentalist "faith". To them, government has nothing to do with sense, science or logic. Government should be based on their interpretation of Christian Scripture.

When Santorum talks about women staying home to tend the children, his notions come from his (or his minister's) Biblical imagining. Sure, it's a fascinating book filled with parable and paradox, and it asks important questions, but when people believe that the Bible is The Word Of God against which all others are false, they become dangerous and scary. And when I listen to Rick Santorum, he scares me. I don't want to live in his Theocracy, which bears little resemblance to the America I know and love. Fortunately, I suspect the citizens of Pennsylvania will come to the same conclusion in 2006, voting for common sense instead of Radical Rick.