Monday, February 27, 2012

To Rick Santorum: Really?


Santorum is quoted on the evening news as saying that President Obama should not have apologized for the accidental burning of Korans. Really, one should not apologize for a deep insult to another's religion simply because it was not intentional. I suppose if Santorum backed the car out of the garage inadvertently running over a neighbor, he would not apologize. I wish that people would wait to anger here until the investigation of the incident is complete and we know what actually happened.

According to The Washington Post:

Asked Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” how his faith fits in with his ideas about governing, Santorum said he disagreed with the “absolute separation” between church and state outlined by Kennedy in a 1960 speech. 
Santorum said reading the speech made him want to “throw up.”
Really, Santorum wants to go against two centuries of separation of church and state in the United States. I suppose since he is a Catholic he wants the United States to follow all the decrees of the Pope. In similar fashion, he would apparently be willing to live in a nation following Mormon precepts if Mitt Romney is elected, or to the precepts of Obama's church. And why is he campaigning against a long dead president, assassinated in office, who is the first Catholic to be elected president?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.The First Ammendment to the Constitution
Believing that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.
Thomas Jefferson
WP also reports that Santorum "described President Obama as 'a snob' for focusing on the importance of a college education". Really? Santorum himself has three degrees from state universities, including two graduate degrees. The article continues to quote Santorum:
“There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to test that aren’t taught by some liberal college professor to try to indoctrinate them. Oh, I understand why he wants you to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image.”
Obama worked in community development, and I suspect knows more about the strength and virtue of people who not have had educational opportunities than Santorum ever will. Certainly I learned more about real working people as a Peace Corps Volunteer than I did at home or in my other work after college. And on the face of it, Obama is far more accepting of the differences among people than Santorum who would force his views on marriage, procreation and sexual relations on everyone.

But who said that the only reason to go to college is to get a job? A college education should make a better citizen, a more informed voter, and a richer life.

Incidentally, it seems that college graduates are also more likely to practice their religion than non-college graduates.

2 comments:

John Daly said...

Bob Park today posted this: "Last Sunday on Face the Nation, Rick Santorum opposed amniocentesis testing of an embryo in the womb. One of the great advances in modern diagnostic medicine, amniocentesis can be used to diagnose certain severe medical handicaps long before full-term. On the grounds that bad news might lead a woman to terminate her pregnancy, Santorum, who opposes abortion for any reason, would deny a women the right to make that decision. Santorum, of course, is not a candidate for the test."

While I suppose many women want the information from amniocentesis before deciding on an abortion, I note that amniocentesis can also:
* Determine how well the baby's lungs are developed
* Detect spina bifida and other neural tube defects
* Detect Rh incompatibility
Diagnose an infection in the baby

Early detection can help deliver a healthy baby rather than a sick one, or even death. Did Santorum know before he spouted off?

John Daly said...

The Drudge Report surfaces a speech Santorum made at Ave Maria University in 2008. Here are the quotes Drudge provides:

"Satan has his sights on the United States of America!"

"Satan is attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity, and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that has so deeply rooted in the American tradition."

"This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?"

"He attacks all of us and he attacks all of our institutions."

"We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it."