My Op/Ed on Rick Santorum

The following is an Op/Ed that I submitted to Radio News America this morning. I also recorded an audio segment for an upcoming Unfiltered News Network broadcast based on this.

It Takes An Out Of Touch Senator…
Original Op/Ed by Robbie Michaels
July 26, 2005

I nearly spat my morning cappuccino all over myself when I tuned into NBC Today and caught the segment where Katie Couric interviewed Republican Senator Rick Santorum on his new book “It Takes A Family”. Isn’t he the same person who blamed the Catholic Church sex scandal, in part, on liberalism? Didn’t he freak out an interviewer with the Associated Press two years ago by telling them that the definition of marriage did not include homosexuality, man on child, or man on dog?

What would homophobic Rick Santorum know about family values?

Apparently, Santorum’s view of family values does not include the role of today’s women, many of whom juggle a career and motherhood in their busy lives.

Santorum stated in his book, "Many women have told me, and surveys have shown, that they find it easier, more 'professionally' gratifying, and certainly more socially affirming, to work outside the home rather than give up their careers to take care of their children."

Santorum described that view as an unfortunate consequence of "radical feminism."

I disagree with Santorum on this issue. Women do not voluntarily give up child rearing for a career based on radical feminism. If Rick Santorum knew firsthand the economic conditions women face, then he would understand that it takes two incomes to support a family, and women out of necessity choose a career in order to provide for their children.

If Santorum has a problem with women conforming to the archaic husband and wife roles of our parents and grandparents, then maybe he should work on legislation that would help create better economic conditions. That way, the husband or significant other would have a higher-paying job, and a woman could choose whether or not to have a career and still be able to raise her children. Otherwise, economic conditions will continue to make that decision for them and future generations.

I didn’t bother reading Santorum’s book because he still views the family unit as the one we saw on television during the 1950’s. Not every family has a white picket fence in their front yard. Mom no longer cleans and cooks all day long while Dad supports the family on one income. Like The Donna Reed Show, the days of the happy homemaker are long gone.

If I were the editor, I would have at least have made the book more realistic and interesting. Just imagine how much better this book could have been if some of Santorum’s Republican contemporaries contributed to the manuscript.

Former Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan could have written a chapter on the use of sex clubs to spice up your marriage. Rush Limbaugh could have written a chapter on the use of prescription drugs. Jeb Bush could have written a chapter on the meaning of “Till Death Do Us Part”. Bill Frist could have written a chapter on the care of kittens. President Bush could have contributed a chapter on the safe use of recreational drugs. John McCain could have written a chapter on standing up for your values. Randy “Duke” Cunningham could have written a chapter on real estate sales tips. Dick Murphy could have written a chapter on funding your retirement.

The possibilities are endless, and those are family values Rick Santorum’s target audience can easily identify with.