Power Plays

I realized the other day that our inspectors are looking in the wrong place for weapons of mass destruction. These weapons are not in Baghdad; they're in Washington, in the hands of the sexual liberationist lobby. And they're deploying them against America's most respected Christians in public life. Their most recent target is Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (R). A few weeks ago, Santorum committed the ultimate crime in the eyes of those hoping to redefine the way the law treats sexual behavior: He told the truth. And media and political leaders have been piling on him ever since. The raging controversy started when Santorum was interviewed about Lawrence v. Texas, a case that the Supreme Court is considering that would invent a constitutional right to privacy protecting homosexual behavior. As Princeton Professor Robert George notes in National Review Online, this would represent a radical departure from prevailing law. Marital sex alone enjoys constitutional protection; non-marital sex never has. If the Supreme Court dismantles prevailing law, George writes, it will likely replace marriage with consent as the principle by which courts distinguish constitutionally protected sex from unprotected sexual conduct. But if consent becomes a new standard for defining sexual privacy, he warns, then not only sodomy, but also fornication, adultery, polygamy, prostitution, adult incest, and even bestiality would become protected rights. The Court would not be able to justify picking and choosing. If it should protect sodomy, it would ultimately have no choice but to protect all other forms of consensual sex. Justice Byron White, appointed by President Kennedy, advanced this very same argument in Bower v. Hardwick. This is all Santorum said, but it is why the sex lobby has aimed at him its deadliest weapons: distortion and deceit. Santorum's opponents know that his logic is right. And therefore, they have to keep secret what would happen if the Court overthrows marriage as the criterion for constitutional protection: Every form of perversion would be legalized and forced on the states. This is why Santorum's critics are attempting to discredit him with false allegations of bigotry. And every day I pick up a paper and read about Santorum's so-called "homophobic" remarks. And Santorum is not the only one. Bill Bennett is another. The goal of his detractors is not simply to discredit Bennett, but to destroy him. From now on, every time you see Bennett's name in print, you're going to see the words 'reformed gambler' -- just as every time you see Santorum's name, you're going to see the words 'gay basher.' It's an attempt to eliminate their voices from serious public policy discussion by ad hominem and untrue ridicule. The same thing will happen to almost any other public figure who dares to make a truth claim. Truth claims are deeply offensive to the titans of secular orthodoxy -- so much so that it's not enough to dispute arguments through civil discourse, or to have an honest disagreement. No, truth-tellers have to be destroyed. I hope you'll call us here at BreakPoint (1-877-3-CALLBP) so we can send you a free copy of Robert George's article, titled "Rick Santorum is Right." You will need it to explain to your neighbors what's really at stake here: It's the truth that is being destroyed. And you will see why sexual libertarians are unleashing every weapon they have against those whose only crime is telling the truth. For further reading and information: Robert George, "Rick Santorum is Right," National Review Online, 27 May 2003. BreakPoint Commentary No. 030502, "Tolerance Run Amok: Gunning for Santorum." (Archived commentary; free registration required.) Al Dobras, "Will the Real Bigots Please Stand Up?" BreakPoint Online, 9 May 2003. David Orland, "The Deceit of Gay Marriage," Boundless, 6 July 2000. "Truth in the Public Square" -- In this speech Charles Colson delivered to congressional members and staff in Washington, D.C., June 6, 2003, he advocates upholding absolute truth in framing legislation and policy.

06/16/03