BY JAMES NIMMO

Sneaky former Sen. Rick Santorum, one of the best homo-haters currently living, has created a true straw-man argument when he says being gay is a “choice.”

Read this quote from a recent story linked below: “Santorum suggested being gay is a choice when he said, “I respect that decision.”

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=9263&Category=26&MediaType=1

There has been no public announcement made by any honest gay man or woman, or any reputable gay/lesbian advocacy group, that sexual orientation is a “choice.” GOPer presidential candidate Santorum claims to have gay friends with whom he disagrees “vehemently” and I claim to attend services at the Westboro Baptist Church.

A straw-man argument is one where the speaker puts words in the voice of his opponent in order to create a false argument. This style of falsity masquerading as truth puts the opponent in the defensive position.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man)

Santorum is pretending to “respect” gay people by implying that somehow we gay/lesbian citizens have reached a collective decision that our orientation is one of “choice.”

This seeming kindness of the homo-haters is the new wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing tactic aiming to lull the gullible and clueless into thinking that opposing equality for America’s gay/lesbian taxpayers has nothing to do with plain prejudice.

He claims his views are about policy and his religious belief, not personal animosity. Has he read the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, Section 1? How about the First Amendment with its separation of church and state? Just like his Bible, it says nothing about sexual orientation being an impediment to full enjoyment of U.S. citizenship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Santorum might take a few minutes to read the entire Bill of Rights instead of cherry-picking the parts he likes. But this habit is hard to break since this must be how he reads his Bible as well.

– James Nimmo lives in Oklahoma City and is a frequent contributor to The Oklahoma Observer

Editor’s Note: Illustration is courtesy of Internet Weekly Report  http://www.internetweekly.org/gop_cards/cartoon_rick_santorum_card.html