Rick Santorum Seeks Porn Censorship, Defends Rapists In Process

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum simultaneously fascinates and horrifies me. Whether he is denouncing church-state separation, wanting to prosecute gays, or spouting warnings of a Communist-jihadist conspiracy, our favorite bug-eyed theocrat always has something new to shock and disgust any sane or rational person.

In the newest development of what seems to be a sick joke on the American people, Santorum’s campaign has officially come out against the First Amendment.

Dubbing this campaign point, “Enforcing laws against illegal pornography,” Santorum’s official campaign website states:

“Rick Santorum believes that federal obscenity laws should be vigorously enforced. ‘If elected President, I will appoint an Attorney General who will do so.’”  

First of all, illegal pornography is already prosecuted, that being, pornography that involves minors, depicts real images of abuse, or otherwise involve parties which do not consent. But what Santorum is talking about is hardcore pornography (that which shows penetration). Santorum explicitly advocates for the puritanical censorship of anything his particular section of society deems “obscene.” Obscenity laws, completely subjective and definitionless edicts which rely entirely upon the discretion of a judge’s personal taste, are already harmful to the Bill of Rights. Obscenity cases rarely make it into the courts, but a Santorum administration would make it a goal. This kind of policy is more than just dangerous; it is immediately destructive to the core rights we as Americans enjoy.

But to add insult to injury, Santorum’s campaign exploits victims of rape in an attempt to make his case. The website states, “[Pornography] contributes to misogyny and violence against women.”  This is a slap in the face to anyone who knows or has been a victim of sexual violence.

Santorum is defending rapists.

The best-worded reply I could think of was said by Penn Jillette:

“You're trying to take away our porn by telling us that rapists are sensitive lovers who are simply misled by fiction?”

This policy platform should be enough to keep Santorum from obtaining any position of power if we do, in fact, live with any semblance of sanity. His positions are an affront to human dignity, and must be rebutted, rebuked, and criticized at every opportunity. So let’s stop humoring Santorum. Regardless of party, religion, or ideology, we must make sure that these poisonous beliefs are shunned from the national conversation.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore