Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law. ~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524

“[Gay marriage] threatens my marriage. It threatens all marriages. It threatens the traditional values of this country.”

- Santorum speaking to The New York Times Magazine, May 2005

You could move. ~Abigail Van Buren, "Dear Abby," in response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood

War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? ~The Value of Families

Straight Americans need... an education of the heart and soul. They must understand - to begin with - how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals, and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul. ~Bruce Bawer, The Advocate, 28 April 1998

I agree, Jack. Comments should stick to the topic of the article at hand. There is absolutely a place for discussion of gay rights, but this article isn't that place, Karyn, unless you are tying it into Santorum's popularity in Ohio. And Hilary - Patch requires you to use your first and last name. Please follow the rules to which the rest of us are adhering!

“Is anyone saying same-sex couples can’t love each other? I love my children. I love my friends, my brother. Heck, I even love my mother-in-law. Should we call these relationships marriage, too?”

- Santorum, Writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2008

“You can say I’m a hater. But I would argue I’m a lover. I’m a lover of traditional families and of the right of children to have a mother and father… I would argue that the future of America hangs in the balance, because the future of the family hangs in the balance. Isn’t that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?”

- Santorum, Quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 2004

"Pac",

12 year-olds belong in a chatroom. I suggest you take your immature antics there. If you can't be a MATURE ADULT and use your REAL NAME (per TOS), then go away.

Just citing ridiculous quotes from a variety of sources and not discussing them AND how they are relevant makes them irrelevant.

why are you all such suckers for TOS and "rules" y'all crack me up. tell me, raise your hands if you read the EULA of the last piece of software you stole....

EULA has no relevance here.

a EULA contains rules dummy...

I couldn't agree more!

Good one.

Anyone who argues that the world is not divided into countries is not living in the real world.

And anyone who thinks that the East and West understand each other perfectly, in particular Judeo-Christian vs. Islamicism, is beyond hope. The differences are not governmental, they are philosophical, and to the core of what makes the West different than the Muslin world.

Le'ah, you say that you are a atheist Jew, but you don't know the history of your own people.

who cares, and as pac stated it is a SAFETY AND PRIVACY issue with using "real names" get over it...

Jack Helbig you are brilliantly blinded by your own ignorance. i think i just got a tan. privacy has no place online? really? ok, well please post your home address on here and we'll get together and have a little chat about it. or i can murder your family* whichever you prefer.

*murder your family is an example of evil doing MOST HATED PERSON ON PATCH does not condone evil doers.

■“I would argue, this right to privacy … doesn’t exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution, this right that was created, it was created in Griswold — Griswold was the contraceptive case — and abortion. And now we’re just extending it out. And the further you extend it out, the more you — this freedom actually intervenes and affects the family. You say, well, it’s my individual freedom. Yes, but it destroys the basic unit of our society because it condones behavior that’s antithetical to strong healthy families. Whether it’s polygamy, whether it’s adultery, where it’s sodomy, all of those things, are antithetical to a healthy, stable, traditional family.” (2003)

■“Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that’s what? Children. Monogamous relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality.” (2003)

"Is anyone saying same-sex couples can’t love each other? I love my children. I love my friends, my brother. Heck, I even love my mother-in-law. Should we call these relationships marriage, too?” (2008)

■“I’m worried when many people will stand up and say, ‘well whatever the Generals want.’ I’m not too sure that we haven’t indoctrinated the Officer Corps in this country that they can actually see straight to make the right decisions.” (On repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) (2011)

Ah, Facebook! :) I believe I am officially the only person I know who doesn't have a Facebook account. I used to, but became concerned about privacy issues over a year ago. I spent a good couple of weeks attempting to delete my account only to have them inform me that even though I finally successfully "deleted" my account, turns out I'm still in the system somewhere (they don't know where though) and every thing I ever typed, uploaded, etc. is still there and will always be there and will be sold. Argh... I've considered jumping back on the facebook wagon just because a lot of businesses use Facebook as their sole page darn it!
I may have to (and I will let you know if I do!!) because it is really nice to know there are others out there who feel the same way. And it's always fantastic to find a fellow lover of good quotes!
"Most collectors collect tangibles. As a quotation collector, I collect wisdom, life, invisible beauty, souls alive in ink." ~Terri Guillemets

I understand Karyn. I deleted my facebook account for a looping while up until two months ago. I deleted it because of some nastiness going around and harmful people locating me ( scary individuals from my past). Is there a way I can privately send you my email on here??

Hilary - log in and go to PROFILE (under your name in the upper right corner). Once in your profile, click EDIT PROFILE (middle left column) and change your user name to include first and last name, then save the changes. Pretty simple.

It is insanely creepy what info one can glean from a simple internet search. No one is safe. Gives me the heebee-geebees just thinking about it. Type in anyone's name and find out where they live, their ages, income levels, prior convitions (if any) and the list goes on. Privacy. In the technological age, privacy doesn't exist.

beautiful.

I'm not sure if you are aware but Mr. Santorum is emphatically against all forms of birth control and firmly believes the the only reason humans are to have intercourse is to have make a baby. All forms of birth control are off the table, even condoms.

A little info on condoms and why they save lives verses taking them:
For preventing the spread of HIV and other STDs and in reducing unwanted pregnancy, condoms are very effective.
When used properly and consistently, condoms are 98 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. This means that in one year's time, two couples out of 100 who use condoms will have an unintended pregnancy.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that condoms have been shown to be effective in the preventing HIV infection. In a two-year study of couples in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other HIV-negative, no HIV-negative partner was infected when condoms were used correctly and consistently. Among couples in which condom use was inconsistent, 10 percent of the HIV-negative partners became infected.
Massachusetts, where condoms are distributed to students in some high schools, had a teen pregnancy rate in 2004 of 22 per 1,000 teenage girls, far below recent national averages of more than 80 pregnancies per 1,000. The state had only 11 HIV diagnoses among teens in 2004.
The CDC also reports condoms are effective in preventing some STDs and in reducing the risk of HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer.

But despite the data on condom effectiveness and programs to educate teens about HIV, condom use among sexually active teens is often not a priority. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 56 percent of teens, both makes and females, agreed with the statement, "Having sex without a condom every now and then is not that big of a deal."
But it may, in fact, be a big deal, because the rate of STD infection is on the rise, and 25 percent of people diagnosed with new infections are teenagers.
When parents frankly discuss the use of condoms with teens, teenagers are three times more likely to use condoms and less likely to be infected by STDs or involved with an unintended pregnancy.
Timing of these parental discussions is critical. Condom use was found to increase only when parents talk to their teen about condoms before the teen's first sexual encounter. A discussion after a teen's first sexual intercourse was found to have no effect on the rate of condom use.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm

Pay no attention to the empty can Callie. As the candidate has repeatedly stated he is not against birth control. He is against federal legislation on birth control usage. He has even called state legislation on the matter "stupid". He has stated his personal opinion of birth control but has firmly stated that he would not relieve you of that option if you so choose to exercise it. The only way to win such a debate for people so far to the left of mainstream society is to change the nature of the debate, and the actual title of the debate for that matter. They play on fear without remorse.

Ah yes, the fine art of misdirection.

Yeah me too. I'm trying to learn "wise woman" medicine. My grandmothers knew which herbs and plants to eat and which parts to act as a birth control. Certain herbs cause the vagina to be more acidic, thus killing the sperm and creating an unfavorable environment for fertilization. In my tradition the women have passed down these secrets. And I am happy the surrounding culture doesn't know aout them. It may be illegal for a woman to take black cohosh, or to chew on a root...( I am laughing and shedding a sad tear about this at once) every day I am thankful for the knowledge from my ancestors. It helps me stay a float in this society.

I often wondered in what ways regions of the US are ethnically cleansed. I know this is a side topic, but I believe that Mr Gingrich reflects the values of ethnic cleansing. his comment about Hispanics and Latinos in America speaking Spanish spoke very strong to me about how he views cultures other than his own. When something is ethnically cleansed, it means the destroying of ones roots. Not only forced assimilation, but the taking away of that person/group/communities identity. Its almost as though there is this hidden pre-requisite to being an 'American’ technically the Iroquois from the Sioux to the Navaho, to the Apache and ll the indigenous peoples, were the first Americans. Yet their culture and way of life has been strangled out.

Part two ( part one below)

My great grandfather's father was a Shaman. His English wife burned all of his medicines and his masks. I only know about the secrets to healing  because of my grandmothers. I am also a Yid. I have traditions from my mothers grandmothers....I have a connection to my blood and my roots. People who still have their roots are scary and intimidating to the assimilated ranks. And of course, I am talking about something that probably a select few who read this will understand what I mean. Others will take offense. One thing that we can agree on, all of us, is that there is great diversity in America, some of it suppressed beneath certain laws,  some not.  If you are of a culture/gender/faith that has had to live in the closet, then you may perfectly understand what I am talking about.

Technicality: my great grandfather learned the secrets from his father who was a Shaman, but then when he was assimilated and married an English woman, it all changed. his possessions were burned after his death. From this my mother and I could gather that it was an ethnic cleansing of sorts, and then from that point on our traditions absorbed into the local culture. So I've seen this at work on a personal level.

Me too. Then again, it's been nearly a century and America hans't even ratified the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment which was first proposed in 1923).

LKSK,
"technically the Iroquois from the Sioux to the Navaho, to the Apache and ll the indigenous peoples, were the first Americans. " No. Technically, they were the first populace of the region now known as North America (I'm sure they had their own name for it). The first Americans were the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the constituancies they represented.

Darn typos! Arg! I meant to type * a politician who would prevent womens access to birth control is not someone I would vote for"

You're right, Callie - it's the Democrats who are moralizing me to death - and they're such hypocrites, too! That's why I support Newt! But really, since Catholics are not out there using physical methods of birth control, religious organizations will not be put in the position of providing health coverage for this and therefore, this should be a non-issue, right? I'm sure Newt knows this - he's Catholic.

"One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country.... Many of the Christian faith have said, well, that's okay, contraception is okay. It's not okay. It's a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be." --Rick Santorum

Santorum has said he wouldn’t try to take away the birth control pill or condoms but that states should be free to ban them. He told a Christian blog last year that as president he would warn the nation about “the dangers of contraception” and the permissive culture it encourages.

You must not have read all of the article:
As a Pennsylvania senator, Santorum did vote to support Title X, a federal program that funds family planning and related preventive health services, but his website now includes a number of executive actions he would take to pare back the program. In October, he also spoke on the "dangers of contraception in this country," and in the past has also called it "harmful to women."
Santorum has instead explained that he believes states should have the right to ban things such as birth control and sodomy without the Supreme Court interfering, though he's said he doesn't personally agree with past attempts to do so.

B - and I feel strange addressing a comment to a letter - what exactly makes Santorum a bigot in your opinion? What is your definition of "bigot?" Just wondering.

We should teach our kids to respect themselves, their bodies and each other, I agree. But if our objective is to reduce the number of abortions performed "every day", we should also teach our children about contraception. Despite what Mr. Santorum and the Catholic church desire, people , both married and unmarried, have sex for reasons other than procreation - that will never change.

Miscarriage is the most common type of pregnancy loss, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Studies reveal that anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Chemical pregnancies may account for 50-75% of all miscarriages. This occurs when a pregnancy is lost shortly after implantation, resulting in bleeding that occurs around the time of her expected period. The woman may not realize that she conceived when she experiences a chemical pregnancy.

Maybe when exiting the womb, all girls should receive an "information packet" telling them what their bodies can and can't do so no one can play the ignorance card as they grow into women.