Santorum Booed in New Hampshire While Discussing Gay Marriage

[phillyjim]

43. Santorum's question is one we should consider

I am entirely in favor of gay marriage. However, I think that Santorum raises a perfectly legitimate question that cultural liberals (including myself) will eventually have to answer. Santorum probably believes that by asking “Why shouldn’t three men be allowed to get married?” he has offered a reduction to absurdity against gay marriage. In this, I think he is mistaken. At the same time, the question is legitimate and it is important. Discarding the traditional restrictions on marriage (i.e., one man, one woman) forces us to ask what sorts of restrictions on marriage remain justified and why. And we should also keep in mind that many of those who have advocated gay marriage have gone beyond utilitarian arguments that claim that happiness or welfare would be increased by making gay marriage legal. They have claimed that gay men and lesbians have a basic right to marry. It is fair to ask, then, why three men or one woman and two men do not have the same basic right. Trying to answer questions like these can help us to clarify our views on the foundations of rights. We might be surprised to discover that our views imply that three men or three women do or should have such a right. Santorum’s question should not be dismissed as silly or irrelevant. It should be thoughtfully answered. Eventually it may become an active political question.