I
was motivated by tonight's GOP debate to spend the day doing research and
expanding my knowledge. Here are some of the things I have found. Sadly, I have barely glossed the surface. My apologies
that I had to stop to be productive doing other things. I started at www.ontheissues.org
and then tracked down the real sources too. I've done some of the research for
you. All you have to do is read what I wrote. I have left out my opinion in the
name of education. Please let me know if you want links because I will gladly
provide them.
Ben
Carson (on homosexuality): "Carson had asserted Wednesday morning on CNN's
"New Day" that homosexuality is a choice because people 'go into
prison straight -- and when they come out, they're gay,'" (CNN Mar 2015).
Ted
Cruz (on VAWA): Ted Cruz was one of 22 to senators to vote against the
reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act because “the law is an
unnecessary overreach by the federal government, and that it represents a
"feminist" attack on family values.” (The Atlantic Feb 2013). VAWA’s
key provisions include requiring college campuses to educate students about
gender-based violence, preventing LGBT victims from discrimination, grant
funding for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims of sexual assault, youth
violence prevention, and alternate housing options for victims (whitehouse.gov
Feb 2013).
Mike Huckabee (on homosexuality): “Public debate today is
filled with arguments that, not long ago, would have been dismissed as
ridiculous and insupportable. Consider homosexuality, for instance. There have
been homosexuals in every human culture. But until recently, who would have
dared to suggest that the practice should be accepted on equal footing with
heterosexuality?” (from his book, “Character Makes A Difference”, 2007).
Mike Huckabee (on
gay adoption): “‘Children are not puppies. This is not a time to see if we can
experiment and find out, how does this work? You don't go ahead and accommodate
every behavioral pattern that is against the ideal. That would be like saying,
well, there are a lot of people who like to use drugs, so let's go ahead and
accommodate those who want who use drugs. There are some people who believe in
incest, so we should accommodate them. There are people who believe in
polygamy, so we should accommodate them.’” (Huff Post June 2010). Side note: “Children
of same-sex couples fare better when it comes to physical health and
social well-being than children in the general population, according to
researchers at the University
of Melbourne in Australia,” (Washington Post July 2014).
Mike Huckabee (on
birth control): “"If the Democrats want to insult the women of America by
making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and
providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they
cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of
the government, then so be it," (Washington Post Jan 2014).
Rand Paul (on gay
marriage and adoption): "If we have no laws on this people take it to one
extension further. Does it have to be humans? I see the thousands-of-year
tradition of the nucleus of the family unit. I also see that economically, if
you just look without any kind of moral periscope and you say, what is it that
is the leading cause of poverty in our country? It's having kids without
marriage. The stability of the marriage unit is enormous and we should not just
say oh we're punting on it, marriage can be anything." (MSNBC June 2013).
Rick Santorum (on
gay marriage): "If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to
consensual [gay] sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you
have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to
adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our
society? I would argue yes, it does.” (Associated Press April 2003).
Rick Santorum (on
homosexuality and sodomy): “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a
problem with homosexual acts. I have absolutely nothing against anyone who's
homosexual. If that's their orientation, then I accept that. The question is,
do you act upon that orientation? So it's not the person, it's the person's
actions. We have sodomy laws and they are there for a purpose. Because, I would
argue, they undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family,” (USA
Today April 2003). Side note: “Sodomy is defined as anal or oral intercourse
between human beings, or any sexual relations between a human being and an
animal, the act of which may be punishable as a criminal offense,”
(legal-dictionary.com) (yes sodomy technically includes blow jobs).
Marco Rubio (on
marijuana): "Here's the problem with that question in American
politics: If you say that you did and suddenly there are people out there
saying 'Well, it's not a big deal. Look at all these successful people who did
it. I don't want my kids to smoke marijuana. And I don't want other people's
kids to smoke marijuana. I don't believe there's a responsible way to recreationally
use marijuana,” (Huff Post May 2015).
Rick Santorum (on
marijuana): “Colorado is violating the federal law. And if we have controlled
substances, they're controlled substances for a reason. The federal law is
there for a reason, and the states shouldn't have the option to violate federal
law,” (Huff Post May 2015).
Donald Trump (on
drugs): “I’ve never taken drugs of any kind, never had a glass of alcohol.
Never had a cigarette; never had a cup of coffee,” (his book “The America We
Deserve”, July 2000).
Ben Carson (on
evolution and creationism): "Those of us who believe in God and derive our
sense of right and wrong and ethics from God's word really have no difficulty
whatsoever defining where our ethics come from. People who believe in survival
of the fittest might have more difficulty deriving where their ethics come
from,” (Washington Post May 2012).
Rick Santorum (on
climate change): “Is the climate warming? Clearly over the past 15 or 20 years
the answer is yes. The question is, number one, ‘Does man having a significant
impact on that?’ And number two, and this is even more important than the
first, ‘Is there anything the United States can do about it?’ And the answer is
clearly, no. Even folks who accept all of the science by the alarmists on the
other side, recognize that everything that's being considered by the US will
have almost--well, not almost, will have zero--impact on it given what's going
on in the rest of the world. Why would you do something and with people
admitting that even if you do something, it won't make a difference?” (CNN Jan
2015). Side note: He also voted yes on defunding renewable and solar energy in
1999.
Donald Trump (on
climate change, which by the way is not the same as weather): “It’s snowing
& freezing in NYC. What the hell ever happened to global warming?” –Tweet
from Mar 2013 “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese
in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” –Tweet from Nov 2012 “It's
really cold outside, they are calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal.
Man, we could use a big fat dose of global warming!”—Tweet from Oct 2015
Rand Paul (on the
environment): He voted no on “The National Endowment for the Oceans, Coasts,
and Great Lakes Act would provide steady funding that universities, non-profit
organizations, and government agencies can count on every year to support
research and restoration projects. It would be funded primarily by dedicating
12.5% of revenues from offshore energy development, including oil, gas, and
renewable energy. Revenue is generated through offshore lease sales and
production based royalty payments. Funds from the Endowment would be distributed
through a competitive grant program to fund projects to restore habitat, manage
fisheries, plan for sustainable coastal development, enhance ocean monitoring
and research activities, acquire coastal properties for preservation, and
relocate critical coastal infrastructure.” Side note: Rubio and Cruz also voted
no.
Donald Trump (on the EPA): “Environmental Protection,
what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations,”
(Huff Post Oct 2015).
