1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough
  8. The Braiser

Politics

Does Santorum Still Think Single Moms Are “Breeding More Criminals,” Destroying America?


One of the many downsides of working in politics is that anything you say can come back and haunt you.

This has become a pattern for GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum, who reportedly said during his 1994 Senate campaign that single mothers “[breed] more criminals” and are the catalyst for the downfall of our nation.

In February 1994 transcripts obtained by Mother Jones, Santorum said at a Pennsylvania townhall meeting, “Most people agree a continuation of the current [welfare] system will be the ruination of this country. We are seeing it. We are seeing the fabric of this country fall apart, and it’s falling apart because of single moms.”

Citing the increase in both welfare rolls and single mothers, Santorum argued that single moms needed politicians who were unafraid of “kicking them in the butt.”

At another Pennsylvania event the following month, Santorum spoke of welfare reform as a possible public security problem, stating, “What we have is moms raising children in single-parent households simply breeding more criminals.”

Santorum’s campaign did not return a request for comment about whether the former senator still maintains these views on single mothers, but did say late last year that the base of the Democratic Party is “single mothers who run a household…because it’s so tough economically that they look to the government for help and therefore they’re going to vote.”

To reduce the Democratic advantage, he said, we must “build two parent families, you eliminate that desire for government.” Santorum also argued in December that single mothers will intentionally avoid marriage to collect welfare benefits, so we’re thinking he wouldn’t necessarily be buddy-buddy with them now.

TAGS:

  • Anonymous

    what idiot

  • Pissed Off By Politicians

    Asshole. I was raised by a single mom and turned out fine. But I bet if my father had stuck around, I would have become a criminal – or worse – then! So, Mr. High and Mighty, are you trying to say that my mom screwed up for ditching my drug-addict, alcoholic, ABUSIVE father, that she should have kept him around? Are you trying to say that a situation like that would have been healthier for me? I think you’re an idiot.

  • Anonymous

    Single mothers do breed more criminals. It’s a fact, and one of the biggest factors in juvenile delinquency, high drop out rates, and criminal activity. Any cursory examination of crime statistics bears this out. Are there plenty of people raised by single mothers who turn out fine? Of course (I think I’m one of them). Are your chances of living a better life significantly improved living in a two-parent family? Obviously.

  • Misstough

    Is guy need to come back to reality! He is currently living in his own delusion and obviously feels fine about all those shitty assumptions he made! Seriously!

  • Anonymous
  • John

    Having worked with troubled youth, i can tell you that 90% of troubled kids come from single parent/divorced households. Kids who did be best in the program were also of the comprised mostly of the 10% with married parents and a supportive single families with grandparents or recitatives taking interest in the child’s development. This does not mean that anyone from an single parent household turns out bad, just that it is a big leg up on life when exposed to a two parent family structure.

  • Sarah

     Depends on the parents. I would have been MESSED UP if my mother married my father. So would my niece. If she had stayed with my sister’s abusive jerk of a father, I don’t want to think about what would have happened. My mom made mistakes in her choices for romantic partners, but she always said she couldn’t afford to let those mistakes raise her children. And thank God.

  • Sarah

    Assuming, of course, that they are GOOD two parent family structures. If Mom and Dad hate each other, then a kid may be better off. And also, notice that Santorum gives single dads a pass.

  • Anonymous

    I agree it depends on the parents, but I think kids need a father. Personally I think 99 times out of a 100, it’s better for a kid to live in a two-parent family. I think we have this unfortunate tendency to lionize the difficult circumstances single mothers find themselves in and plug our ears when the long-term effects of growing up without a positive male influence, particularly in the case of boys, begin to manifest themselves in really destructive behavior.

Abrams Media Network click here for advertising opportunities

© 2013 The Jane Dough | About Us | Advertise | Newsletter | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Contact | Archives | Send a Tip | RSS RSS
Dan Abrams, Founder | Hosting by Datagram

X