It Takes a Family

Dr. Horn compares raising a child to boarding a plane. One plane always reaches the destination, while the other makes it most of the time. Santorum uses this analogy to explain why a mother-father family is important. He argues that though it is possible to raise a child with only one parent (the plane that mostly makes it), the child will best succeed in a mom-dad household (the plane that always makes it).

I think it's interesting the Santorum never gives a "why" to his argument. Using the plane analogy, this is because there is both a mother and a father flying the vehicle, but he never says why they fly it better than a single mom or dad. He provides more than enough facts to make his argument, but no evidence of how they do it better other than that's just what he believes. He also fails to account for the fact that if too much attention is given to the child, (s)he'll become coddled and spoiled. (S)he will be unable to fend for his/herself once (s)he reaches the real world because in ever given situation there has been an overly-devoted parent there to hold his/her hand.

Also using the plane analogy, it would seem as though two men or two women could fly the plane just as adequately as one man and one woman. I feel like this analogy undermines his whole argument in "The Meaning of Family." Unless of course, he applies the "liberal marriage" factor that he proposed. By his logic, because homosexuals are in relationships strictly for sexual desire, they would be unable to fly the plane because each would be too preoccupied on pleasing him/herself instead of landing the child safely. According to him, only a married mother and father would be capable of the selfless love needed to fly the plane.