7 years ago

Sioux Center, Iowa (CNN) - At times Rick Santorum came across as testy and some might say condescending at an event with students Monday night at a conservative Christian college in rural northwest Iowa.

During a question and answer session, a couple of Dordt College students –one former and one current– within the span of about 20 minutes of each other gave the Republican hopeful an earful about his positions on social issues.



It started with a freshman who said he's been studying certain books of the Bible recently, which prompted him to ask about healthcare.

"God is very angry toward societies that don't care for the poor," student Ryan Walters began. "If not for our social programs, how can we as a society care for our poor?"

Santorum was quick on the draw.

"You go to Dordt College and ask me that question?" he replied with a shocked expression.

"Yes sir," Walters said.

The candidate turned to the audience and immediately asked who they think should be responsible for helping the poor. After he got the answer he was looking for –that it's up to each individual (which was second to the audience's first answer, "the church")– the student spoke up again.

"With all due respect Sen. Santorum, I don't think God appreciates the fact that we have 50-100 thousand uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of healthcare every year."

"Dying?" Santorum shot back, seeming genuinely taken aback.

"I believe that is a statistic," Walters said.

"So 50 to 100 thousand Americans are dying due to lack of healthcare?"

"And preventable diseases, yes sir."

"Healthcare and preventable diseases? Where did you get that number?"

The student said he believed it was from "statistical evidence."

Santorum said people "don't get statistical evidence from thin air" and said, "I reject that number completely, that people die in America because of lack of health insurance. People die in America because people die in America. And people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their healthcare. And they don't go to the emergency room or they don't go to the doctor when they need to. And it's not the fault of the government for not providing some sort of universal benefit."

The student later told CNN he couldn't find the stats when put on the spot, but he was referring to a 2009 Harvard study that said 45,000 people die each year because of lack of health insurance.

Santorum added that people should be free to make their own choice on a decision like the purchase of healthcare, not be under a federal mandate.

Soon after the healthcare debate, recent Dordt graduate Jason Kornelis asked about a social issue of a different color.

"You talked about how this would be a hit to faith family and in America. What are some concrete things that you would say would happen if gay marriage was legalized?"

Santorum turned the question on him. And did so repeatedly.

"Can you contemplate any?"

"I beg your pardon?" Kornelis replied.

"Can you contemplate any?"

"I can't think of–"

"You can't think of a single thing?"

"A consequence..?"

"You can't think of any consequence?"

"No."

"Really? Wow," Santorum said, sounding bewildered. "Um okay, well let's see if we can have a discussion ... Let's look at what's going to be taught in our schools because now we have same sex couples being the same and their sexual activity being seen as equal and affirmed by society as heterosexual couples and their activity. So what's going to be taught to our people in health class in our schools? What is going to be taught to our children about who in our stories, even to little children, what are married couples? What our families look like in America? So, you are going to have in our curriculum ... a worldview that is fundamentally different than what is taught in schools today. Is that not a consequence of gay marriage?"

Kornelis responded, saying, "Whether gay marriage is legalized or not, there is still going to be gay couples. That is not going to change."

"I'm not talking about–" Santorum started. "Well, what is going to be taught in our schools? In our public schools in our institutions?"

"I don't think it is going to be that much different than what is being taught now," said Kornelis.

"Really? I think you're wrong. Okay, in fact you have to know you're wrong because if we say legally is this type of relationship is licit and identical to other types of relationships than of course more of it will be taught because it is what the law says. Right now the law doesn't recognize this type of activity."

"Of course you will have to agree with me," Santorum continued. "Right? I mean let's be honest. You're going to have to agree with me that that's going to be a consequence."

"I respectfully disagree,"Kornelis said, at which point Santorum thanked him for his question and for "engaging in an honest debate."

While both Walters and Kornelis either attended or currently attend the Christian school, they each lean Democratic. But in Kornelis's case, he said he voted for Obama in 2008 and is not completely sold on voting for him again. He is pro gay marriage but strays from the pack when it comes to abortion. He said he generally backs the conservative standpoint and leans more pro-life.

Santorum –the only 2012 candidate who can boast of being to all 99 counties in Iowa– was on a campaign swing that included several rural towns in the northwest part of the Hawkeye State. It wrapped up Tuesday in Spencer with a stop at a local restaurant.

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