Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a vocal advocate for moral values, will speak tonight on the decline of traditional American values.
The lecture, titled "The Dawn of an American Renaissance," is sponsored by the Brown Lecture Board and will take place at 7 p.m. in Salomon 101.
Santorum "will chronicle his battles for the dignity of all human life, his effort to protect traditional marriage and his struggle to reverse the media's onslaught against virtue," according to the Lecture Board.
Santorum served two terms as a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, gaining a reputation as an outspoken social conservative with firm stances against gay marriage and abortion.
Since losing his 2006 re-election bid to Democrat Bob Casey Jr., Santorum has returned to private law practice and serves as a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, described on its Web site as "dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy."
"No matter if you agree or disagree with his speech or his values, I guarantee it will be a good speech," said Lecture Board Co-President Daniel Fombonne '07, who explained that the Lecture Board felt bringing a speaker from the conservative side of the political spectrum would help balance the more liberal speakers Brown usually attracts.
"A liberal way of thinking is very prevalent here," said Sam Culver '07, the Lecture Board's vice president for media relations. "He is a good person to bring to challenge our audience and challenge the students here."
Tickets for the speech were distributed Wednesday and will also be available today free of charge to anyone with a Brown ID from 12 to 2 p.m. in Lower Faunce House.
