Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum turns to his wife Karen, left, after announcing he is suspending his candidacy for the presidency, Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in Gettysburg, Pa. (AP)

Just this past weekend, a few friends and I paid a visit to Campisi’s Egyptian Restaurant on Mockingbird Lane because – as everyone knows – Campisi’s has some of the best pizza around.

Never one to keep my opinions to myself, or rather, never one to ignore an opportunity to extort the opinions of others, I immediately struck up a conversation about Catholicism before moving on to health care, marriage equality and finally, gun control.

Half the fun in provoking my friends comes from the stark contrast in our political values.

Having grown up in a conservative home with conservative parents who raised me in the ultra-conservative Lutheran church Missouri Synod (the right-wing branch of the Lutheran Christian denomination), I’ve never gotten used to people employing the word “liberal” to describe my views.

I don’t think I’m particularly liberal, but I suppose that, next to my more radical Republican friends, I look like a hell-raising left-wing nut.

I always try to respect their values-as ridiculous as they may seem to me-because there really is so much more to life than illegal immigration, but there is one thing I refuse to tolerate.

I admit, I gave a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ the day Rick Santorum announced he would suspend his political campaign. It’s not that I thought he would win, no, it was that every day Santorum stood in front of a microphone and spewed ignorance, hate and bigotry was a tangible reminder of our failures as a society.

I am certain that, 50 years from today, we will look back at these failures with shame and disbelief. Our grandchildren will ask us how a man who equated homosexuality with bestiality could ever be seriously considered as a candidate to the office of President of the United States, how this country could set a limit on the basic rights of an entire group of people because of another group’s religious beliefs, how we could tell a woman that the child growing inside her after she was raped was a blessing from God, how someone could look at an 8-year-old boy who was murdered for being gay and say, “he was asking for it.” How will we answer for our complacency?

I’m not afraid to admit that I thanked the Lord for Santorum’s departure. His stance on the economy was unoriginal; his direction for the country uninspired, and his opinions on American’s personal lives downright insulting.

Fifty years from now we will wonder why we let him get as far as he did, but the raging liberal that I (apparently) am isn’t satisfied.

Why we continue to allow history to repeat itself is astounding to me. Whether it’s slavery, suffrage, civil rights, women’s health or marriage equality, we have a habit of dehumanizing one another only to realize the sin in our actions years later.

How’s this for an idea: shut up about my personal life and check your religion at the door when you run for office. I’m tired of listening to your bigotry, and quite frankly, I’m tired of everyone else putting up with it. Thank GOD Rick Santorum will never lead this country, but next time, let’s weed out the doctrinarians at the start.

Spencer is a senior majoring in accounting and Spanish.