Ravenwood - 09/30/05 07:30 AM
Former Education Secretary William Bennett allegedly said something stupid, reports CNN.
Bennett, who held prominent posts in the administrations of former presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush [41], told a caller to his syndicated radio talk show Wednesday: "If you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down.Naturally, and perhaps justifiably, the Democrats are in a tizzy. But what I don't understand, are the calls on the current Bush Administration to denounce Bennett's comments, as if Bennett works for (or ever worked for) George W. Bush [43]. Never one to turn away from a microphone, the homecoming queen enters the fracas:"That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down," he said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, called on President Bush to condemn the comments by Bennett, who was anti-drug chief in Bush's father's administration.What would be really funny is if Bush came out and said something like, "Uh.. okay. I think Bennett's comments on abortion were reprehensible. This Administration, as well as the former Administrations of Reagan and Bush [41] have always stood against abortion."
Okay, maybe making light of the situation is a little crass. But if Bennett wants to make prejudicial remarks on the air, that's between him and his employer. Had this been the sloganmaster Jesse Jackson or Louis Farrakhan making prejudicial remarks about whites, and Bush "condemned" their comments, you'd hear charges of censorship and violated First Amendment rights. Democrats would be needling Bush for having a chilling effect on free speech.
Sometimes when someone makes an ass of themselves, the best thing for you to do is just walk away shaking your head.
UPDATE: Neal reports that Bennett's comments were in the context of an ongoing discussion where it was supposed that the decreased crime rate is due to the an increased abortion rate. [I wonder if shooting a 20 year old mugger is considered a 63rd trimester abortion.] Bennett's best come back line: "I'll not take instruction from Teddy Kennedy. A young woman likely drowned because of his negligence."
Category: Notable Quotables
Comments (5) top link me
I have always thought of taking out a scumbag as a "post-birth abortion". Hehe
Posted by: RickR at September 30, 2005 10:27 AMCompletely out of context. Bennet was on with Alan Colmes last night to explain himself: it was actually a pretty well made point once you hear the whole story.
Posted by: MMW at September 30, 2005 10:39 AMNot only was it a well made point:
-- Every word he said was unimpeachably true;
-- We're witnessing the core of left-wing strategy in their pretended high dudgeon over it.
This is total bullshit.
I heard a recording of the entire call last night. To paraphrase the conversation:
Caller: If we had not had all of these abortions over the last 30 years, Social Security would not be in the financial difficulties it faces today.
Bennett: That's an exaggeration. That would be like saying that if you aborted all black babies, the crime rate would be reduced. It's a repugnant thought, but crime would be decreased.
I think what everyone is in a tizzy about, is the non-spoken point was that blacks, as a percentage of our population, commit more crime on a per capita basis. It's a fact, but noone likes to say it out loud for fear of offending the delicate sensibilities of the black community.
Posted by: The Other Mike S at September 30, 2005 2:47 PMOf course, blacks are also disproportionately the victims. Another way to make crime go down is to get rid of easy victims...
Posted by: markm at October 3, 2005 1:49 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
