It's about the Freakanomics.
Posted By: AR on 2005-10-02
In Reply to: Media Matters...William Bennett Audio...sm - Democrat
Bennett Fires Back Against Racism Charges
Saturday, October 01, 2005
WASHINGTON — Former Education Secretary William Bennett (search), harshly criticized by Democrats and repudiated by the White House for a comment he made suggesting that, in theory, crime would go down if more black babies were aborted, fired back at his critics Friday.
Anyone paying attention to this debate should be offended by those who have selectively quoted me, distorted my meaning, and taken out of context the dialogue I engaged in this week. Such distortions from 'leaders' of organizations and parties is a disgrace not only to the organizations and institutions they serve, but to the First Amendment (search), Bennett said.
Let me reiterate what I had hoped my long career had already established: that I renounce all forms of bigotry — and that my record in trying to provide opportunities for, as well as save the lives of, minorities in this country stands up just fine, he added.
The conservative author, columnist and talk-radio host touched off a firestorm on Wednesday when a caller to his Morning in America show postulated that if abortion were illegal, Social Security would remain solvent.
Bennett raised questions about the caller's premise, saying that according to that logic, the argument in the book Freakonomics — that allowing abortion reduces crime — would be equally valid.
Referring to the book's hypothesis, Bennett told the caller, I do know that it's true that 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.
Bennett continued: That would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do. But your crime rate would go down.
Bennett's remarks on Wednesday earned him scorn from Democratic lawmakers.
He's assuming that if you did this immoral thing, it would bring down crime and that is a possible solution, Rep. Charles Rangel (search), D-N.Y., told FOX News. A good-thinking guy that is a former secretary of education could give the hypothetical that if you expose people to education, then you would alleviate the conditions that cause crime, he said.
It again raises the specter of the not-so-subtle politics of race represented by 'Willie Horton,' welfare queens and the conclusion that America would be better off if Strom Thurmond had been successful in 1948, said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
These are shameful words, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said on the floor of the House Thursday evening. Secretary Bennett's comments reflect a narrow-minded spirit that has no place within American discourse. These words do not give credence to the tremendously difficult past that African-Americans have endured. These words do not reflect the values of hope and opportunity for the future.
Asked for White House reaction to the remarks, press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday, The president believes the comments were not appropriate.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said of the White House comment: Not appropriate is wearing white shoes after Labor Day. These comments were reprehensible and racist.
Lautenberg was introducing a resolution in the Senate calling on the chamber to condemn Bennett's comments.
The Subtleties of Race Relations
Bennett was education secretary under President Reagan and director of drug control policy when President Bush's father was president.
In discussing crime and race on his show, Bennett later said those are topics that have been on many people's minds, and tongues, for the past month or so in light of the situation in New Orleans.
Many in public policy have speculated about the slow response to Hurricane Katrina, which struck more than a month ago, by the federal government, with much of the blame laid at Bush's feet. Several suggestions had been made that the president's response was delayed because those suffering most in New Orleans were poor and black.
The latest rhetorical slams were expanded last week at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference when Rangel likened Bush to the late Bull Connor, the Birmingham, Ala., commissioner of public safety who had his workers turn fire hoses and police dogs on African-Americans demonstrating against segregation laws in 1963.
Rangel said Bennett, like Bush, could find solutions for impoverished black Americans if they bothered to address poverty issues.
If the United States spent nearly as much time on poverty as they did in Iraq, we could solve some of the racial problems, Rangel said, adding that he did not think Bush is racist like Connor but that the president's economic policies are so adverse to the questions of poverty that he was hoping Bush's indifference to the plight of black Americans would shake up the country the way that Bull Connor did.
On Thursday, Bennett, author of The Book of Virtues, told FOX News that his remarks were to be viewed from the specter of academia and philosophic argument.
To put forward a hypothesis, a morally impossible hypothesis, to show why it is morally impossible and reprehensible, seems to me is a standard way of talking about public policy and a standard way of teaching, he said.
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As I said below, he had been discussing Freakanomics, Democrat.
And as I said below, need he have interjected that in every sentence in the conversation? The discussion was actually about abortion. The entire TEXT of the conversation is posted here. Also, this has been discussed on several talk shows and Freakanomics has been mentioned often and appropriately, but as I also said, there is no use discussing it further. There is no arguing with most on here about it, athough there was a glimmer of hope. Understand me, I am not dismissing his comments out of hand. I think he made a poor decision when he was making a point. However, do I think he did it deliberately and with malice and do I think he is a racist? Absolutely not. THIS is racism:
What, white isn’t a color?
Posted by: McQ on Saturday, October 01, 2005
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Things like this amuse me as they show the absolute lunacy which now exists in some areas of our society. From Northeastern University:
After originally advertising for women of color only, the Women's Studies and Graduate Consortium's first Breaking Bread: Women of Color Dialogue was forced to open the doors of the Raytheon Amphitheater to all races last Saturday.
The event was meant to include only women of color during its first session from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the second session from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. open to the public. However, after protest from the Student Government Association (SGA), orders came from Provost Ahmed Abdelal that the event must remain open to all who wished to attend.
They were in violation of the nondiscrimination policy, said Michael DeRamo, SGA vice president for academic affairs. We're glad that everything turned out well and the people who wanted to go were allowed to attend.
He said although SGA appreciated what the program was trying to accomplish, SGA could not stand dormant while one of their senators was denied admission based on her race. OK, you say. Good deal. Now, check out the reaction:
I think it's a shame that one or two white students based on white privilege, a lack of awareness of racial issues and a lack of generosity of spirit complained to the office of the provost and were able, because they were white, to gain admission to the morning session that I was forced to open up, Chandler said. Only one white female student showed up and I welcomed her anyway, in addition to telling the audience to conduct themselves with integrity even though the presence of a white woman was unwelcome. Is your irony meter pegging out yet? Talk about Newspeak. Protesting discrimination is now lack of awareness of racial issues and a lack of generosity of spirit.
Protesting discrimination now apparently only belongs to 'people of color'.
Just as interesting is this group seems to believe it can solve racial issues without involving all the races.
Oh and the condescension was almost dripping when this person said I welcomed her ... even though the presence of a white woman was unwelcome.
Sounds like a stereotypical southerner in the immediate post-civil rights south, doesn't it?
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Personal note: You won't see this in the MSM.
THIS is racist:
In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and [there] were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master ... exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him. Colin Powell's committed to come into the house of the master. When Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture. -- Harry Belafonte
THIS is racist:
He's married to a white woman. He wants to be white. He wants a colorless society. He has no ethnic pride. He doesn't want to be black. -- California State Senator Diane Watson's on Ward Connerly's interracial marriage
THIS is racist:
I am a former kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan in Raleigh County and the adjoining counties of the state .... The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia .... It is necessary that the order be promoted immediately and in every state of the Union. Will you please inform me as to the possibilities of rebuilding the Klan in the Realm of W. Va .... I hope that you will find it convenient to answer my letter in regards to future possibilities. -- Former Klansman and current US Senator Robert Byrd, a man who is referred to by many Democrats as the conscience of the Senate, in a letter written in 1946, after he quit the KKK.
THIS is racist:
I'll have those n*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years. -- Lyndon B. Johnson to two governors on Air Force One according Ronald Kessler's Book, Inside The White House
THIS is egregiously racist:
I think one man is just as good as another so long as he's not a n*gger or a Chinaman. Uncle Will says that the Lord made a White man from dust, a n*gger from mud, then He threw up what was left and it came down a Chinaman. He does hate Chinese and Japs. So do I. It is race prejudice, I guess. But I am strongly of the opinion Negroes ought to be in Africa, Yellow men in Asia and White men in Europe and America. Harry Truman (1911) in a letter to his future wife Bess
And THIS is racist:
There’s some people who’ve gone over the state and said, ‘Well, George Wallace has talked too strong about segregation.’ Now let me ask you this: how in the name of common sense can you be too strong about it? You’re either for it or you’re against it. There’s not any middle ground as I know of. -- Democratic Alabama Governor George Wallace (1959)
Freakanomics, Democrat, is NOT Bennett's book. sm
It you had read the entire article posted here and gone to Bennett's website, you would know that. But it's easier to just run with the first bone of information and negate the facts. If Bill Maher told Bennett to do that, he would make a fool of himself...yet again.
If one was to say that Bill Bennett believed crime could and should be reduced by abortion, then one could also argue that liberals who support abortion believe in and advocate black genocide.
Do they really want to go there...?
The article posted is not the complete conversation. Ever hear of Freakanomics? sm
That has a lot to do with the conversation. As usual, the MSM left out significant parts of what was said. No surprise there.
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