I am outraged: Fmr. Sec. of Education makes racist comments
I trust my blog readers are just as outraged as me.MSNBC.com
Bennett’s remarks on blacks, crime stir outrage Ex-education secretary seeks to clarify comments on aborting black babies
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:16 p.m. ET Sept. 29, 2005
WASHINGTON - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats on Thursday demanded that former Education Secretary William Bennett apologize for remarks on his radio program linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies.
Bennett responded that the comments, made Wednesday on his “Morning in America” show, had been mischaracterized and that his point was that the idea of supporting abortion to reduce crime was “morally reprehensible.”
The author of “The Book of Virtues,” answering a caller’s question, took issue with the hypothesis put forth in a recent book that one reason crime is down is that abortion is up.
“But 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 said.
He went on to call that “an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky.”
On his show Thursday, Bennett, who opposes abortion, said he was “pointing out that abortion should not be opposed for economic reasons any more than racism ... should be supported or opposed for economic reasons. Immoral policies are wrong because they are wrong, not because of an economic calculation.”
Reid, D-Nev., said he was “appalled by Mr. Bennett’s remarks” and called on him “to issue an immediate apology not only to African Americans but to the nation.”
Rep. Raum Emanuel, D-Ill., said in a statement, “At the very time our country yearns for national unity in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, these comments reflect a spirit of hate and division.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
posted by Kris Anderson @ 9:02 PM
10 Comments:
If President Bush were smart he would do something to counter Bennett's comments, rather than simply have his press secretary denounce the remarks as being "not appropriate."
"Actions speak louder than words."
Shameful insensitivity! Get the dude off the air, not by firing him, but by refusing to listen to him! How can the American public give him any measure of credibility after he makes such a simplistic comment...
I was shocked that in today's society there would be inaccurate, distastful racist commentary allowed on air. You know, the FCC and our great Leader Baby Bush are always seeking ways to pass out fines for inappropriate actions on television and radio alike in the name of saving the morality of our country. I think it's time someone sends a ticket to Bennett's office really soon.
Oh, I forgot, stopping racist and discriminatory acts is not on the Bush To Do list....
it just shows that now they have the heart to say what they have been saying in boardroom
I'm not shocked. Due to the continuously growing complacency, we as a peopole have done nothing to biuld non-tolerance for such issues. So many ppl are talking after the act, but still there is NO ACTION!! We all need to put pressure on fox, the affiliated radio broadcast agency, and this man himself to assure him this will not be tolerated, by African Americans, or anyone else!
If on the heels of Bennett's statements Bush nominated a black woman to replace Justice O'Connor, then that would have been a HUGE move in the right direction. That's precisely the action Bush could have and should have taken, in my view.
Can you imagine the impact of such a nomination? Not so much in reponse to what Bennett said, but more so as a follow-up to Bush's commentary in New Orleans (e.g., his address from a couple of weeks ago, in which he spoke about the legagcy of racism.
let's not forget that he went on to call that “an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do," I think everybody is taking his comments too literally. While aborting black babies is a terrible example to use, it was just an example, a mathematically correct example.
Someone sent the article to me and I thought that it was a joke. I even went to CNN.com to verify that it was real. I can't believe that anyone in his (albiet former)position would actually say something like that.
There IS ABSOLUTELY NO context for comments like that.
-amanda
Lets not tie Bush to Bennet....
That like tying Michael Moore to every Dummycrat.
The statement was stupid..even if it has "statistical" eveidence behind it.
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