Bill Bennett Has Lost it

[Spurminator]

Well touche, that was convincing.

[Extra Stout]

I get Bennett's point. Poorly worded, but it's a point. To those of you too stupid to understand, he was using an example to say that an atrocity doesn't become OK because there may be a few beneficial side effects. It's still an atrocity.

It's like saying let's euthanize all the sick elderly in order to keep Medicare costs down. It's reductio ad absurdum.

As far as aborting all black babies go, in this country we're already halfway there. Maybe it's not so bad he brings this up if we can get that fact out there. That's right, 50% of black pregnancies in the United States end up in induced abortion.

So which is worse, a hypothetical atrocity that comes from conservative rhetoric, or an actual atrocity that comes from liberal policy?

[Spurminator]

I should have just waited until Extra Stout posted before I bothered.

Well said.

[Useruser666]

Poor Spurm. What's a good anology for geeting run over by people when your just trying to explain something to them?

[Spurminator]

Poor Spurm. What's a good anology for geeting run over by people when your just trying to explain something to them?

"Aborting the messenger's baby"?

[Nbadan]

I get Bennett's point. Poorly worded, but it's a point. To those of you too stupid to understand, he was using an example to say that an atrocity doesn't become OK because there may be a few beneficial side effects. It's still an atrocity.

It's like saying let's euthanize all the sick elderly in order to keep Medicare costs down. It's reductio ad absurdum.

As far as aborting all black babies go, in this country we're already halfway there. Maybe it's not so bad he brings this up if we can get that fact out there. That's right, 50% of black pregnancies in the United States end up in induced abortion.

So which is worse, a hypothetical atrocity that comes from conservative rhetoric, or an actual atrocity that comes from liberal policy?

Let's not make blanket statements without some facts please. It's easy to say 50% of whatever race winds up being aborted, but if your gonna make such a blanket condemnation in the forum please provide statistics to back up your claim.

Unless I am mistaken, we have had a Republican President and a Republican-controlled legislature for for a few years now, and, oh my gosh, abortion is still legal!

[SpursWoman]

link

White House criticizes Bennett for comments
Ex-education secretary tied crime rate to aborting black babies


Updated: 1:16 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2005

WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday criticized former Education Secretary William Bennett for remarks linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies.

“The president believes the comments were not appropriate,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

Bennett, on his radio show, “Morning in America,” was answering a caller’s question when he 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,” said Bennett, author of “The Book of Virtues.”

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.”

Democrats demand apology

On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats demanded that Bennett apologize for the remarks.

Responding later to criticism, Bennett said his comments had been mischaracterized and that his point was that the idea of supporting abortion to reduce crime was “morally reprehensible.”

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.

[Useruser666]

"Aborting the messenger's baby"?

Good one. I was thinking, don't be the first Lemming!

[SpursWoman]

Nature's Re ?

[Useruser666]

Shooting yourself in the head would be crazy!

I apologize for telling people to go shoot themselves in the head.

[JoeChalupa]

Even the smartest of men have dumb things come out of their pie-holes.

The wife didn't care much what he said but understood that he was trying to make a point but he could have also stated that we could abort all "white" babies and the crime rate would go down.

The White House has responded.

Case closed as far as I'm concerned.

[Spurminator]

I'm perplexed as to why the White House felt this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

[Useruser666]

I'm perplexed as to why the White House felt this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

They have to bend over for all the people posting in here that it was a terrible racial insult. You can't defend yourself in politics, you just have to be the best apologizer you can be.

[xrayzebra]

Let's not make blanket statements without some facts please. It's easy to say 50% of whatever race winds up being aborted, but if your gonna make such a blanket condemnation in the forum please provide statistics to back up your claim.

Unless I am mistaken, we have had a Republican President and a Republican-controlled legislature for for a few years now, and, oh my gosh, abortion is still legal!

I will give you one big fact. The uproar over Bill Bennetts statement taken out of context is the norm for Dimm-o-craps. Bye the way, where is your outrage about KKK Byrd reference to white ######s. Hmmmmmm? Bill Bennett said nothing wrong and he has every right to say what he likes. He was scorning the very thought of aborting anyone. You wouldn't understand that because it offends your moral's. Or what you call moral's.
Get a friggin life and get off "stuck on stupid".

[Nbadan]

63% think Bill Bennet's comments were offensive and reprehensible:

Do you think William Bennett's comments are reprehensible? * 8967 responses


Yes 63%
No 37%

Thank you for voting. Click to send us an e-mail to share your thoughts. Plus, see past voting results.

Tune in to MSNBC for the latest analysis. This is not a scientifically valid survey. Click to learn more.

MSNBC

[JoeChalupa]

I will give you one big fact. The uproar over Bill Bennetts statement taken out of context is the norm for Dimm-o-craps. Bye the way, where is your outrage about KKK Byrd reference to white ######s. Hmmmmmm? Bill Bennett said nothing wrong and he has every right to say what he likes. He was scorning the very thought of aborting anyone. You wouldn't understand that because it offends your moral's. Or what you call moral's.
Get a friggin life and get off "stuck on stupid".

Every reference that I've read or listened to was NOT taken out of context and included the entire statement. Springer played it in it's entirety as did Allen Combs. If you personally don't find it offensive that is your own opinion and feeling. While others, such as my wife did find it offensive.

While your calling me a dimm-o-crap is childish and un-called for, I respect your opinion.

[Spurminator]

Thanks for the internet poll, Dan.

Anyway I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of the country did find his comments offensive. Most likely because they don't understand what he was saying.

Similar polls showed that a lot of Americans thought Iraq bombed the WTC.

[Useruser666]

I wonder how many people even heard the comments in context, or know what reprehensible means?

Oh and... "This is not a scientifically valid survey."

[Useruser666]

Every reference that I've read or listened to was NOT taken out of context and included the entire statement. Springer played it in it's entirety as did Allen Combs. If you personally don't find it offensive that is your own opinion and feeling. While others, such as my wife did find it offensive.

While your calling me a dimm-o-crap is childish and un-called for, I respect your opinion.

Joe, I could maybe understand a "shock" to what he said at first, but he basically said to lower the crime rate by aborting black babies was crazy. He was trying to give an example of another off the wall cause-effect theory to compare it to the one he was asked about. He never presented the abortion idea as his own or that it was right in any manner what so ever. People seem to be missing that.

[xrayzebra]

Every reference that I've read or listened to was NOT taken out of context and included the entire statement. Springer played it in it's entirety as did Allen Combs. If you personally don't find it offensive that is your own opinion and feeling. While others, such as my wife did find it offensive.

While your calling me a dimm-o-crap is childish and un-called for, I respect your opinion.

Oh, thank you for allowing me to have my own opinion. There is real meaning to my spelling of dimm-o-crap.

dimm=never seem to get their light turned on bright.
crap=what they spout at all times.

I haven't heard one dimm-o-crap tell me what they want to do with our country except tear it down and put it down. They offer no alternative plan, just critize every person or plan put forth by the present administration. I will tell you what is really sad: they put down the very people who they say are not given a break in life. We have three of most distinguished Americans in the world who happen to also be black and in every case the dimm-o-craps could do nothing but tell all American what no good, unqualified people they were. Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and Clarence Thomas. They are already saying they are going to fillbuster any normination Bush makes for the supreme court. So tell me one more time how you are offended. Just don't hold your breath while you wait or a "I'm Sorry, I hurt you feelings" cause blue isn't my color of choice.

[Spurminator]

"dimm-o-crap" is almost as bad as "shrub". Maybe worse.

Just for the record.

[cheguevara]

Every reference that I've read or listened to was NOT taken out of context and included the entire statement. Springer played it in it's entirety as did Allen Combs. If you personally don't find it offensive that is your own opinion and feeling. While others, such as my wife did find it offensive.

While your calling me a dimm-o-crap is childish and un-called for, I respect your opinion.

great post. Everyone has the right to their opinion.

[Useruser666]

If all the effort that went into thinking up these nicknames went into listening to the otherside's views we might get somewhere.

[xrayzebra]

"dimm-o-crap" is almost as bad as "shrub". Maybe worse.

Just for the record.

I don't think Mr. Bush worry's too much about it, just so long as they refer to him as Mr. President for three more years.....

[JoeChalupa]

Oh, thank you for allowing me to have my own opinion. There is real meaning to my spelling of dimm-o-crap.

dimm=never seem to get their light turned on bright.
crap=what they spout at all times.

I haven't heard one dimm-o-crap tell me what they want to do with our country except tear it down and put it down. They offer no alternative plan, just critize every person or plan put forth by the present administration. I will tell you what is really sad: they put down the very people who they say are not given a break in life. We have three of most distinguished Americans in the world who happen to also be black and in every case the dimm-o-craps could do nothing but tell all American what no good, unqualified people they were. Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and Clarence Thomas. They are already saying they are going to fillbuster any normination Bush makes for the supreme court. So tell me one more time how you are offended. Just don't hold your breath while you wait or a "I'm Sorry, I hurt you feelings" cause blue isn't my color of choice.

I'm not holding my breath and I'm not asking for an apology and I have thick skin too. But your:

dimm=never seem to get their light turned on bright.
crap=what they spout at all times.

Can easily be applied to some republicans.

And I've always said that I'd vote for Colin Powell and have the highest respect for Condi and Thomas so don't lump me into your hatred of democrats. I sure am not going to lump you in with all conservative republicans because I know too many who don't think like you do.

I respect your opinions so go on with your bad self. Kudos!!!!