Bennett's (R) Solution To Crime

[FScott]

"Secretary William Bennett (Republican) on Thursday stated that aborting 'every black baby in this country' would reduce the crime rate, and demanded their Republican counterparts do the same."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/30/bennett.comments/index.html

[A picasso blue]

i read this yesterday and actually laughed. then i realized it was true.... anyway who did this guy serve under? Bush's 1st term?

[Cal Smith]

i read this yesterday and actually laughed. then i realized it was true.... anyway who did this guy serve under? Bush's 1st term?

He's never served under Bush. Bennett is probably one of the smartest, compassionate men I could think of. You should read his Book of Virtues.

[GhostsDaddy]

He's never served under Bush. Bennett is probably one of the smartest, compassionate men I could think of. You should read his Book of Virtues.
Aborting black babies is compassionate?

[Cal Smith]

Aborting black babies is compassionate?

He was making a valid point (whether you agree with him or not). He was not condoning it like you are suggesting. Did you read the news write up?

"That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down,"

Also let me ask by what your saying above..........are you saying everyone who is pro-choice isnt compassionate?

[aminorthreat55]

I'm with Cal on this one, everyone is trying to twist what he said to call him racist and all this other stuff. He suggested it and then completely disgarded it as "morally reprehensible" (I think those were the words, or something like that).

[Justin_stacy]

Boy and people call CNN a valid news source..............Its nice that they put the whole quote in the story....

Replying to a caller's question on his "Morning in America" program Wednesday, Bennett challenged a recent book's hypothesis that one reason for the drop in crime is the rise in abortion.

"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 ... that would be 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," said Bennett.


"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.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170840,00.html

Isn't it also nice that the media is so quick to jump to racism when its a Republican, ignoring the bennifet of a doubt idea, but when a Democrats make a real racist statement its always turned around, justified and defended by the same media......liberal bias, no......

[siberianxkiss]

i know he was refering to the book but why couldnt he find a better way to get his point across?

[Cal Smith]

Isn't it also nice that the media is so quick to jump to racism when its a Republican, ignoring the bennifet of a doubt idea, but when a Democrats make a real racist statement its always turned around, justified and defended by the same media......liberal bias, no......

It's amazing that democrats are calling for him to be "condemend" when most of them are the pro-choice advicates of abortion.

Again if you know much about Bennett you'd see this is ridiculous.

[Lueda Alia]

It's amazing that democrats are calling for him to be "condemend" when most of them are the pro-choice advicates of abortion.

Again if you know much about Bennett you'd see this is ridiculous.
Are you really implying that you can't see the difference between being pro-choice and wanting to have all black babies aborted??

In case you are, then let me tell you: I'm pro choice because I believe women should have the right to decide what to do with their bodies and their lives. And if they don't want to have a baby, then they shouldn't have one. While what this person has said, is completely different. He's basically saying that women should abort black babies even if they want to keep them and have no intention of having an abortion. Because supposedly, the crime rate would go down? I forgot that every black person is a criminal.

I do realize that he said that it's morally wrong after, but I'm just trying to show you the difference here.

[Cal Smith]

Are you really implying that you can't see the difference between being pro-choice and wanting to have all black babies aborted??

In case you are, then let me tell you: I'm pro choice because I believe women should have the right to decide what to do with their bodies and their lives. And if they don't want to have a baby, then they shouldn't have one. While what this person has said, is completely different. He's basically saying that women should abort black babies even if they want to keep them and have no intention of having an abortion. Because supposedly, the crime rate would go down? I forgot that every black person is a criminal.

I do realize that he said that it's morally wrong after, but I'm just trying to show you the difference here.

What i'm implying is that it's quite hypocritical on some of the democrats who are wanting to condemn Bennett based on what he said when they are the ones who support the practice of abortion.

An abortion is an abortion no matter what the reason. If you're doing it to control crime......or.....if you're doing it because you're not ready for a child. So the condemnation is really off base.

[Lueda Alia]

What i'm implying is that it's quite hypocritical on some of the democrats who are wanting to condemn Bennett based on what he said when they are the ones who support the practice of abortion.

An abortion is an abortion no matter what the reason. If you're doing it to control crime......or.....if you're doing it because you're not ready for a child. So the condemnation is really off base.
umm, no, because the woman may want her baby, and since when are all black people criminals? that's just stupid logic. women who abort their babies do not want them for many different reasons.

there's a huge difference.

[Kid Kilowatt]

His implication is what matters, that is, that black babies grow up to criminals. Regardless of whether or not you think he was trying to make a valid point, you have to admit that this was a poor choice of words.

[Cal Smith]

umm, no, because the woman may want her baby

What does this have to do with what Bennet said?


and since when are all black people criminals? that's just stupid logic.

The idea is that crime is higher among the black population........so the theory is that if they were all aborted the crime would go down. It has nothing to do with all black people being criminals.

His implication is what matters, that is, that black babies grow up to criminals. Regardless of whether or not you think he was trying to make a valid point, you have to admit that this was a poor choice of words.

No that is your implication. He's not saying all black babies. It's a fact that the crime rate is higher in the black community for whatever reason.

[Kid Kilowatt]

No that is your implication. He's not saying all black babies. It's a fact that the crime rate is higher in the black community for whatever reason.
He referred to all black babies, then linked it to crime, and made his implication clear.

[Cal Smith]

He referred to all black babies, then linked it to crime, and made his implication clear.

Black babies do grow up to be criminals..............so do white............so do asian.........and about any other race you could think of. He's not saying "all black babies are criminals" though.

[GhostsDaddy]

No, but what he is saying is "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."

[Justin_stacy]

and to that he's saying, but that would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do,......

[The Revisionist]

To rebound off of Cal's last statement... since every single race of humans produces an equal amount of criminals in it, if you were to abort every child of whatever race, there would straight up be less crimes committed because you eliminated a lot of people who would potentially be committing crimes. If he had said "you could abort every white trash albino in this country, and your crime rate would go down", he would be right. If he had said "you could abort every gook-y badooky dooky in this country, and your crime rate would go down", he would be right.

He never said that all blacks are criminals or are born with premeditated thoughts to commit crimes, he simply used the black race as the example in his bigger picture.

"I was putting forward a hypothetical proposition. Put that forward. Examined it. And then said about it that it's morally reprehensible. To recommend abortion of an entire group of people in order to lower your crime rate is morally reprehensible. But this is what happens when you argue that the ends can justify the means," he told CNN.

Seriously, do some of you even know how to read?

[Lueda Alia]

and to that he's saying, but that would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do,......
Why would he even bring up that idea in the first place though? If he doesn't really believe it? I'd never say, "I think to win the war in Iraq you should kill all people in the middle east because then there'd be less terrorits. But that'd be morally wrong." because that thought doesn't even cross my mind, like it does with some people (who have actually said so in their posts here). That's just messed up logic and you know it. When I think something is wrong, doing it would never cross my mind.

[splitsecond]

Why would he even bring up that idea in the first place though? If he doesn't really believe it? I'd never say, "I think to win the war in Iraq you should kill all people in the middle east because then there'd be less terrorits. But that'd be morally wrong." because that thought doesn't even cross my mind, like it does with some people (who have actually said so in their posts here). That's just messed up logic and you know it. When I think something is wrong, doing it would never cross my mind.
He was slamming on people who like to theorize that crime is down because abortion is legal. In fact, that argument has been made somewhere on this board if I am not mistaken.

[splitsecond]

If you aborted all white babies is it safe to say the crime rate would drop?

Probably not, but the dancing ability of humanity would improve drastically.

[siberianxkiss]

Probably not, but the dancing ability of humanity would improve drastically.

best thing you've ever posted :thumbsup:

[splitsecond]

Why wouldn't it though. Removing a large population of any race, wouldn't that reduce crime? Maybe I'm just not really thinking it through but it makes sense to me.
Well what decreases crime is economic improvement. In theory if there were a LOT less people with the same economic productivity we have more, people in general would have more money and be less inclined to commit crime.

best thing you've ever posted :thumbsup:
Haha, thanks.

[hXc_pwnage]

I say we abort all Republican family's babies so there is less corporate fraud.

[Justin_stacy]

Why would he even bring up that idea in the first place though? .
Because a caller, on his talk show, asked him about an argument in a recently published book connecting the lowering crime rates we are experiencing as a nation to the rise in discretionary abortions. I.E. begin that if the criminals are never allowed to be born they can't later commit crimes. Understand?

And Bennett's response was no matter how justifiable an argument like that can/could be, the very thought itself would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do......

I say we abort all Republican family's babies so there is less corporate fraud.

I say we abort all Democratic family babies so there would no long be a dependent class to mooch off all the competent citizens.

[commatosa]

This story isn't even news worthy. He was taken completely out of context and, as usual, the press had a hayday with it. I'm just glad that a lot of people decided to tell the whole story.

[GhostsDaddy]

I don't believe this was taken out of context at all.

He straight up said black people cause crime. He said that to lower the crime rate, we could have them all killed, but then to use later as justification for his statements, he said that it can't and shouldn't be done.

Any way you look at it, it shouldn't have been said. And the fact that he won't even apologize for it is ridiculous.

[Justin_stacy]

This story isn't even news worthy. He was taken completely out of context and, as usual, the press had a hayday with it. I'm just glad that a lot of people decided to tell the whole story.

Bravo..........i never would have expected such rational out you....

[radiofriendly]

I don't believe this was taken out of context at all.

He straight up said black people cause crime. He said that to lower the crime rate, we could have them all killed, but then to use later as justification for his statements, he said that it can't and shouldn't be done.
never in his statements did he ever have any tone that didn't declare this as an extreme and hypothetical situation. i'll straight up tell you that blacks cause crime. then i'll straight up show the stats. then you can find several politicians that can confirm it, dem and rep. it's not a racist issue here. he's not saying anything that hasn't been put forward in the past(abortion effects crime rate) and that's not the way he approached it. He said that if it was your sole purpose, you could have every black baby aborted, and it would reduce your crime rate. i don't know if you've ever listened to Bill Bennett before, but i firmly believe that listening to his show just a couple times would completely clear up this silly confusion. this is HUGELY blown out of proportion. Bennett said it best in the same article

"I was putting forward a hypothetical proposition. Put that forward. Examined it. And then said about it that it's morally reprehensible. To recommend abortion of an entire group of people in order to lower your crime rate is morally reprehensible. But this is what happens when you argue that the ends can justify the means,""I'm not racist, and I'll put my record up against theirs," referring to Pelosi and other critics. "I've been a champion of the real civil rights issue of our times -- equal educational opportunities for kids."on a side note, taking her quotes concerning the last few 'corrupted republican endavors' it's safe to say that it shouldn't take a great deal of convincing to deduct that Nancy Pelosi is an idiot. but that's just me.

[Kid Kilowatt]

Black babies do grow up to be criminals..............so do white............so do asian.........and about any other race you could think of. He's not saying "all black babies are criminals" though.Logical progression.

[jsteil]

Yeah all we need is a good ethnic clensing in our country might as well go all out like germany in WWII. How about lets make people take IQ tests before we the people allow them to birth their own into the world. What he said was taken out of context and the democrates that are saying it wasn't need to get some real work done and so do the republicans.