William Bennett really put his foot in his mouth!

[catbirdseat]

Discuss

[knotzen]

The author of "The Book of Virtues," Bennett answered a caller's question by taking issue with the hypothesis put forth in a recent book that one reason crime is down is that the nation's abortion rate 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."

 

http://cbs5.com/topstories/topstories_story_273110300.html

[Mal_Con]

He could have said If you abort every baby in the country the crime rate would go down and it would make the same point without the racist subtext.

[knotzen]

If I was a black American, I think I might have a chip on my shoulder about bs like this that keeps coming up--or, out into the open.

[Jim]

Oh come now. There is no racism in this country and a person's station in life depends on nothing more than his work ethic.

[selkirk]

says the middle class white guy to the rest of the middle class white guys

[KaskadskyjKozak]

says the middle class white guy to the rest of the middle class white guys

 

yeah, much better to hear middle class white guys spout off on racism and posture and its effects - they are definitely experts on that subject.

[Gary_Yngve]

I bet there are plenty of Religious Right who are more offended by the mention of abortion than the racism.

[Macson]

He could have said If you abort every baby in the country the crime rate would go down and it would make the same point without the racist subtext.

 

Is it still racist if it's statistically correct? So, basically, nobody can say anything about the crime rate of any minority racial group because saying it (even if it's true) would be racist?

[selkirk]

Yep, I know it all after all

[Camilo]

He could have said If you abort every baby in the country the crime rate would go down and it would make the same point without the racist subtext.

 

Is it still racist if it's statistically correct? So, basically, nobody can say anything about the crime rate of any minority racial group because saying it (even if it's true) would be racist?

I don't think it's racist to address racial components of crime statistics. It's a completely different story to start talking about eliminating that race as a crime stopper. If someone talks like that and he's not racist, he's simply a complete fucking idiot for thinking he said nothing improper. Hey, if we kill all the Jewish babies, maybe there would be some more money for us. Sound familiar?

[Mal_Con]

The statementis no more true for blacks than any other grouping you could think of. If you abort all the whate babies you also would get a reduction in the crime rate. Furthermore it is still racist even if true.

[Cobra_Commander]

If you abort all the whate babies you also would get a reduction in the crime rate.

 

Actually you would get a glut of cheap krill on the market. And nobody wants cheap krill.

[Dru]

If you killed every American under 30 the crime rate would DRASTICALLY drop. But think what would happen to Social Security

[catbirdseat]

The statementis no more true for blacks than any other grouping you could think of. If you abort all the whate babies you also would get a reduction in the crime rate. Furthermore it is still racist even if true.

When you think about it, there is almost nothing you could say that would inflame more passions than what he said. I don't think he was talking off the cuff. It baffles the mind how anyone could be so foolish. I can see how he might figure that 99% of blacks are anti-administration already, so what is there to lose, but bringing abortion into it is pissing off his own base.

[Bronco]

You sure have a lot of posts.

[ScottP]

An average of 7.5 posts per day since registration.

Although, since I'm an idiot my math is suspect.

[Dru]

You sure have a lot of posts.

 

A lot of posts is the Internet version of a purty mouth.

[cj001f]

A lot of posts is the Internet version of a purty mouth.

You would know, wouldn't you

[Ireneo_Funes]

Dru has the purtiest mouth of all.

[foraker]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe Jim was being sarcastic.

[Dru]

well good God I'm making 16.75 posts per day to cbs's 7.5.

[E-rock]

says the middle class white guy to the rest of the middle class white guys

 

yeah, much better to hear middle class white guys spout off on racism and posture and its effects - they are definitely experts on that subject.

 

I ESPECIALLY like it when middle-class white conservatives spout off their expert opinions about the lack of real racist obstacles in the U.S. and that minorities need ONLY pull themselves up by their bootstraps and stop whining to realized they are holding themselves back.

[Peter_Puget]

From the

research that was ultimately being discussed:

 

Fertility declines for black women are three times greater than for whites (12 percent compared to 4 percent). Given that homicide rates of black youths are roughly nine times higher than those of white youths, racial differences in the fertility effects of abortion are likely to translate into greater homicide reductions.

 

adds a bit of important context...

[ScottP]

well good God I'm making 16.75 posts per day to cbs's 7.5.