Bill Bennett, author of “The Book of Virtues” must think that gambling addiction and racism are virtues, because he keeps defending himself on both accounts. Bennett, while pondering the crime rate and abortion, recently said:
"… 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 …"
The Democrats have demanded an apology, but that is probably not appropriate. Bennett should not apologize for what he believes in. His apology would be insincere. Bennett, along with most other conservatives believes African-Americans are an inferior race.
Typically conservatives are masters at political correctness and hiding their true beliefs, but occasionally the truth slips out and it is oftentimes revealing. That Bennett couches his hatred for African-Americans in an allusion to genocide is all the more revealing.
It is absolutely a FALSE stereotype that blacks commit more crimes than whites in this country, just like it is absolutely false that blacks are less intelligent than whites, that blacks are like monkeys, that blacks are prone to crack addiction, or that blacks smell bad. Bill Bennett and his conservative defenders likely believe all of these things.
Citing statistics to show Bennett he is wrong, is a waste of time --just as it would be a waste of time to argue with the KKK that all races and religions are equal. Don’t ask Bennett to apologize for his beliefs, but do remove Bennett from the public airwaves immediately. A prejudiced "blue-eyed devil" like him does not deserve to ever hold a microphone again.
Balletshooz blogs at Alphaliberal.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Bob A. Booey
You'll see hearfelt, possibly tearful, but undoubtedly insincere apology from Bennett by the end of next week.
Otherwise, he'll be fired. His comments were out of line, even for right-wing talk radio, especially when the President and all other mainstream conservatives have turned on him and denounced him. He should have known better.
That is all.
2 - Les Slater
Fire him? Anyone they hire would just as bad but woudn't yet be discredited.
It is not in our interests to have anything to do with who works for these creeps. Don't prittify who they are.
They have a right. Let's not give them any more than that.
3 - Vile Stench
Why fire him?
What he said was true. Watching you liberals dodge racial issues is like watching conservatives dodge global warming. I understand some people can't handle scientific fact, but the truth sometimes hurts.
4 - Les Slater
It’s amazing that there are still those who insist racism has a basis in science.
5 - 1Potato
Ask a social scientist, and you will see that it in fact has a scientific basis.
There are plenty of statistics relating crime to race to back it up. As for why the correlation exists, that is a different matter. But the correlation exists.
6 - Bob A. Booey
Stop trying so hard to be a caricature, 1Potato.
Find me ONE scientist who argues we should abort "all black babies" and that it's a better solution to crime and poverty than real assistance.
Read the Levitt response to Bennett that I've cut-and-pasted on the other discussions of the Bennett comments. Blacks aren't inherently more criminal or more disposed to poverty as a result of "their culture."
If it's about poverty and poor neighborhoods that make people turn to crime (a more reasonable and perhaps less racist argument), then why wouldn't Bennett say we should abort all babies of the poor, black and white?
It's because he assumes there's something uniquely criminal about black society, irrespective of conditions.
That's racist.
Name one social scientist who thinks blacks are criminals because it's something about them as a people that predisposes it to them. The vast preponderance (if not the totality) of social science literature on black poverty and crime indicate it has everything to do with economic conditions and discrimination. Read William Julius Wilson of Harvard or any real authority on this topic before you spout your Internet race theories.
That is all.
7 - Dave Nalle
>>The Democrats have demanded an apology, but that is probably not appropriate. Bennett should not apologize for what he believes in. His apology would be insincere. Bennett, along with most other conservatives believes African-Americans are an inferior race.<<
This is such utter crap it hardly deserves a response, but your pattern of such ridiculous distortions really needs to be nipped in the bud. First off, Bennett clearly doesn't believe blacks are inferior - the claim is completely fabricated - and I defy you to provide any examples of mainstream Republican figures who believe that African Americans are an inferior race. We're not the ones who exploit them and pander to them and provide them with inferior quality education so that they'll stay poor and dependent.
Saying that 'most' conservatives are racist is so patently untrue and grossly offensive that it shows you for exactly the kind of partisan hatemonger you are.
Dave
8 - Les Slater
> Bennett clearly doesn't believe blacks are inferior…
I do not know if he does or doesn’t. He did not say so in the infamous statement we are discussing. And it doesn’t matter if he believes he’s a racist or not.
It is not a question of statistical correlation either.
It is the fact that he did indeed put forward, at least on a theoretical level, that reducing the Black birthrate would reduce crime.
It is the solution that he puts forward, and DEFENDS, at least in principle, which is racist to the core.
9 - marc
10 - Cerulean
Very well said, Balletshooz. He clearly meant it. Why cover it up? Just get this guy off the air or otherwise bring the consquences down upon him and his supporters.
Who's the main sponsor of his show?
11 - Warren
"Bennett conceded that aborting all African-American babies 'would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do,'"
Sounds like a racist to me. Yup.
Sounds like he meant it, too. Yup.
12 - Anthony Grande
Fire him for what???
"Sounds like a racist to me."
Bill Bennett has done so much for black children and black communities you don't even know.
13 - 1Potato
Bob A Booey:
Did you hallucinate a post I wrote? Who the hell said we should abourt black babies to reduce crime or that any scientist supports that? I certainly never said anything like that (my law partner is black, btw). Bill Bennett said that such a thing would be "morally reprehensible."
You are really race baiting, aren't you? It's pretty despicable, actually. But I have seen your posts. you have no shame.
14 - Anthony Grande
You liberals make me sad. Bill Bennett didn't say anything close that showed he actually wants to abort all black babies, but you liberals jump all over and try to make it look like something when it is not. It shows that you guys got nothing else. You are out of ammunition and it shows. You guys are reduced to wining and nagging babies.
15 - Victor Plenty
When both sides of the aisle engage in scorched earth tactics, anybody who sticks their head up risks getting caught in the crossfire. Anthony, if you wish your opponents would be more civil, you could start by demonstrating some civility of your own.
Being a member of no political party myself, I can almost watch all of them tear into each other with a certain degree of detached bemusement. Almost.
If the constant decline of civility weren't so damaging to a country I deeply love, I might find it actually funny.
16 - Anthony Grande
"Anthony, if you wish your opponents would be more civil, you could start by demonstrating some civility of your own."
Tell me how I am uncivil.
17 - Realist
There was a time when it could have been said in Boston, that if there were fewer Irish, there would be less crime.
There was a time when it could have been said in New York, that if there were fewer Italians and Jews, there would be less crime.
It can now be said in the country that if there were fewer Blacks, there would be less crime.
The first two statements became obsolete when the Irish, Italians and Jews were integrated into our society.
The third statement is true because Blacks have not been fully integrated into our society.
To be constructive, look to the reasons for the truth of the third statement, and get off Bill Bennett’s back,
18 - Dave Nalle
>>It is the solution that he puts forward, and DEFENDS, at least in principle, which is racist to the core.<<
Except that he didn't put it forward as a solution, as you suggest, but as a negative example of something that would be reprehensible and illogical.
Dave
19 - Les Slater
> Except that he didn't put it forward as a solution, as you suggest, but as a negative example of something that would be reprehensible and illogical.
He said it would if you did. He said that it was abhorrent if you did but nonetheless if you did it would reduce crime rates.
He is putting forward a cause and effect relationship. It is clear. He puts it in such a stark context that he can say he did not mean to carry any such plan out.
Well, who the hell would have thought that he would? It is only a fool that takes him at his word in denial.
His real message is there as clear as day. The essence of what he is saying is that reducing Black birthrate will reduce crime. Do you deny that was his message? Now, that’s something the right wing can run with.
Do you think he is so naïve that he does not see it? Do you think he is senile?
Or is the problem with you Dave?
20 - marc
Just a simple question.
With all the race baiting balletshooz throws up at Blogcritics I wonder why he never, never is critical of the trash that airs on (Dead) Air America. It's as bad or worse than the twisted words you are attempting to assign to Bennett?
Bunch of Flockin' hypocrites!
21 - Dave Nalle
>>His real message is there as clear as day. The essence of what he is saying is that reducing Black birthrate will reduce crime. Do you deny that was his message? Now, that’s something the right wing can run with.<<
How the hell can you say that his real message is exactly the opposite of what he was clearly saying? It makes no sense at all. He was discrediting the idea that the belief that aborting black babies was a desirable thing, not endorsing it.
>>Do you think he is so naïve that he does not see it? Do you think he is senile?<<
No, I think you're totally twisting what he said to suit your political agenda.
>>Or is the problem with you Dave?<<
Hardly. I seem to be able to understand what he said - the problem lies with those who choose not to.
Dave
22 - Les Slater
Dave,
You seem to be having trouble, either reading, following logic, or both.
Let's take this one step at a time.
Is he or is he not "putting forward a cause and effect relationship"? If yes, do you agree with him? If not, explain.
If you can get by this one, we'll go to the next.
Les
23 - Dave Nalle
Les, there's no confusion here. He threw out a hypothetical example of an extreme statement with which he did not agree. That context means that whatever he said he already acknowledged had no validity for him or in general. There's nowhere else to go with it after that.
Dave
24 - Les Slater
Dave,
You do agree that there is cause and effect relationship.
> Comment 31 posted by Dave Nalle on October 1, 2005 02:40 PM:
>> I don’t think anyone would take his remarks at face value. What it does do, however, is to lend credence to the myth that Black women having babies has something to do with an increase in crime. This is racist and reactionary to the core.
> No, it's not racist. Poor, black, unwed mothers produce babies who grow up with a much higher likelihood of becoming criminals than any other group in society. This isn't racist, it's a fact. You can argue that the things which keep them poor and get them pregnant are racist, but not with the fact that single teen parents raising unwanted kids in poverty increases crime.
> Dave
Look at what your rsponding to.
>> What it does do, however, is to lend credence to the myth that Black women having babies has something to do with an increase in crime. This is racist and reactionary to the core.
You did not dispute the causal relationship, you just deny it is racist.
Do you take this back? After clarification we can go to the next.
Les
25 - Shark
Shark's two cents:
1) Bennett said what millions of Americans believe -- and yet are afraid to say
2) Don't fire him! Hell, give him his own TV show 24/7. We need more crap like this: an explicit, hypocritical, loud-mouthed racist is a gift to us all.