William Bennett's Remarks

[MsKayLander]

Your thoughts, your comments??



Bill Bennett: "[Y]ou could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down"


Addressing a caller's suggestion that the "lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30 years" would be enough to preserve Social Security's solvency, radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett dismissed such "far-reaching, extensive extrapolations" by declaring that if "you wanted to reduce crime ... if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." Bennett conceded that aborting all African-American babies "would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do," then added again, "but the crime rate would go down."


Bennett's remark was apparently inspired by the claim that legalized abortion has reduced crime rates, which was posited in the book Freakonomics (William Morrow, May 2005) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. But Levitt and Dubner argued that aborted fetuses would have been more likely to grow up poor and in single-parent or teenage-parent households and therefore more likely to commit crimes; they did not put forth Bennett's race-based argument.

From the September 28 broadcast of Salem Radio Network's Bill Bennett's Morning in America:

CALLER: I noticed the national media, you know, they talk a lot about the loss of revenue, or the inability of the government to fund Social Security, and I was curious, and I've read articles in recent months here, that the abortions that have happened since Roe v. Wade, the lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30-something years, could fund Social Security as we know it today. And the media just doesn't -- never touches this at all.

BENNETT: Assuming they're all productive citizens?

CALLER: Assuming that they are. Even if only a portion of them were, it would be an enormous amount of revenue.

BENNETT: Maybe, maybe, but we don't know what the costs would be, too. I think as -- abortion disproportionately occur among single women? No.

CALLER: I don't know the exact statistics, but quite a bit are, yeah.

BENNETT: All right, well, I mean, I just don't know. I would not argue for the pro-life position based on this, because you don't know. I mean, it cuts both -- you know, one of the arguments in this book Freakonomics that they make is that the declining crime rate, you know, they deal with this hypothesis, that one of the reasons crime is down is that abortion is up. Well --

CALLER: Well, I don't think that statistic is accurate.

BENNETT: Well, I don't think it is either, I don't think it is either, because first of all, there is just too much that you don't know. 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. 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.

[keita]

Your thoughts, your comments??

When it comes to the love of money and the destruction of God's people, genocide as a solution has always biblically and historically been "on the table". Bennett just lets us know that it still is.

I praise God for the exposure His judgment brings and here's more of it:

Friday, Sept. 30, 2005 12:07 a.m. EDT

Bill Bennett Responds to Critics over Black Abortion


Former Reagan administration education secretary Bill Bennett blasted his critics Thursday night, including Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, of whom Bennett said: ""I'll not take instruction from Teddy Kennedy. A young woman likely drowned because of his negligence."

Bennett is on the hot seat for remarks uttered Wednesday during his radio show, "Morning in America," where he was arguing against some of the more extreme justifications for abortion, calling them "ridiculous and morally reprehensible."

Offering an example, Bennett said:

"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.”

By Thursday afternoon, prominent Democrats had seized upon the comment.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said last year that the Supreme Court's lone black member was "an embarrassment to the court," is demanding that Bennett "issue an immediate apology not only to African Americans but to the nation.”

Left wing Democrat Ted Kennedy, whose brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, ordered the illegal wiretapping of Martin Luther King, called Bennett a "racist."

And Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, who suggested last year that most blacks hold menial jobs, called Bennett's comments "hateful" and "inflammatory" - and called on him to apologize.

Responding to his critics, Bennett told the Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes":

"I'll not take instruction from Teddy Kennedy. A young woman likely drowned because of his negligence . . . . He should make no judgments at all about other people. He shouldn't be in the Senate."

Neither Kennedy nor Dean nor Reid has ever condemned Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, who rose to the rank of Grand Cyclops in the Ku Klux Klan based on his ability to recruit new members.

In an autobiography released earlier this year, Byrd said the Klan was a "fraternal group" made up of "upstanding' people" - a characterization which drew no protest from Reid, Kennedy and Dean.

[lanl ns]

misskaylander said:

Your thoughts, your comments??

Even though we should not give that much credit to William Bennett because he is a Drunk and a big time Loser in Gambling.

I find it very disturbing because Bennett has the ear of some of our most important leaders.

It is sad that a man of this character worked for Reagan and is probably still good friends with the Bushes.

I think he should have been fired IMMEDIATELY from his radio talk show, but of course not who cares about unborn Black Children born to Single mothers on crack....... (I do not believe this statement for a moment)

However, I am generalizing this because in essence he does not consider black unborn children as humans. But yet (Republicans) want to hide under the guise of Conservatism and Christianity. But it is only Christianity when it supports their race and not the underclass.

As again was evident in New Orleans. Look at how smooth the evacuations are going out there in Malibu with all those rich people.

[Nikkol]

I wrote my response in the other topic.........

But like I said there, it really depends on the whole discussion and to actually hear what was said. I have listened on occasion and in the hour, it builds from the first few minutes which sets the tone for the rest of the hour. Because of that, I can't say much.....

As again was evident in New Orleans. Look at how smooth the evacuations are going out there in Malibu with all those rich people.

I think the key here is "rich" and not "white". There are stories of the problems that non-black people had in N.O. as well.....

[krazeeboi]

Statistically, if you aborted every white baby in America, crime rates would decrease as well. Duh...so what is his point?

Black folks need to stop investing so much energy into making a ruckus over these ignorant remarks and be proactive concerning empowering our people in all facets. I'm not saying don't address these comments, but just don't pour a whole bunch of energy into them.

[Nikkol]

beulah5 said:

I am absolutely disgusted by those statements and for the first time in my life absolutely speechless for want of an appropriate word to call this man.

In Beulahland i would probably have been tempted to take one of those 'machines' on the food shopping channel to him.

[Nikkol]

I have listened to him on occassion...... I would've preferred to hear everything within context to see exactly what was going on.

Do I think that that was the "best" comment to make on the air? No. At the same time, depending on the actually radio show, I could possible see why he might have said that. But for me, it's hard to tell since I didn't hear the whole thing and reading something vs. actually hearing it are two different things.

SIde Note At the same time, being that all of this talk about racism is going on at this moment, anything that anyone says could be taken as racism....

[Nikkol]

lanl said:

electladynb said:

Do I think that that was the "best" comment to make on the air? No. At the same time, depending on the actually radio show, I could possible see why he might have said that.

How could ANYONE possibly SEE WHY someone would make those comments.

If you research and listen to Bill Bennett he is supposed to be Pro Life.........

[Nikkol]

This is moreso based on the fact that I didn't hear the whole program and I don't even know if what has been quoted is the first part of this conversation with the caller.

Moreso, I don't want to jump to conclusions. What was his motives? If one thinks that his motive was to say that all black children should be aborted, that's fine.....but I don't know if that is fact.

I do listen to his show every now and than along with some of the other personalities on that station.... this is why I said I'd have to hear the whole hour show before making a conclusion that he was being racist, etc. for we all know that out of context (even when reading things on the board) what is said one way can be taken so many different ways by others. And honestly, being that the media has helped to create a very hostile environment (white vs black), anything that anyone says is going to be "sifted" through that environment.

[Nikkol]

Jasmine said:

Nikkol, It does not matter if the first part of his conversation was or was not quoted. His motive was just that. If you want to see crime drop significantely then you could abort every black baby.

What message does this send to people listening on the airways? That only black people commit crimes? It's not "tyrone" sneaking through folks windows snatchng up, raping and killing folks children, Its "bob". So whether his comments are received in "context" or not, He no business saying this type of garbage.

Let a black Senator, Secretary, or whomever, get on the airways and comment about killing white babies, Let them get on the airways giving a ratio to the Crime that white men committ. Lets start with the last high profile murders, children molestations/killings, kidnaps and etc...can anybody guess what the race was?

We can blame a whole lot on the media, however we need to come face to face with the truth that the "hostility" has and will always be here.


I will never defend anyone's comments like this..context or not.

[Jasmine nsi]

well just for the record, my post was started first.

[And Such Were Some Of You]

lol @ Jasmine

[stillfocused]

Ya'll know what ? These comments from Bennett, the President of Mexico, or whoever are nothing new. And none of them really shock or surprise me; because I have learned ago, to watch a person's life; before I listen any words from their mouths. Sadly, enough these people are men and women we have voted for directly and indirectly. Meaning if Mr Bennett, was placed in that position during the Reagan administration, then those who voted for the late President Reagan gave their trust and approval to anyone he choice for the positions that were to be filled for the 4 years of his presidency. If you don't remember Christianityand the Bible was used to justify the slavery and ill treatment of a people who were in their own lands Kings and Queens. Yet, who has once stopped to say "we can no longer blame a race of people for the ills within our society; when it our ancestors who have robbed, stolen, killed, hung, possessed a land that was not our to possess, and breed idealogy that deems us superior. Because they are doing what their ancestors have done in the past; please forgive us for thinking we are superior, because the land we call home; was home to others before we invaded and stripped them of their land, their dignity, and yes, for some their idenity."
"Please forgive it was wrong; and we want to correct the wrong that done". Until someone takes the step and becomes courageous, and repents for the past of many generations; then our nation will continue to split along the the racial lines.

[Jasmine nsi]

LoL!

[Jasmine]

stillfocused said:

Ya'll know what ? These comments from Bennett, the President of Mexico, or whoever are nothing new. And none of them really shock or surprise me; because I have learned ago, to watch a person's life; before I listen any words from their mouths. Sadly, enough these people are men and women we have voted for directly and indirectly. Meaning if Mr Bennett, was placed in that position during the Reagan administration, then those who voted for the late President Reagan gave their trust and approval to anyone he choice for the positions that were to be filled for the 4 years of his presidency. If you don't remember Christianityand the Bible was used to justify the slavery and ill treatment of a people who were in their own lands Kings and Queens. Yet, who has once stopped to say "we can no longer blame a race of people for the ills within our society; when it our ancestors who have robbed, stolen, killed, hung, possessed a land that was not our to possess, and breed idealogy that deems us superior. Because they are doing what their ancestors have done in the past; please forgive us for thinking we are superior, because the land we call home; was home to others before we invaded and stripped them of their land, their dignity, and yes, for some their idenity."
"Please forgive it was wrong; and we want to correct the wrong that done". Until someone takes the step and becomes courageous, and repents for the past of many generations; then our nation will continue to split along the the racial lines.

Somewhat of the point i was trying to make. We cannot blame only blacks for the high crime rate..every race plays apart. My prayer is that non-black folks will stop looking at "black" folks as america's problem.