Comments on: The Elephant in the Room

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 23:07:03 +0000

I’m am somwehat ambilvalent about this discussion. On the one hand, as a mathematician, I understand the objective truth of the statistics that Bennett refers to, and agree with his conclusion that such an action is reprehensible. Further, I agree with his later statement that his larger point was that it’s wrong to use such points in what is essentially an argument about ethics (i.e., “is abortion wrong?”). The many comments about him stating that blacks are inherently more criminal bother me. Again, as a mathematician I understand very clearly the difference between dependence and correlation.

It seems that the one concrete objection to his statements is that the particular example he came up with implies racism.

However, if we are truly trying to cast the liberal agenda as being reality-based, do we really want to start down a slippery slope of attacking people for their unsubstantiated motives? Isn’t that what we accuse the Newt Gingriches of the world of doing?

Besides, if Bennett really is the racist sumbitch he’s being painted as, it’s only a matter of time before he says something that definitely confirms it.

By: Simon

Simon — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 13:51:32 +0000

I’m impressed with your article. I’m looking forward to your next blog.

By: John McAdams

John McAdams — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 02:55:08 +0000

Planned Parenthood Advocates Abortion to Reduce Crime And the bizarre thing is that Bennett, who explicitly rejects abortion, is under attack.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 02:34:14 +0000

Let me start off by saying that I’m one of those “thinking, listening, observing” types. I heard Bennett’s comments and his explanation of them. I got what he was saying, but question why he would say it in a public forum and then be surprised by public reaction.

I do in deed believe that poverty plays a very important role in the connection of blacks and crime. However, I’m not one of those people who stops there because I grew up poor, got educated, made some money, things went wrong, and damned if I’m not poor again. Along the way, I met poor and impoverished whites and latinos. Guess what?! They have high crime rates in their neighborhoods as well.

One thing that pisses me off when people start to wax supreme on subjects such as this one, the discussion tends to start, middle and end at the group with 47% (a hypothetical number). They never bother to read further or listen to more that would reveal what’s going on with the folks who rate 41% or 39%, etc.

By: wtlloyd

wtlloyd — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 13:39:06 +0000

Not sure if you were deliberately mis-identifying this bozo, but he is NOT Andrew McCarthy the actor. This kind of stuff gets repeated, ya know.

This NRO idiot is a former Federal prosecutor.

By: kamachanda

kamachanda — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 11:49:22 +0000

If we abort all the republican babies, will corporate crime go down?

By: David

David — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 01:50:09 +0000

eep – should be “*up*, not down”. But y’all could probably figure that out. ;)

By: David

David — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 01:48:31 +0000

All else being equal, if you got rid of all the white people in America, the crime *rate* would go down, not up.

“Even if that comment was defensible on its merits, one has to wonder why the first example that popped into Bennett’s head was the nexus between race and crime.”

Well, that’s what this is really all about, isn’t it? The comment is, in fact, “technically true” (ie “true”), which I would equate with “defensible”, but it sounds bad if pulled out of context, so it’s treated as probable cause in the witchhunt for racists.

By: webslinger

webslinger — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:30:25 +0000

Technically, Bennett was correct – of course, if you aborted every white baby too, the crime rate would also go down. Why stop there though, lets kill everyone, then the crime rate will drop to zero!

By: eRobin

eRobin — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:12:58 +0000

Even if that comment was defensible on its merits, one has to wonder why the first example that popped into Bennett’s head was the nexus between race and crime. The fact that there are still people like Bill Bennett who think there’s a causal relationship between skin color and crime tells you all you need to know about where we stand in terms of race relations in this country.

This is what first came to my mind. I hope the liberal AfAm leadership (excluding the “social conservative” clergypeople whom BushCo has bought off) is paying attention.