Posted on 09/30/2005 8:33:59 AM PDT by cgk
He was having a conversation and forgot that most people don't know the slightest things about conversation.
I just called in my comments and first said that I was a strong supporter of the President and our troops and their mission in Iraq, and to "stay the course".
Then I asked that the President and his staff take another look at Bennett's comments in full as I believed the White House was too hasty in making a judgment. .
The operator told me she believed Bennett's quote was "taken out of context" and she "heard that Soros' money is behind the attack on Bennett."
Once everything is heard IN CONTEXT there is no choice but to defend Bennett.
While I basically understand (from this transcript and what ever little else I've seen) Bennett's point, there's still something bothersome about it. Just a bit. But I agree w/Hannity: you can't libel/slander some1 based on 1 comment. And you certainly can't boot them out (a`la Lott).
I would like to see the ENTIRE exchange, before and after the "whole" quote given here.
Much better would be a tape of that entire exchange/dialogue. Words on a page don't tell everything either; 1 must HEAR the inflections, emphasis, etc.
Here is Bennett's latest about this:
Statement By Bill Bennett, Sep. 30, 2005
From the Desk of William J. Bennett September 30, 2005
"On Wednesday, a caller to my radio show proposed the idea that one good argument for the pro-life position would be that if we didn't have abortions, Social Security would be solvent. I stated my doubts about such a thesis, as well as my opposition to such a form of argument (the audio of the call is available at my Website: bennettmornings.com).
"I then stated that such extrapolations of this argument can cut both ways, and cited the current bestseller, Freakonomics, which discusses the authors' thesis that abortion reduces crime.
"Then, putting my philosophy professor's hat on, I went on to reveal the limitations of such arguments by showing the absurdity in another such argument, along the same lines. I entertained what law school professors call 'the Socratic method' and what I would hope good social science professors still use in their seminars. In so doing, I suggested a hypothetical analogy while at the same time saying the proposition I was using about blacks and abortion was 'impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible,' just to ensure those who would have any doubt about what they were hearing, or for those who tuned in to the middle of the conversation.
"The issues of crime and race have been on many people's minds, and tongues, for the past month or so--in light of the situation in New Orleans; and the issues of race, crime, and abortion are well aired and ventilated in articles, the academy, the think tank community, and public policy. Indeed the whole issue of crime and race is not new in social science, nor popular literature. One of the authors of Freakonomics, himself, had an extended exchange on the discussion of these issues on the Internet some years back--which was also much debated in the think tank community in Washington.
"A thought experiment about public policy, on national radio, should not have received the condemnations it has. 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.
"In sum, let me reiterate what I had hoped my long career had already established: that I renounce all forms of bigotry--and that my record in trying to provide opportunities for, as well as save the lives of, minorities in this country stands up just fine."
It's more like Pass Chris-chee-ann. It's not some anti Christian bias.
"anyone taken a look at the demographics of the US prison population lately?......"
Will do you one better. Let's look at which states have the highest crime rates, the highest welfare rates, the lowest edcuation scores and who they are governed by.
That will nail it.
The whole notion of 'cause and effect' in human society is essentially meaningless.
bttt
The whole notion of 'cause and effect' in human society is essentially meaningless.
Gobbledegook.
Purposive human behavior is irreducible to any causal account. In the final analysis, we all do what we do because we choose to do it.
To say that we all do what we want to because we want to, and ending your sentence there completly ignores WHY we do it. I do this action hoping for this response. Cause and effect.
There are indeed a host of correlations between all sorts of social phenomena, but that does not mean that these relations are causal.
We do lots of things, perhaps even EVERYTHING, because we believe that, in the end, we will benefit some way either financially, spiritually, or in some other way that floats our boat. We hope our actions will lead to a positive benifit. Cause leads to effect.
To attempt to reduce these connections to some reductive equation is to fall into the intellectual delusion of scientism.
I have no idea what this means.
I think maybe you read a lot.
You didn't answer my question,
Should I send my kids to school?
Either answer you gives will prove cause and effect,
won't it?
You certainly are belligerant.
I guess my point would be that people have MOTIVES. Motives are not a species of causes.
Are those words short enough?
Oh, about school - I would advise sending your kids to school, you'll be arrested if you don't!
Where's that? I don't send mine to school, and nobody's arresting me. Homeschooling is legal (and often better).
I'm all for non-school education.
You certainly are belligerent.
It was not my intention to be belligerent.
You don't have to get insulting.
BTW you misspelled belligerent.
Maybe all those fancy books you read to come up with all those fancy words that don't actually mean anything didn't include spelling.
That be belligerent nuff for ya??
"Let me say two things:
1) he is right and I have no problem with what he said
2) he should have known that saying something like that was going to land him in this hot water."
What you are saying here is exactly what I thought when I heard him say it. I really like Bill Bennett but thought he may have stepped in it a bit here.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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