Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Bennett Libel Divides The Decent Left From The Indecent Left (Dennis Prager Alert)
Townhall.com ^ | 10/04/05 | Dennis Prager

Posted on 10/03/2005 9:56:55 PM PDT by goldstategop

A few years ago, when Hillary Clinton was attacked as anti-Semitic, I wrote a piece for The Wall Street Journal defending her against the charge. As a Jew, an author of a book on anti-Semitism and a conservative talk show host, I had credibility to do so.

It is time now for people with integrity on the Left -- and liberal opinion pages -- to show their integrity and defend Bill Bennett against the libel of being a racist who advocated the abortion of all black babies.

For make no mistake: This is as pure a character issue as one can imagine. Bill Bennett is not a racist and said nothing that even remotely came close to advocating the abortion of all black babies. This is the dividing line between the decent and the indecent on the Left. The indecent make these charges; the decent will defend him against them. It's as simple as that.

What happened is easy to summarize. In response to a caller who said that America "lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30 years," Bennett made the point that one cannot argue against abortion by pointing out anything theoretically positive that could come from either allowing or outlawing abortion. For example, he went on to say, "You could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." And he immediately added, for the sake of those who might distort his meaning, that aborting all black babies would be "impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible."

But talk show host Ed Schultz, whose syndicated radio show is aired on liberal Air America, heard these remarks. He alerted fellow leftist David Brock, who then put the transcript of the Bennett dialogue on his website.

The Left and the world's news media picked up the dialogue and then announced that Bill Bennett had advocated the abortion of all black babies.

This lie is as intentional as it is complete. Sometimes lies contain a kernel of truth; this one has none. In fact, the irony is that if Bennett's social policies were followed, no black babies would ever have been aborted; they are aborted in great numbers thanks to left-wing social policies.

On his show, Ed Schultz said the following:

"Racism is not a virtue; and this is the guy who wrote the book on virtues!"

"The Christian right in this country considers abortion murder; this is not about abortion -- this is about extermination."

" . . . He's out there advocating the murder of all black babies so that we can bring down crime."

And finally, Schultz compared how Bennett views blacks to the way Nazis viewed Jews.

Leaders of the Democratic Party, such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, have demanded Bennett apologize, and some demanded that the Salem Radio Network fire him. (In the interest of full disclosure, Salem also syndicates my national radio show.) Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said, "I'm not even going to comment on something that disgusting." And Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, called Bennett's comments "reprehensible and racist," and announced he would introduce a resolution in the Senate condemning the comments.

The president of the NAACP declared: "In 2005, there is no place for the kind of racist statement made by Bennett."

Huffington Post blogger Bob Cesca wrote: "What he seemed to imply was that all black babies will one day grow up to become criminals."

Because of the controversy, Bennett postponed his scheduled speech at the University of Cincinnati. The university's College Democrats president told the Cincinnati Enquirer: "I think it's horrible to say that an entire race of people shouldn't have been born."

Newsday columnist Ellis Henican wrote that Bennett "is quickly getting famous for a bold new approach to cutting crime. Abort the black babies!"

The lead sentences in the Austin American-Statesman editorial on the issue read: "Aborting black children is an effective way to reduce the crime rate. We're not surprised that kind of racist drivel is being peddled over the public airways, but we are stunned by who is doing the peddling: William Bennett."

Taking their cues from the American left, the world's news media now reports the Bennett libel as news.

For example, The Hindu, India's national newspaper, reports that "United States President George W. Bush has distanced himself from comments made by a leading Republican crusader on moral values who declared that one way to reduce the crime rate in the U.S. would be to 'abort black babies.'"

And the headline in the British newspaper The Guardian read: "Abort all black babies and cut crime, says Republican."

Now you know how the combination of incompetence, leftism and sensationalism drives the world's news media.

Here is a chance to find out if your liberal brother-in-law is a leftist without integrity or simply a decent guy with different values. Just ask him, "Will you condemn the libel of Bill Bennett?"


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: dennisprager; left; libel; lie; race; racism; townhall; williambennett
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last
William Bennett was libeled. Is there really a decent Left any more? The ferocious reaction to a quote taken out of context suggest there's no such integrity on the other side. Otherwise, we'd see true liberals condemn this unfair libel of a good, decent human being.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
1 posted on 10/03/2005 9:57:02 PM PDT by goldstategop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
William Bennett was libeled. Is there really a decent Left any more?

There are few and far between it seems.

2 posted on 10/03/2005 10:08:37 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

Remember, Cronkite said "Americans are too stupid too vote." So, Cronkite said "Blacks are too stupid to vote." Bingo, Gomer, lock him up, case closed.


3 posted on 10/03/2005 10:11:51 PM PDT by Waco
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

There is a decent Left? Where?


4 posted on 10/03/2005 10:19:23 PM PDT by TBP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

And, what a surprise, it started at Air America. Despicable scum, all of them. To taint the reputation of an upstanding, intelligent and caring man in this manner is about as low as a human being can get. But then, why would I think they are human beings?


5 posted on 10/03/2005 10:20:25 PM PDT by Rocky (Air America: Robbing the poor to feed the Left)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

Of course, the real truth is that Bill Bennett is against infanticide, while most of his detractors are supportive of continued infanticide.


6 posted on 10/03/2005 10:25:31 PM PDT by Maurice Tift
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Waco
Remember, Cronkite said "Americans are too stupid too vote."

Don't dismiss Cronkite so quickly.

49 million cast a stupid vote in 2004.

Remember the headline in one of the European papers the day after the election? HOW CAN 49 MILLION AMERICANS BE SO STUPID? or something to that effect? They were talking about Bush voters, of course, but after all the votes were in, the headline did turn out to be true. 49 million people WERE stupid, and voted for Kerry.

I take great satisfaction in knowing the headline was accurate, just a few days early.

7 posted on 10/03/2005 10:33:49 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (God has blessed Republicans with really stupid enemies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
It is time now for people with integrity on the Left -- and liberal opinion pages -- to show their integrity and defend Bill Bennett against the libel of being a racist who advocated the abortion of all black babies.

It is now time for the sun to set in the east.

8 posted on 10/03/2005 10:34:01 PM PDT by TChad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Ed Schultz, lol!

Site for the Fargo, North Dakota based syndicated talk show host...

9 posted on 10/03/2005 11:01:00 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
While the article may be true, Mr. Bennett, with all his experience in public life, should have known what the liberal MSM was going to do.

It's like he didn't learn a thing about the MSM from the gambling thing.

When I first heard the snippet on TV, I thought "WTF was he thinking", saying something like that on tape?

I'd fire him just for being colossally stupid and unable to learn, not for what he actually said.

10 posted on 10/04/2005 12:05:26 AM PDT by benjaminjjones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
The real problem I have with his remarks is one that nobody seems to be mentioning to loudly. What he described was genocide. I realize he described it as reprehensible right afterwards, but I'm afraid that's not enough. Genocide is the worst act imaginable. Not simply wiping out a certain person, but annihilating an entire race from the face of the earth is an immoral act without compare.
11 posted on 10/04/2005 12:33:53 AM PDT by fooblier (If you say, "You fool", you will be liable to the hell of fire - Matthew 5:22)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fooblier
"What he described was genocide."

Not what he recommended. Big difference. Bill Bennett is pro life! Think about the accusation in that light.

How could a pro-life person be accused of advocating an anti-crime policy of abortion/genocide?

Obviously he can't.

The charges are a Leftist distortion for the indulgent feeding frenzy they thrive on.

12 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:25 AM PDT by ThirstyMan (Why is it all the dead vote for the Democrat?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
The Democrats have diluted the credibility of such charges that I really couldn't care less what Bill Bennett said.

It may have been stupid, but it's forgivable when compared to the multitude of the sins of the enemy.

I'm not even interested. I just want to destroy the enemy. Maybe my attitude isn't that great and I'm accepting less? Perhaps, but my thinking is to "thin" the herd AFTER we've driven the rats into the seas and listened to the lamentations of NOW and NARAL.

13 posted on 10/04/2005 2:44:31 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182

I listened to that jerk for the first time last summer while I was out west traveling with my wife. We passed through N. Dakota, and I caught his show while trying to get a conservative talk show. Like all libs, he's long on unsubstantiated allegations and vicious criticism and real short on any practical solutions to problems. Just another lib whiner.


14 posted on 10/04/2005 2:44:50 AM PDT by driftless ( For life-long happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
I have heard or read no comments on the validity of Mr. Bennett's assertion. Would a reasonable person conclude the crime rate, in the USA, would decrease substantially if all African-American woman were to exercise their freedom of choice? If the answer is yes then, judging by the response to Mr. Bennett's thought experiment, "The American people can't handle the truth." As Jack Nichelson once said.
15 posted on 10/04/2005 3:52:57 AM PDT by Parawan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Parawan

There is no argument with 'plain and simple truth.' The numbers of minority offenders in jail/prison back this up. Reduce the overall pool number from whence they come and the number of prisoners has to go down.

I was listening to his program when he posed a hypothetical thought about it and didn't think anything other than as he'd meant it. If the 'hypothetical' turns out to be the simple truth, then the offended parties 'just better put some ice on that', as Slick would say.


16 posted on 10/04/2005 4:09:02 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Balding_Eagle

That "49 million" headline was from the t*ssers at the Daily Mirror.


17 posted on 10/04/2005 4:38:29 AM PDT by agere_contra
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
" . . . He's out there advocating the murder of all black babies so that we can bring down crime."

Actually, that was Margaret Sanger. And she didn't call it murder, she called it "choice".

18 posted on 10/04/2005 7:58:47 AM PDT by Kenton ("Life is tough, and it's really tough when you're stupid" - Damon Runyon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
The university's College Democrats president told the Cincinnati Enquirer: "I think it's horrible to say that an entire race of people shouldn't have been born."

This is too rich. An entire race of what? I wonder just what this Dimocrat thinks actually happens to all these "people" who are not born?

Cordially,

19 posted on 10/04/2005 8:13:05 AM PDT by Diamond (Qui liberatio scelestus trucido inculpatus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: benjaminjjones
I'd fire him just for being colossally stupid and unable to learn, not for what he actually said.

The only people who are colossally stupid and apparently unable to learn are those in the Media who have defamed him. If speaking the truth about abortion killing causes these leftists to reflexively expose themselves as the completely irrational bigots they really are, all the better. If Mr. Bennett worked for you then you would be firing a very savvy person, not based on the truth, but because of your fear of the MSM.

Cordially,

20 posted on 10/04/2005 8:37:09 AM PDT by Diamond (Qui liberatio scelestus trucido inculpatus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson