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Bennett:Black Abortions Would Lower Crime (President Bush Repudiates)
AP ^ | 9-30-05 | AP

Posted on 09/30/2005 8:47:13 AM PDT by dogbyte12

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House on Friday criticized former Education Secretary William Bennett for remarks linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies. "The president believes the comments were not appropriate," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

Bennett, on his radio show, "Morning in America," was answering a caller's question when he took issue with the hypothesis put forth in a recent book that one reason crime is down is that abortion is up.

"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," said Bennett, author of "The Book of Virtues."

He went on to call that "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."

Responding later to criticism, Bennett said his comments had been mischaracterized and that his point was that the idea of supporting abortion to reduce crime was "morally reprehensible."

Bennett was education secretary under President Reagan and director of drug control policy when Bush's father was president.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abort; abortblackbabies; abortblacks; babykiller; bennett; bennettstubstoe; billbennett; goodidea; moron; reducecrime; roeeffect; stupidcomment; williambennett
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To: mwl1

Watching how Democrats continue to fall all over themselves, I wouldn't be surprised if this was all apart of the Rovian plot:) ...at least that's what they'll say if Brown is nominated.


161 posted on 09/30/2005 10:44:23 AM PDT by cwb (Liberalism is the opiate of the *asses)
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To: two134711

There's a very vocal pro-death, pro-porn, pro-"gay" marriage crowd lately.

Do your part! Speak the truth loudly and often!


162 posted on 09/30/2005 10:44:24 AM PDT by little jeremiah (A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, are incompatible with freedom. P. Henry)
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To: Arizona Carolyn

Agreed. The cycle has to be broken. Welfare creates more problems than it solves. Instead of going to school, wanting to be doctors and lawyers, these children caught in the revolving door want to be gangsta's. The rap "culture" promotes it as well.


163 posted on 09/30/2005 10:46:04 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: miloklancy

Bennett will lose his show over this.
But his wife will still be helping young black girls.

That is ironic, isn't it?


164 posted on 09/30/2005 10:46:26 AM PDT by netmilsmom (God blessed me with a wonderful husband.)
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To: hobbes1

A fetus is not viable within the realm of the legal abortion limits (1st trimester).


165 posted on 09/30/2005 10:46:36 AM PDT by America First Libertarian (America for Americans)
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To: dogbyte12

Geez, what an ass! Some people shouldn't be allowed a public forum to reveal what idiots they are.


166 posted on 09/30/2005 10:47:15 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: hobbes1

canards? So If a woman is raped, or suffers from incest, then what?


167 posted on 09/30/2005 10:47:16 AM PDT by America First Libertarian (America for Americans)
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To: two134711

I am pro liberty all around. My colors Don't run.


168 posted on 09/30/2005 10:47:48 AM PDT by America First Libertarian (America for Americans)
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To: dogbyte12

Why does the President need to answer for Bennets comments?


169 posted on 09/30/2005 10:49:07 AM PDT by linn37 (Have you hugged your Phlebotomist today?)
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To: PISANO
Why is the WH Press secretary even being asked about what some talk show host said?

Exactly. Why should we care either? The guy's a freaking talk show host, if you don't like what he says don't listen to him (as Mhking is doing).

What's behind this is that the left considers Bennett a right-wing monolith that we all take our marching orders from, a la Rush Limbaugh. That's why they made such a big deal about the gambling. Most days I don't even think about Bennett, and I plan to stay that way.

170 posted on 09/30/2005 10:50:35 AM PDT by Randjuke
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To: Arizona Carolyn
Headlines also said Bush took responsibility for Katrina, when what Bush said was that if the Feds screwed up, he took responsibility for that. What the headline says is immaterial - what the White House said is worth addressing. And going on this report, the White House did not criticize Bennett's message. They criticized his method.

No, you can't vet your every word in case someone misconstrues it. But Bennett's comments would have been twisted in a far less volatile environment than this - they were pretty much guaranteed to be misunderstood. It's a waste of time to say something that will take the focus completely off your actual point.
171 posted on 09/30/2005 10:51:00 AM PDT by Amity
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To: Nathan Zachary

I think rap is one of the worst things that happened to this country -- all it did was make a bunch of ex-gangbangers rich and created a whole group of wannabe's... I've often wondered how a lot of the rap music gets past the FCC.


172 posted on 09/30/2005 10:51:51 AM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: kenth
Any group, white, black, homosexual, baseball players, etc. could be eliminated and crime would go down because of it. Why did he pick out black people?

Because of another thing that in a PC world...people cannot say...

Statistics don't lie.

Go look them up.

173 posted on 09/30/2005 10:52:59 AM PDT by BureaucratusMaximus (Hard-core, politically angry, hyperconservative loaded with vitriol about everything liberal.)
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To: dogbyte12
I think the President was wrong to repudiate btw.

So do I, bennett is no racist and he has been arguing against the exceptionally high rates of abortion in the black community for many years.

174 posted on 09/30/2005 10:54:24 AM PDT by jwalsh07 (Disbar Ronnie Earl for running an extortion racket out of the DA's office)
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To: Amity

until we start to fight back then every word is going to be used against us... why didn't more people come out about Rangel's comments calling the President Bull Connor?? Did any of us here that repudiated on CNN or MSNBC??? No. We need to quit being defensive and go on the offense...


175 posted on 09/30/2005 10:54:34 AM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: America First Libertarian
I am pro-choice, Bennett is Anti-choice and was just illustrating a point.

Slight correction. You are pro abortion, Bennett is pro life. No reason to be PC, right?

176 posted on 09/30/2005 10:55:48 AM PDT by jwalsh07 (Disbar Ronnie Earl for running an extortion racket out of the DA's office)
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To: America First Libertarian

I'm not denying your patriotism. From your previous post I had gathered you were pro-abortion rights, which is anathema to liberty. If I was mistaken, I apologize.


177 posted on 09/30/2005 10:57:27 AM PDT by two134711 (If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.)
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To: America First Libertarian
A fetus is not viable within the realm of the legal abortion limits (1st trimester).

Abortion is legal until half way out. All fetuses are viable, they become unviable when they are ripped limb from limb 100% of the time.

178 posted on 09/30/2005 10:57:45 AM PDT by jwalsh07 (Disbar Ronnie Earl for running an extortion racket out of the DA's office)
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To: linn37
Why does the President need to answer for Bennets comments?

Because Bush has a deficit to make up with blacks, and apparently thinks he needs to bend over backwards to show them he isn't a Bull Connor.

179 posted on 09/30/2005 11:01:45 AM PDT by sinkspur (Breed every trace of the American Staffordshire Terrier out of existence!)
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To: dogbyte12
Strange & Stranger. Bill Bennett is by far too wise an old bird (a non-deragotory phrase referencing owls & country living) to have made the statement (even in its entirety) without knowing that it would be "clipped" & "flipped" in the most politically incorrect way as possible to generate maximum media attention.

My only question is why yesterday? I have similar feeling re: Judith Miller's sudden talkativeness.... And somehow, it probably all relates to the next Supreme Court Nominee...
180 posted on 09/30/2005 11:03:15 AM PDT by SergeantsLady (I support my soldier by supporting the mission he believes in...)
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