Posted on 03/04/2015 6:34:54 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Does prison sex prove that sexual orientation is a choice? Given that much of what constitutes “sex” in prison occurs under some sort of duress, using it as an example of “choice” seems like … a stretch, to say the least. Dr. Ben Carson, who just announced the formation of a presidential exploration committee, defended the traditional definition of marriage in an interview this morning with CNN’s Chris Cuomo by relying on that argument to differentiate same-sex marriage advocacy from the civil rights movement (via Twitchy):
Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon and potential Republican presidential candidate, said Wednesday that “a lot of people who go into prison straight, and when they come out they’re gay.”
The remarks were made on CNN’s “New Day” in response to a question from host Chris Cuomo, who asked if Carson thought being gay was a “choice.”
“Absolutely,” Carson replied.
Asked why, he went on to explain his prison theory. “So did something happen while they were in there?” he said. “Ask yourself that question.”
Actually, please don’t. It’s entirely possible to defend the traditional definition of marriage and even the position that sexuality is a choice without citing prison sex as an indicator. Even some in the LGBT community see sexuality as a choice rather than innate, and the real answer probably lies somewhere in between — and individually, all over that range.
This is the kind of answer that makes it pretty clear that Carson’s winging it. There are plenty of ways to defend the traditional definition of marriage, perhaps especially as protection for children in procreative relationships, which is really the only real stake the state has in regulating interpersonal relationships between consenting and non-consanguinal adults anyway. Non-procreative relationships can acquire most if not all of the legal benefits of marriage through partnership contracts. The real free-market solution is to get government out of marriage altogether and let the churches define it for their congregants and have everyone rely on contracts, which government is actually suited to enforce.
This argument only serves as fodder for those who want to Akinize the whole Republican Party. If Dr. Carson wants to compete at the highest level, he’ll need to either learn the issues a lot better, or learn how to parry the obvious media attempts to make him look like a nut from the fringe. And don’t think for a moment that the media will refrain from painting all Republican presidential contenders as nuts for this, either. They will be looking for a distraction from Hillary Clinton’s meltdown, and this might do nicely for a cycle or two. Want to bet this comes up in a primary debate?
LOL
Maybe I missed it in the article, but isn’t this the conservative position, that gaydomnessship is a choice?
You do make some excellent points. I was stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida during the early 1970s. Adjacent to and part of the overall base was a Club Fed white collar prison. There was some degree of interaction between the airmen and the convicts. I spoke to several of them, all of whom were shady lawyers, accountants, embezzlers and the like. I highly doubt that any of them were engaging in homosexual acts. (Okay, maybe the lawyers were trying to screw the others, but I digress...)
And, watch, now the "journolisters" will be asking Walker and Cruz what they think about this stupidity instead of the real issues.
It absolutely is. It's just the media will now destroy him.
He was asked a question and its wasn't a bad answer.
He should have expanded on that example.
One of gays rights supporters main arguments is that sexual orientation and identity are NOT choices, they are fixed like race and sex. (the last one is truly ironic)
That is how they make it a constitutional right. Otherwise smoking would be a constitutional right too.
Not exactly a choice for everyone. There are those who are born with both sets of sex organs, I have personally known three of them. I think homosexuality is caused by a sort of birth defect. The chemical change that should happen at puberty, doesn’t occur, and the person is stuck in the stage where the opposite sex has cooties. They never develop an attraction for them.
There is not one shread of scientific evidence indicating that it’s an inherited trait.
Ellen DeGeneres is shopping for cantelope in a grocery store and she realizes that she’s gay....?
Twin studies prove this also.
Ben Carson probably better than anyone may be able to explain much of this, but the MSM will not let him. He will be devoured by the media and left wing gays.
He has my respect if he can open the debate as there are many many many people out there who are miserable being gay, which may infact be a form of addiction, at least up until recently it was classified as a mental illness.
That is more what I was thinking.
Also, it is a sign of arrested development of the brain.
It’s ironic that men or women have homosexuals sex and then claim they are not homosexuals. Yes they are.
Plus, pretty much 100% of men in prison are addicted to porn.
Maybe so, but my nephew, who is a gay man, in his 40s, always played with dolls, never played with trucks and cars like his hetero bro did. He was always feminine and never cared about sports or anything that his brother cared about. We always said “See a boy can play with dolls and not be gay” well we were wrong... He was very feminine from at least age 5...
You’re right about that, N&V.
“Prison sex also shows that being gay is a degenerate and perverted lifestyle common among the criminal classes.”
WINNER!
Good point.
And, watch, now the "journolisters" will be asking Walker and Cruz what they think about this stupidity instead of the real issues.
Exactly this.
How does that come up in conversation?
This man just decided he does not want to be President.
This has to be one of the dumbest things a national figure has ever said out loud.
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.