);

Bennett’s Solution to crime

 

He was the last call of the day but he triggered the whole Bill Bennett controversy.

Louis from Sarasota, Florida, said he was a new listener to Bill Bennett’s radio show, “Morning In America”. He commented on abortion and Social Security, suggesting that if there were no abortions, babies would grow to become productive citizens and be able to fund Social Security today.

Bill Bennett responded, saying that he would not support a pro-life argument based on that theory and then likening that theory to another in which he said, “I do know that it’s true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could €” if that were your sole purpose — abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down.”

“- 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,” said Bennett in a statement posted on bennetmornings.com.

Andrew C. McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor and senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, supported Bennett’s controversial statement in an article in National Review posted on Bennett’s site.

“That he was right in this seems to matter little. Bennett is being fried by the PC police and the ethnic-grievance industry, which have disingenuously ripped his minor point out of its context in a shameful effort to paint him as a racist. He’s about as bigoted as Santa Claus.”

Kristy-Lee Jean-Pierre, a senior psychology major at HowardUniversity, found it particularly interesting that Bennett could make such comments and not face any repercussion.

“It is sad that people still believe that black people are solely responsible for crime. How could you ever allow such a vile, hurtful and blatantly racist statement to fly from your mouth? And people think that racism no longer exists Yeah, right.”

Bill Bennett, who served as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and Secretary of Education during President Reagan’s administration, has not apologized for his comments and is still on the air. 

To hear Bill Bennett’s “Morning in America” radio show, visit  www.bennettsmornings.com.