Can a conservative say anything racist?
Several years ago, Spike Lee said that black people couldn't be racist because racism is only possible when you are the majority race and have the power. While I can't really agree with the premise, it appears there is a new corollary to Spike's bitter dictum: No matter how outrageously framed, statements by conservative pundits cannot be construed as racist.
The recent pronouncement by high-rolling education and virtue czar William Bennett is a case in point. Bennett opined, "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". In fairness to Bennett he did add that it would be morally reprehensible to take that action.
Reaction to Bennett's even-more-o-so-bitter-dictum was swift and predictable. The White House disassociated itself from the comments by saying the remarks were inappropriate. Civil Rights leaders demanded that his radio show (he made the remarks on his Sinclair Broadcasting Network radio show)be cancelled or that he should be at least suspended (one assumes they mean suspended from the show rather than from a high branch of an oak tree).
Conservative pundits pounced to Bennett's defense. Andrew McCarthy in the National Review online stated, "It was a point worth making, and it could not have been made effectively without a “far-out” example that highlighted the folly. Plus he was right, which ought to count for something even in what passes for today’s media critiques."
Local blog-pundit, the always readable Bob Krumm, makes the comparison to Swift's Modest Proposal, and opines that Bennett's statement may have been clumsy-bull-in-the-china-shop, but at least he has jump-started the long overdue national conversation on poverty and race.
My contention to Bob and everyone else who has defended Bennett is that if you want to start a conversation/dialogue, why begin by alienating a significant portion of the population who need to be IN the conversation.
The sheer naked fact is this: When you boil the statement down to its essence you are pre-judging an unborn child by its race. If you really want to take the statement to its logical conclusion and want to test it's race-worthiness, please, please, go out today and search for a pregnant African-American. Go up to her and make the following statement: "You know, if you aborted your baby, chances are there would be less crime in the future". Then step back and wait for the dialogue heading your way....
If THAT statement is not clearly racist, then what's a conservative to do to MAKE a racist statement???
My favorite response to Bennett's blather comes from another local Blogger, the always clever Aunt B.
I leave you with her salient point. "....a more effective solution presents itself in this number: 86% of the people arrested by the Feds are men. FBI numbers on state law enforcement show a similar state: 70 percent of arrestees in 2003 were white, 60 percent of the violent crime arrests were white people, AND 76.8 percent of all arrests were of men--82.2 percent of the violent crime arrests.
Clearly, if we drastically reduce the number of men in America, we'll make a much more effective dent in our crime rates than considering how "tricky" it would be to implement the "morally-reprehensible" option of aborting all black fetuses."
The recent pronouncement by high-rolling education and virtue czar William Bennett is a case in point. Bennett opined, "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". In fairness to Bennett he did add that it would be morally reprehensible to take that action.
Reaction to Bennett's even-more-o-so-bitter-dictum was swift and predictable. The White House disassociated itself from the comments by saying the remarks were inappropriate. Civil Rights leaders demanded that his radio show (he made the remarks on his Sinclair Broadcasting Network radio show)be cancelled or that he should be at least suspended (one assumes they mean suspended from the show rather than from a high branch of an oak tree).
Conservative pundits pounced to Bennett's defense. Andrew McCarthy in the National Review online stated, "It was a point worth making, and it could not have been made effectively without a “far-out” example that highlighted the folly. Plus he was right, which ought to count for something even in what passes for today’s media critiques."
Local blog-pundit, the always readable Bob Krumm, makes the comparison to Swift's Modest Proposal, and opines that Bennett's statement may have been clumsy-bull-in-the-china-shop, but at least he has jump-started the long overdue national conversation on poverty and race.
My contention to Bob and everyone else who has defended Bennett is that if you want to start a conversation/dialogue, why begin by alienating a significant portion of the population who need to be IN the conversation.
The sheer naked fact is this: When you boil the statement down to its essence you are pre-judging an unborn child by its race. If you really want to take the statement to its logical conclusion and want to test it's race-worthiness, please, please, go out today and search for a pregnant African-American. Go up to her and make the following statement: "You know, if you aborted your baby, chances are there would be less crime in the future". Then step back and wait for the dialogue heading your way....
If THAT statement is not clearly racist, then what's a conservative to do to MAKE a racist statement???
My favorite response to Bennett's blather comes from another local Blogger, the always clever Aunt B.
I leave you with her salient point. "....a more effective solution presents itself in this number: 86% of the people arrested by the Feds are men. FBI numbers on state law enforcement show a similar state: 70 percent of arrestees in 2003 were white, 60 percent of the violent crime arrests were white people, AND 76.8 percent of all arrests were of men--82.2 percent of the violent crime arrests.
Clearly, if we drastically reduce the number of men in America, we'll make a much more effective dent in our crime rates than considering how "tricky" it would be to implement the "morally-reprehensible" option of aborting all black fetuses."
