Bennett cited Katrina aftermath, Swift's "A Modest Proposal" as inspiring his comments; ABC's Tapper noted that Bennett "did not seem particularly apologetic"
Radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett said that "[s]tories about looting and shooting and gangs and roving gangs and so on" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were an inspiration behind his recent comments about abortion, crime and African-Americans. In a report on the September 30 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, ABC News correspondent Jake Tapper reported that while Bennett said that "he was sorry if anybody was hurt" by his remarks, he "did not seem particularly apologetic." Tapper also noted Bennett's comments on the September 29 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, in which he said that his remarks were "like Swift's 'Modest Proposal' " -- a reference to Jonathan Swift's 1729 satiric essay arguing that the solution to hunger and overpopulation problems in Ireland was for the poor to sell their children as food.
From the September 30 edition of ABC's Good Morning America:
DIANE SAWYER (host): The sparks are still flying this morning over remarks yesterday from conservative talk show host and author Bill Bennett. He's the former secretary of education and drug czar, writer on morality. It turns out what he says has everybody arguing. ABC's Jake Tapper is joining us from Washington to tell us more. Jake?
TAPPER: Good morning, Diane. Well, Bill Bennett was Ronald Reagan's secretary of education. He's a bestselling author, and he's considered one of the Republican Party's big brains. But after comments he made this week, some critics, and not just Democrats, are also wondering if he's one of the Republican Party's big mouths. On his syndicated radio show, Bennett, responding to a caller, discussed whether declining crime rates were as a result of the legalization of abortion.
BENNETT (audio clip): 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. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down.
TAPPER: Democrats expressed outrage.
REP. JESSE JACKSON JR. (D-IL): He should be removed from the airwaves as soon as possible. Bill Bennett owes America an apology. He certainly owes African-Americans an apology.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT): I'm not even going to comment on something that disgusting. I'm really not, and I'm thinking of my black grandchild, and I'm just going to hold.
TAPPER: On Hannity & Colmes, Bennett said he was just making a hypothetical argument.
BENNETT (video clip): This is like Swift's "Modest Proposal," for people who remember their literature. You put things up in order to examine them. I put it up, examined it and said that is ridiculous and impossible, no matter who advances it.
TAPPER: But why immediately link blacks and crime? Bennett told me on the phone that race was on his mind because of recent stories in the media about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
BENNETT (audio clip): Stories about looting and shooting and gangs and roving gangs and so on. ... I'm sorry if people are hurt, I really am. But we can't say this is an area of American public policy that we're not allowed to talk about race and crime.
TAPPER: Robert George, a Republican editorial writer for the New York Post, agrees that Bennett's comments were not meant as racist but he worries they feed into stereotypes of Republicans as insensitive.
GEORGE: He should know better the impact of his words and sort of thinking these things through before he speaks.
TAPPER: In light of accusations that the Bush administration was not as sensitive to victims of Hurricane Katrina because many of them were black, one Republican official tells ABC News that Bennett's comments were probably as poorly timed as they were politically incorrect.
SAWYER: Well, Jake, I saw that you talked to him. What adjective did he use for what he said?
TAPPER: He didn't -- he said he was being provocative. He has a background in philosophy, and the idea was merely to put out a construct to discuss and shoot down. He did not seem particularly apologetic. He said he was sorry if anybody was hurt, but he saw this as a way that his enemies, his opponents were out to get him.
In the original discussion about Bennet's outburst there were several people who suggested that Bennet might not actually be claiming that Blacks were racially predisposed to crime. Now, far from denying it, Bennet made this premise even more explicit. There is no more room doubt: Bennet is a racist. Like racists often do, he's now whining that there are some things in American that "we're not allowed to talk about."
Something makes me believe this is being orchestrated by Rove. Call me crazy, but this is an opening for Bush to smackdown Bennett and prove once and for all how much he really does care about black people.
Bennett is not stupid. Maybe I am just too cynical, but a guy like this usually knows when to drop the shovel.
The best Bush can and will do is to call Bennett's comments inappropiate and move on. To say anymore could possibly alienate Bush's anti-black, far right base of supporters.
Do you claim that everyone who says the crime rate is higher among blacks is saying that blacks are genetically predisposed to be criminals??
Nowhere in any of Bennett's statements does he say anything of the sort.
And I can't stand the guy but this is a straw man argument.
Plus the guy has nothing to apologize for and certainly Jesse Jackson has no business calling someone a racist.
"Do you claim that everyone who says the crime rate is higher among blacks is saying that blacks are genetically predisposed to be criminals??"
Lets stick to exactly what he did say, so we don't drag the discussion into "what he meant to say was" bull crap. Bennett did NOT say that the crime rate is higher among blacks.
Bennett said something completely racist, and stupid. I could say that the crime rate would go down if every Bush were aborted, then claim that I was floating a trial balloon. Oh... and what I meant was that the Bush family is about as corrupt as they come, and getting rid of one corrupt family would be a great start to helping America.
I'm just saying.
"Bennett said something completely racist, and stupid."... by scooter
Agreed.
I mean why not suggest that if ALL Muslim pregnancies were terminated terrorism would disappear?
As far as Bennett goes...I don't too pay much attention to this HYPOCRITE.
He's a great one for PONTIFICATING virtues&good behavior...then we find out he has a COLOSSAL gambling problem...of course he's wealthy so his DEFENDERS point out he can AFFORD it.
Can you IMAGINE what he'd say about an average joe...or God forbid a poor person with a "gambling problem"???
I'm NOT an expert on Bible quotes but Bennett should be reminded "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" (or however it goes.)
I've listened to the original tape...read the transcript...and heard his explanation for what he "meant"...and I STILL have to come to the CONCLUSION that what he said was indeed racist.
I DO believe there are certain individuals--Jesse Jackson-Al Sharpton--that TOO often DEFINE everything as RACIST...but in this case I agree with them.
Jesse Jackson can be prejudice, bigoted, and/or intolerant, not racist. Jesse, nor anyone else of color has power and control over a majority of people anywhere in America.
Let's define racism: Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the major institutions of society. By this definition, only White people can be racist, because only White people as a group have that power.
Racist don't overtly talk about the racism they perpetuate every day. They merely subtly enforce it in policies, practices and deeds. Racism in America is insidious, pernicious and unaccountable as ever and directly responsible for separate and unequal. Particularly, under this current president and his LOTT of like minded colleagues.
WHAT WHITE PEOPLE CAN DO ABOUT RACISM [link to mediamatters.org]
I really don't think Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is at all similar to what Bennett said nor does the definition of satire support his claim. By claiming Swift I think he was trying to put his comment on some high intellectual level where it surely does not belong.
Respectfully submitted, Thomas
I mentioned this very work in one of the orginal threads on this. Again, I'll say it, if you are going to use this the same satric convention. At the end of it you can't go as he basically did, "but I am right". Swift at no time could be mistaken as condoning the eating of children or the fact that they were "less human" than other members of the society. There is no wink and a nod at the end to his argument, it is set forth to disturb the reader and left to be seen as ridiculous.
Bennett lack of ability to make this argument is due to the disturbing similiarity to policies previously supported by the U.S. government, granted in another time. I don't recall the British ever, despite their own shortcomings, offering up cannibalism as a social policy. Bennett even if he was trying to be "intellectual" should have known better.
Right. Swift wanted the audience to be so shocked that they'd rethink their views on the Irish.
Bennett just ran over the same old points he always uses... too many black women abort their babies... too many black people commit crimes... abortion is bad, lather, rinse, repeat.
the above comment title is an abridgment of the thread title; and regards this lead sentence from the item...
Radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett said that "[s]tories about looting and shooting and gangs and roving gangs and so on" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were an inspiration behind his recent comments about abortion, crime and African-Americans.
..now, it doesn't appear that bennett's being quoted as saying that those things (or anything at all) "inspired" his comments: but i like it just the same; it fits.
it would make perfect sense if one of the most hypocritical of all the fake "religious" politicians should blame a spirit.
but the spirit of a hurricane? or even that of a long dead writer? his crowd would really lap it up, if he'd just blame the spirit that all the “religious” con men blame when the chips are down; you know that spirit I’m talking about, brothers and sisters; you know that spirit’s name; that evil spirit, brothers and sisters, you know his name; the prince of darkness, brothers and sisters; you know the name of the prince of darkness; blame that spirit, blame the prince of darkness…
robert novak
Am I reading this right? Novak is critizing Bennett moral fiber. You have fallen low when Novak, rightly so, is pointing out the error of your ways. If that is the case I have to say, "Man this is tough. Yeah Novak! Almost choked on that one."
The damned thing sounds closer to the Nazi's Final Solution.