10.02.2005
Abort All Black Babies and Cut Crime, Says Republican (Guardian.co.uk)
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
Saturday October 1, 2005
The Guardian
George Bush has distanced himself from comments made by a leading Republican crusader on moral values who declared that one way to reduce the crime rate in the US would be to "abort black babies".
Speaking on his daily radio show, William Bennett, education secretary under Ronald Reagan and drugs czar under the first George Bush, said: "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."
He went on to qualify his comments, which were made in response to a hypothesis that linked the falling crime rate to a rising abortion rate. Aborting black babies, he continued, would be "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down".
The comments brought condemnation from all sides. The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, said: "The president believes the comments were not appropriate."
Democrats called for Mr Bennett to withdraw his comments, and for his radio show to be dropped. "Republicans, Democrats and all Americans of goodwill should denounce this statement, should distance themselves from Mr Bennett," said Jesse Jackson. "And the private sector should not support Mr Bennett's radio show or his comments on the air."
(More ... Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Abort all black babies and cut crime, says Republican) ¶ 13:44
Saturday October 1, 2005
The Guardian
George Bush has distanced himself from comments made by a leading Republican crusader on moral values who declared that one way to reduce the crime rate in the US would be to "abort black babies".
Speaking on his daily radio show, William Bennett, education secretary under Ronald Reagan and drugs czar under the first George Bush, said: "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."
He went on to qualify his comments, which were made in response to a hypothesis that linked the falling crime rate to a rising abortion rate. Aborting black babies, he continued, would be "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down".
The comments brought condemnation from all sides. The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, said: "The president believes the comments were not appropriate."
Democrats called for Mr Bennett to withdraw his comments, and for his radio show to be dropped. "Republicans, Democrats and all Americans of goodwill should denounce this statement, should distance themselves from Mr Bennett," said Jesse Jackson. "And the private sector should not support Mr Bennett's radio show or his comments on the air."
(More ... Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Abort all black babies and cut crime, says Republican) ¶ 13:44
