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Mediaite.com:
Rush Limbaugh and George Will aren’t the only conservatives comparing the Affordable Care Act to slavery. At today’s Values Voter Summer, Dr. Ben Carson, fresh off signing a new contributor contract with Fox News, told the crowd that Obamacare is “the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery.”
In fact, Carson said, “in a way, it is slavery, because it is making
all of us subservient to the government.” He went to explain that the
Affordable Care Act “was never about health care, it was about control.”
For Carson it all comes down to a quote from Vladimir Lenin,
who said, “Socialized medicine is the keystone to the establishment of a
socialized state.” He dismissed the notion that he was “paranoid” for
bringing up Lenin, saying, “if you know anything about history, how
could you not bring it up?”
Carson became one of the most prominent voices against the Affordable Care Act when he denounced the law to President Obama’s face back in February.
While his name was being thrown around by some as a possible Republican
presidential candidate for 2016, he has so far decided to speak out
against Obamacare as a member of the media instead.
RELATED: Video: Allentown mother forced to choose between ObamaCare and feeding family
Mediaite.com:
On Monday night’s Hannity show, over two
dozen black conservatives participated in a townhall discussion,
addressing what it is like to be a black conservative in America.
The show kicked off with Sean Hannity interviewing Dr. Ben Carson. Hannity asked Dr. Carson what kind of insults he has received since coming out publicly as a conservative. Carson noted:
Some of the words cannot be used. It’s really kind of
sad. I feel more sorrowful for the people who do that, than I feel
angry for them. I represent something that they just can’t quite get
their heads around: ‘How can you be black and not march lock-step behind the [airquote] leaders?’
‘How can you think for yourself?’ ‘And how can you actually have some
ideals that actually make sense that don’t agree with their leaders?’ I
am very hopeful that this a trend that will be broken. I’m going to
continue to speak out. Of course, there is an old trick that you
ostracize, you ridicule, you isolate, and you keep repeating…. I’m not
sure it’s going to work quite frankly because I don’t plan on going anywhere.
On Monday night’s Hannity
show, over two dozen black conservatives participated in a townhall
discussion, addressing what it is like to be a black conservative in
America.
The show kicked off with Sean Hannity interviewing Dr. Ben Carson. Hannity asked Dr. Carson what kind of insults he has received since coming out publicly as a conservative. Carson noted:
Some of the words cannot be used. It’s really kind of
sad. I feel more sorrowful for the people who do that, than I feel
angry for them. I represent something that they just can’t quite get
their heads around: ‘How can you be black and not march lock-step behind the [airquote] leaders?’
‘How can you think for yourself?’ ‘And how can you actually have some
ideals that actually make sense that don’t agree with their leaders?’ I
am very hopeful that this a trend that will be broken. I’m going to
continue to speak out. Of course, there is an old trick that you
ostracize, you ridicule, you isolate, and you keep repeating…. I’m not
sure it’s going to work quite frankly because I don’t plan on going anywhere.
In a gripping moment, when Hannity asked the townhall participants
how many have been “called horrible names because of [their]
conservatism,” every participant’s hand shot up.
Dr. Carson noted that this demonstrates to him that “the very people
who love to talk about tolerance are some of the least tolerant people
there are.”
Hannity and Dr. Carson then discussed Hannity’s recent remarks that
black conservatives have no freedom of speech, with Dr. Carson agreeing
and expanding on Hannity’s point:
One of the founding principles of our nation is
freedom of speech and freedom of expression. And yet they are so many
people who are afraid to talk. I’ve gotten so many emails and letters from people who say ‘I support you 100% but please let this remain anonymous.’ Why? Because they don’t want to have the fiery darts thrown at them.
Following the brief interview, Hannity opened up the discussion to
the townhall participants, consisting of an array of black conservative
‘all-stars,’ such as Star Parker, David Webb, Ron Christie, Jesse Petterson, Kevin Jackson, Deneen Borelli, Crystal Wright, and Reginald Jones, among others.
The lively discussion ranged from the attacks and smears they face as
a result of their political affiliation, to the reasons for their
political beliefs, and the challenges they face.
The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Riley noted the racist comments that often emerge from the Left, as well as the “double standard” applied to black conservatives:
There’s a need on the Left to almost psycho-analyze black conservatives, put ‘em on the couch. In other words, Justice Scalia’s views on affirmative action are simply wrong but Clarence Thomas
is a self-hating, self-loathing traitor to his race. There’s a double
standard. And I think the reason you have that is… if you can
psycho-analyze someone, de-legitimize them, you don’t have to take on
their ideas… and that’s what the Left tries to do to black
conservatives.
Hannity noted that each of them is a “profile in courage.”
Kevin Jackson, Executive Director of The Black Sphere, noted Vice President Joe Biden’s
comment about going into the “black sections” of his town, as an
example of the level of racism on the Left that is simply dismissed or
allowed.
Project 21’s Reginald Jones spoke on the
threat to liberals’ “ownership” of black America, stating: “What Dr.
Carson and everybody in here represents is a threat to their sense of
ownership. Liberals, in total, believe that they own black America….”
Radio host David Webb added that the Left requires allies of “convenience” and victims, stating: “It’s about power and control.”
The spirited discussion was emotional at times, with Deneen Borelli wiping away tears near the end of the show.
Hannity expressed plans to hold an additional townhall on this issue, prompting cheers of agreement from the participants.
RELATED: Sean Hannity Is Right: Black Conservatives Have ‘No Freedom Of Speech’
Mediaite.com:
On Tuesday’s Hannity show, when asked for his thoughts on
gay marriage, Dr. Ben Carson stated that marriage “is between a man and a
woman” and that “no group — be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they
people who believe in bestiality, it doesn’t matter what they are — they
don’t get to change the definition. It’s not something that is against
gays, it’s against anybody who wants to come along and change the
fundamental definitions of pillars of society. It has significant
ramifications.”
The predictable “Dr. Ben Carson equates homosexuality with
bestiality!” outrage ensued, so much so that today Dr. Carson was
forced, on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, to explain:
And, you know, I think, you know, in terms of what
was said on Sean Hannity’s show, that was taken completely out of
context and completely misunderstood in terms of what I was trying to
say. You know, as a Christian, you know, I have a duty to love all
people and that includes people who have other sexual orientations, and I
certainly do, and never had any intention of offending anyone. What I
was basically saying, and if anybody was offended, I apologize to you.
But what I was basically saying is that there is no group. I wasn’t
equating those things. I don’t think they’re equal. Just, you know, if
you ask me for apple and I give you an orange you would say, well that’s
not an orange. And then I say, that’s a banana, that’s not an apple
either. And there’s a peach, that’s not an apple, either. But it doesn’t
mean that I’m equating the banana and the orange and the peach. And in
the same way I’m not equating those things.
But Dr. Carson should not have to explain what is simply an
obvious argument illustration, much less apologize to those offended
(i.e., to those lacking listening and reading comprehension skills).
While I am a conservative who supports same-sex marriage,
I fully appreciate the “slippery slope” public-policy argument made by
opponents who worry that redefining marriage could lead to recognition
of any other number of unions – including unsavory ones. Though I do not
personally envision this being the case down the road, it is certainly a
valid point and one worth considering.
When making this argument (as Dr. Carson did), polygamy, or marriage
to minors, or, yes, even bestiality (and marriage to one’s pets?) are
often invoked as possible ‘future products of marriage’s
re-definition.’ In no way, however, does it mean the individual (in this case, Dr. Carson) is equating same-sex marriage or homosexuality with any of the examples posited.
Rick Santorum was also a victim, like Dr. Carson, of
this false outrage. For several years, the Left ran with a terrible
(and possibly deliberate) misinterpretation of Santorum. In early 2012,
when Santorum’s presidential run was soaring, particularly following the
Iowa caucus, cries of “Santorum describes homosexual relations as ‘man
on dog’!” or “Santorum says gay marriage could lead to bestiality!” were
everywhere online (see, e.g., here). But, as it turns out, Santorum had said no such thing. The crude, inaccurate allegation stemmed from a 2003 Associated Press interview in which Santorum said this about gay marriage:
Every society in the history of man has upheld the
institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why?
Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the
future of the society. And that’s what? Children. Monogamous
relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever
to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on
homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever
the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a
dramatic impact on the quality—
[At that point, Santorum was interrupted by the interviewer who joked
that he/she was not expecting to hear a U.S. Senator use the term "man
on dog."]
Much like Dr. Carson, in no way did Santorum equate homosexuality or
gay marriage with bestiality. Santorum, on the contrary, was cautioning
that he was not equating gay marriage with other
prohibited-marriage categories such as “man on child” (individuals
marrying minors) and “man on dog” (individuals marrying animals).
Basic reading comprehension and common sense did not, however, prevent the unfair smears that haunted Santorum for years.
Dr. Carson’s “slippery slope” argument will naturally be made again
by traditional marriage supporters. Misquoting and misrepresenting
anyone on this issue – be it Dr. Carson, Rick Santorum, anyone – is
fueled by either the willfully obtuse or the agents of dishonest
hackery.
So to Dr. Carson, I say: no need to issue an apology. In fact, you’re owed one.
RELATED: Dr. Ben Carson Fauxpologizes For Totally Not Comparing Gays With Child/Animal Rapists
Mediaite.com:
Megyn Kelly invited pediatric neurosurgeon and frequent Fox News guest Dr. Ben Carson
on her show Tuesday and offered him a platform to defend himself
against recent accusations by those on the left that he is no more than
the Republican Party’s latest “token” minority. Without explicitly using
his name, Kelly alluded to comments made by MSNBC’s Touré, who said last week that Carson was helping Republicans “assuage their guilt.”
Kelly apologized to Carson as she read off some of the names he has
been called in recent weeks, like “token” and “oreo,” before landing on
the quote from “a commentator on a rival network” who said Carson was
benefiting from “the GOP’s version of affirmative action.”
Carson responded calmly, saying, “if you don’t have anything useful
to say, you attack people. If you feel that your house of cards has been
discovered and is starting to come unraveled, you become very
desperate.” He added, “intelligent people tend to talk about the facts,
they don’t sit around and call each other names. That’s what you can
find on a third grade playground.”
Addressing the racial aspects of his detractors arguments
specifically, Carson said, “they feel if you look a certain way, then
you have to stay on the plantation.” He mentioned that he’s been called
an “Uncle Tom” and rejected that term, not for it’s racist context, but
for its inaccuracy. “Obviously they don’t know what an ‘Uncle Tom’ is,”
he said. In the novel, “he was very, very subservient, kind of go along
to get along type of person.” Perhaps referring to his outspoken
arguments against Obamacare, he said, “obviously, that’s not what I’m
doing.”
RELATED: Touré: Ben Carson Is The GOP’s ‘Black Friend,’ Enjoying GOP’s ‘Affirmative Action’ And ‘Assuaging Their Guilt’
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