Ruh-Roh! Fox's anointed GOP savior, Dr. Ben Carson, is in a bit of hot water over the comments he made on the Hannity show a few nights ago. Specifically, Carson called marriage between a man and a woman "a well-established pillar of society" and added, "And no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality - doesn't matter what they are - they don't get to change the definition." Not only did Carson offend a lot of people, some Johns Hopkins University medical students have called for him to withdraw as commencement speaker.
As Media Matters reported,
A group of students from the graduating class at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are calling for the replacement of Dr. Ben Carson as commencement speaker for the class of 2013 following his "deeply offensive" comments on marriage equality and other issues.
In a letter obtained by Media Matters, eight members of the school's class of 2013, including a co-chair of the school's LGBT organization, ask their fellow students to sign a petition describing Carson, a neurosurgery professor at the university, as "an inappropriate choice of speaker at a ceremony intended to celebrate the achievements of our class."
Meanwhile, in a contentious interview with Andrea Mitchell today, Carson tried to walk back his comments a bit and apologized "if anybody was offended." Heather, at Video Cafe, noted:
Carson continued and claimed that his goal was "to get people to have discussions about things, about which they disagree in a civil way" and "not call each other names" and "get into infantile discussions" and that "at some point we're going to have to tone down the rhetoric." Mitchell pushed back at Carson, pointing out that his own rhetoric was divisive, but was brushed off by Carson in response. This is an old trick by the right, claiming they want everyone to be "civil" while they're calling the other side names.
But Carson also said he was "absolutely" willing to withdraw from the commencement ceremony. He said, "This is their day and the last thing I would want to do is rain on their parade."
Video of Carson's comments on Hannity via Media Matters followed by Carson on Andrea Mitchell Reports via Video Cafe at Crooks and Liars.
If Dr. Carson were another white male with a thick southern accent who doesn’t hold public office, none of us would have heard of him.
1) Matches most (if not all) their political stances.
2) Doesn’t have a reputation for being subservient to white people.
Carson has teased about entering politics, so its a “You scratch my back” scenario. Nothing racial about it from his end… Fox News, however? They got a long way to go, especially given how they treated Mia Love and Michael Steele. Juan Williams isn’t exactly a good example for how good they are to black people they do like, as well.
To use a baseball analogy this is like a team that knows it’s going to have a bad season but in order to sell hope for the future they prop up a prospect from the minors as a potenitial Hall of Famer. Eventually the scouts find a weakness like he can’t hit the curveball. Then he’s done.
So far Dr. Carson has only faced conservative friendly interviewers to throw him lobs. Let’s wait and see if he can handle big league pitching.
I agree. I think Dr. Carson should speak. And for all the reasons you said. I think what he said revealed an offensive attitude and an insensitivity, to say the least. But he wasn’t advocating murder. If he says something offensive, they can walk out or refuse to clap.
I suspect Carson has gotten the message loud and clear and won’t speak like that again. I see nothing to be gained from not letting him speak.
You’re an old troll who has been banned from here before. Plus, I suspect you’re the troll who keeps calling us names and yet can’t stay away.
In other words, cut out the name calling. Now. Or you will be banned again. With no further warning.
Tokenism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokenism
Uncle Tom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom
Learn the difference, please. Carson’s a token.
Some of them… No big loss. Never liked their work, and they’re fashion advocates with their celebrity causes. I can’t stand fashion advocates.
But some of them… I feel like I lost something because honestly? That’s all I see anymore.
If you read through Media Matters’ links, the problem isn’t just the comments themselves, it’s that both students and faculty are starting to see Carson as a divisive presence. Apparently, some of his views on other things are offending a large share of student and teacher alike.
It’s been said by quite a few posters on here: Carson is a top-notch doctor, but he needs to keep his politics to himself- or at least phrase them a lot better. He’d probably have the reputation of a real-life Dr. Gregory House if he was always this vocal about them.
And trust me, that’s another TV reference that’s starting to grow on people describing him.
You know, like how Sarah Palin was a ploy for the woman’s vote that turned out to be the very very embodiment of a Lewis Sinclair quote.
Or when Mitt Romney tried playing his health care plan and Latino grandfather for votes, and kinda ended up showing he hates everything but billionaires over a certain shade of pale.
Carson was their “We don’t hate black people” ploy, and now both his lies and his comments are catching up to him. His longtime colleagues have had it with both enough to be speaking out, including that another article on here talks about them outing his Obamacare hypocrisy.
But do try to make a racist out of me for pointing that out, Wesley. I’m sure it will go over just as well as your argument that this site’s a hate group.
Does Carson know about High End Hannocchio’s past friendship with a neo Nazi during his days at WABC radio in New York City.
Hannocchio may deny it, but employees and other hosts at WABC remember seeing Turner with Hannocchio at the station.
Tweet Carson this proof.
The Truth About Hannocchio’s associations
http://youtu.be/Zf-oE1mQ5TM
NOTE TO CARSON
You seem like a intelligent man. Look up Hannity and Turner. He’ll deny it, but past employees at WABC won’t.
Because that sure does beat just being decent people to blacks, gays, immigrants, women, and unionized labor.
