Dr. Carson In Trouble With His Comments About Gay Marriage

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.

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Showing 20 reactions

commented 2013-03-30 19:35:32 -0400 · Flag

Deleted. Troll sock puppet.

commented 2013-03-30 17:13:04 -0400 · Flag

Aria, You’re right. I definitely agree with you on calling it tokenism. It’s like watching a Republican give a speech and behind them is at least one African-American and/or Hispanic to help create that illusion. The minorities will be seen. A sea of white faces just doesn’t work when you’re trying to fool others.

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.

commented 2013-03-30 16:18:24 -0400 · Flag

Doors, as I explained before, it’s called Tokenism. Fox News is getting desperate to look like they’re distancing themselves from their “White Male Power Structure” mentality, so they’re trying to find a black person that meets the following two criteria:

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.

commented 2013-03-30 10:16:52 -0400 · Flag

This putting Dr. Carson on a pedestal just shows what a sad state of affairs things have become for the R’s.

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.

commented 2013-03-30 08:27:58 -0400 · Flag

Not trying to be inflammatory at all Ellen, just pointing out the racist subtext of the discussion on this thread.If that’s considered to be “inflammatory” to you then so be it.

commented 2013-03-30 01:45:28 -0400 · Flag

M M,

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.

commented 2013-03-30 01:32:19 -0400 · Flag

Deleted. This troll is baiting and trying to be inflammatory. If you don’t like us then leave. But do not come here and throw flames at us.

commented 2013-03-30 01:25:31 -0400 · Flag

Joe Blow,

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.

commented 2013-03-30 01:22:05 -0400 · Flag

Regardless of whether you’re calling him an Uncle Tom or calling him FOX’s “token” black the fact is you’re outing yourself as a racist Aria. You can deny it all you want but your words and opinion speak for themselves.

commented 2013-03-30 01:17:51 -0400 · Flag

Joe:

Tokenism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokenism

Uncle Tom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom

Learn the difference, please. Carson’s a token.

commented 2013-03-30 01:16:43 -0400 · Flag

Sad state of affairs in this country when expressing the opinion that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman is considered an extreme point of view.

commented 2013-03-30 01:12:06 -0400 · Flag

No one should have to keep it to themselves… but there’s a few people that it’s a really good idea. I can name quite a few famous people that their views on the issues are so absolutely horrible I can’t even look at them without just seeing that part of them now.

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.

commented 2013-03-30 01:04:22 -0400 · Flag

Deleted.

commented 2013-03-29 22:58:08 -0400 · Flag

@mm, since his didn’t show up until I submitted mine:

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.

commented 2013-03-29 22:41:54 -0400 · Flag

Ok, I’ll bite… what did anyone here say about Dr. Carson that’s racist? The closest we got is me saying that Fox is using him as a token to deflect claims of GOP racism, and it’s backfiring because he’s turning out to be a bigot in other areas.

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.

commented 2013-03-29 21:01:04 -0400 · Flag

Carson is in for a rude awakening if he thinks the Elite Washington GOP Power Machine will support his run for any political office.

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.

commented 2013-03-29 17:58:24 -0400 · Flag

Deleted. This sock puppet is not welcome here and he knows it.

commented 2013-03-29 17:57:28 -0400 · Flag

Deleted. Troll sock puppet.

commented 2013-03-29 17:20:02 -0400 · Flag

Dr. Carson is the latest in a long line of RW Tokens that they tried using to prove they aren’t bigots against _____, then have to walk it back when they turn out to be bigots against everything else.

Because that sure does beat just being decent people to blacks, gays, immigrants, women, and unionized labor.

NewsHounds posted about Dr. Carson In Trouble With His Comments About Gay Marriage on NewsHounds' Facebook page 2013-03-29 16:53:40 -0400

Dr. Carson looking less like a black Ronald Reagan and more like a well-educated Joe The Plumber!