America the Beautiful, by Dr. Ben Carson, M.D. : on Civil Rights
Ben Carson:
1960s: experienced racism in inner-city Boston and Detroit
I grew up in inner-city Detroit and Boston at the tail end of one of those dark periods in America's history. Slavery had long been abolished, but widespread racism remained. The civil rights movement was on the verge of completely transforming the
social landscape, but such change often comes slowly. And today, decades later, I can still pinpoint the moment when I came of age regarding racism in America.My brother and I were playing in Franklin Park in the Roxbury section of Boston when
I wandered away alone under a bridge, where a group of older white boys approached me and began calling me names.
"Hey, boy, we don't allow your kind over here," one of them said. He looked at the others. "Let's drown him in the lake." I could tell
they weren't just taunting me, trying to scare me. They were serious, and I turned and ran from there faster than I had ever run before in my life. It was a shocking introduction for a little boy to the racism that ran through America at the time.
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p. 12
Jan 24, 2012
Ben Carson:
Reparations for WWII Japanese ok, but not for slavery
I can understand the idea of reparations for the Japanese-American families who were unjustly interned during WWII. In that case, corrective action was taken at a time when many of the victims could actually benefit from it.
In the case of slavery, however, there are neither slaves not slave owners currently living, so it seems unfair to require people who had nothing to do with slavery to pay for it.
I understand the argument that the descendants of slave owners inherited property and large sums of money accumulated through slave labor, and are thus obligated to share the proceeds with the descendants of slaves. There is some legitimacy to such an
argument, but no one can really quantify the percentage of assets derived from slave labor in order to distribute them. Furthermore, where do you draw the line for reparations in the past?
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p.101-102
Jan 24, 2012
Ben Carson:
Not all black candidates share Obama's left-wing politics
The election of Barack Obama as the 1st black president in 2008 was a momentous occasion and signaled the fact that race was no longer a barrier to election to the highest office in the land.
However, people still disagree about whether or not the US remains racially divided. In the national election of 2012, we will have a wonderful opportunity to really see whether we have largely vanquished racism in America.
Part of that final shift will require white Americans to set behind them the notion that most black candidates running for office share the same political left-wing leanings held by
President Obama, and to embrace the process of scrutinizing candidates' positions rather than simply making assumptions about them. Doing so will help confirm that the evil of racism is losing its hold on this nation once defined by it.
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p.163-164
Jan 24, 2012
Ben Carson:
Redefining marriage is slippery slope with disastrous ending
As a Bible-believing Christian, you might imagine that I would not be a proponent of gay marriage. I believe God loves homosexuals as much as he loves everyone, but if we can redefine marriage as between two men or two women or any other way based
on social pressures as opposed to between a man and a woman, we will continue to redefine it in any way that we wish, which is a slippery slope with a disastrous ending, as witnessed in the dramatic fall of the Roman Empire. I don't believe this to be
a political view, but rather a logical and reasoned view with long-term benefits to family structure and the propagation of humankind. When children grow up in an environment with loving parents who provide security, they are free to be
happy and playful and eager to learn. God obviously knew what he was doing when he ordained the traditional family, and we should not denigrate it in order to uplift some alternative.
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p.182
Jan 24, 2012
Ben Carson:
Legal binding relationship for gays to enjoy property rights
[Despite opposing a redefinition of marriage], I have no problem whatsoever with allowing gay people to live as they please, as long as they don't try to impose their lifestyle on everyone else.
Marriage is a very sacred institution and should not be degraded by allowing every other type of relationship to be made equivalent to it.
If gays or non-gays wish to have some type of legal binding relationship that helps with the adjudication of property rights and other legal matters,
I certainly have no problem with that, but to equate that with marriage is going further than necessary.
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p.182
Jan 24, 2012
Ben Carson:
Free speech is wonderful, but hate speech causes actual harm
Of all the wonderful freedoms that characterize life here in America, freedom of speech is one of the most important. This was most dramatically demonstrated in a recent Supreme Court decision, which upheld the rights of members of the Westboro Baptists
Church to display extremely offensive signs and shout obscenities during funeral services for veterans. They are an intolerant hate group that despises homosexuality and are angry with the military because gays are allowed to serve.
There is almost no one who agrees with the Westboro Church, but because of the Supreme Court's decision to strictly interpret the Constitution, the rights of the church members could not be denied.I actually have some doubts about that legal
decision, because the signs, obscenity, and noise infringe upon the rights of other Americans to assemble peacefully for the burial of one of their loved ones. If my right to free speech causes you actual harm, it becomes time to curtail my speech.
Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p.186
Jan 24, 2012
Page last updated: Dec 12, 2018