Abort Bill Bennett

The former United States Secretary of Education, Bill Bennett, has exposed the evidence of a still prevalent racism against African Americans in a nation that has a long way to go in race relations. On his daily, nationally-syndicated radio talk show on September 28th, he responded to a caller's comment by saying that if "you wanted to reduce crime ... if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down."

"I do know that it's true that 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. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down." -- ex-U.S. Education Secretary Bill Bennett

He attempted to cover his racist back by iterating the obvious -- that such a notion is "morally reprehensible" but to even conceive of this type of analysis substantiates the roots of this man's mentality. It is beyond reprehensible that this man allowed himself to say this publicly. It is a disturbing fact of American society that he was fully aware that he had little to lose by doing it.

Obviously, Bennett does not include crimes against humanity, such as wars,conflicts, sanctions and unmediated international violence as real crimes -- otherwise, he would have recognized another group of people who have proven far more dangerous than the African Americans he seems so very concerned about.

The White House -- notably comprised of many of Bennett's former colleagues and friends -- has attempted, pathetically, to distance itself from the statement which comes at a particularly uncomfortable moment in its race relations continuum (but, then again, when isn't?) by merely releasing a statement saying that "The president believes the comments were not appropriate." Not appropriate?! How outrageous is this paltry retort?

Appropriate is hardly the realm we are dealing with here. One would hope that this and other major revelations by the Bush Administration and its cohorts over the last few weeks will make all African Americans think twice about ever again throwing their votes away to this group of politicians. This is why it is so dangerous that the U.S. media has cultivated a short-term-memory complex in that society.

Now, more so than in a long time, thanks to the horrible undercurrents of Hurricane Katrina and internationally echoed statements such as Bennett's, African Americans have a distinct point of unification -- they have an opportunity to come together and rise against the residues of slavery which have far from evaporated in American society.