Racism = Idiocy: The WIlliam Bennett Story

Why do people insist on saying really stupid things pubically? Stop me if you've heard about this: William Bennett is a radio talk-show host in the grand ol' US of A. In response to a question about the legitimacy of abortion, he responds with this gem:

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.

The problem with Bennett's comment isn't necessarily with its overtly racist tones. Sure he's linking a specific "race" with crime rates, a practice that implies his association of a particular people with a particular social ill, but that's not the heart of the issue. Or at least it shouldn't be.

William Bennett is simply just a moron. If we can assume that crime is committed by people regardless of their ethnic or cultural origins, then crime is committed equally and judged only on the basis of person-hood. People who commit crimes fall under the more representative category "people". If this is true across the board, with no more emphasis on 'black' people, 'white' people, or 'poorly-dressed' people, then one can equally assume that all walks of people are capable of committing crime.

Then his statement is a truism, an over-stated and unnecessary fact of life. Getting rid of any category of person, then, would necessarily lower the crime rate because all people are equally capable of committing all crimes. A reduction in possibilities would necessarily hold a reduction in instances.

But why stop there? I say abort all babies with less than six toes on each foot. When was the last time you heard of a six-toed person committing a crime? I rest my case: being racist relies on being an idiot first. Just ask William Bennett.