Oh Lord...

Bill Bennett, radio commentator and ex-drug czar for the older Bush, had this to say on his program about reducing crime:

"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. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky."

I understand that Bennett was making a point that economic considerations should not be the reason why abortion is immoral, but this is one hell of a way to put it. Stupid thing to say and Bennett made a mistake saying it.

Bennett's response to criticism:

"I was pointing out that abortion should not be opposed for economic reasons, any more than racism or for that matter slavery or segregation should be supported or opposed for economic reasons," he said. "Immoral policies are wrong because they are wrong, not because of an economic calculation. One could just as easily have said you could abort all children and prevent all crime, to show the absurdity of the proposition."