Potential 2016 GOP Presidential candidate Ben Carson appeared on CNN’s New Day Wednesday morning and told host Chris Cuomo that prisons prove that being gay is a choice. In a discussion about same-sex marriage, Cuomo asked the renowned neurosurgeon if he believed homosexuality is a lifestyle choice. Carson, who in the past compared Obamacare to slavery, answered the CNN host by saying, “Absolutely!” This then led to the good doctor informing all that men engaging in homosexual activity in prison proves that being gay is a conscious lifestyle choice.
“Because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight — and when they come out, they’re gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question.”
After Cuomo started to refute Carson’s statement, telling the Tea Party darling that there are myriad reasons why men in prison engage in homosexual activity, Carson interrupted him by stating, ”I said a lot of people who go in come out…are you denying that’s true?” Cuomo literally rolled his eyes in response to Carson, telling him he isn’t denying that happens but is “denying that is a basis of understanding homosexuality.” Undeterred, Carson, believing he totally nailed the argument, smugly said, “If that is the case, it obviously thwarts what you had just said.”
Trying to use Carson’s ‘logic’ against him, Cuomo responded by saying “a lot of drug addicts go into jail and come out criminals…does that mean all drug addicts are criminals?” However, Carson was ready to move on at this point, as he wanted to get back to the main point — denying equal rights to gay people. Earlier in the interview, he had pushed the whole ‘states’ rights’ argument that far-right conservatives love to cling to whenever it comes to denying equal rights to a group. After totally proving homosexuality is a choice, Carson then said gay people can have protections under the law, they just can’t be married.
“Why do gay people want to get married? Why do they say they want to get married? Because they want to have various rights — property rights, visitation rights. Why can’t any two human beings, I don’t care what their sexual orientation is, why can’t they have the legal right to do those things? That does not require changing the definition of marriage.”
Below is video of Carson’s interview, courtesy of CNN:
What is amazing about Carson’s comments about homosexuality being proven to be a choice because of prisons is that he is a brilliant doctor. However, even though there have been numerous scientific studies showing that homosexuality, especially in males, is clearly an ingrained trait that has a genetic component, a renowned surgeon is going to dismiss that evidence and research to glibly follow his religious and societal beliefs because that is what makes him comfortable. And he’s likely pandering to a bigoted base of conservative voters that just hate gays. There’s always that.
Anyway, another day, another ridiculous quote from Ben Carson.
Justin Baragona is the Managing Editor at Politicus Sports as well as Senior Editor at PoliticusUSA. He was a political writer for 411Mania.com before joining PoliticusUSA. Politically, Justin considers himself a liberal but also a realist and pragmatist. Currently, Justin lives in St. Louis, MO and is married. Besides writing, he also runs his own business after spending a number of years in the corporate world. You can follow Justin on Twitter either with his personal handle (@justinbaragona) or the Sports site’s (@PoliticusSports).
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Here is an example of some people being so smart until they're stupid-either way he needs to knock it the hell off...
I believe the term "educated idiot" fits Dr. Carson very well.
If being locked up in prison can be correlated to homosexuality then why are the majority of homosexuals not dark-skinned (Black/Latino = 12.9%, Caucasian = 2.2% incarceration percentages)?
Why aren't the gender ratios the same? 1 in 18 (5 1/2%) men while only 1 in 89 (1.11%) women are in prison.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States
He's 100% Damn Fool
I think he is the Rainman of politics.
Yeh, Benney.
And so bieng black.
The proof?
Eddie Cantor.
William H. West
Al Jolson.
Umm... ehh.. Remind me again why people within conservative circles think he's good?
As I keep saying, you couldn't make this stuff up. Palm to face.
Clearly, one can choose to be an idiot, but there is more here than that. Carson is a religious conservative, that is, someone whose life is based on childish delusion and ridiculous fabrication. It seems odd that anyone would do that until you realise that that is what authorises them to be arrogant, vain, malicious, and wilfully ignorant.
And Ben Carson has also shown that being imprisoned in Conservatism makes Ignorance a "Choice" It is time for the world to face the fact that Conservatives do not have a grip on reality.
As brilliant as a pediatric neurosurgeon as he was once renowned for, I can't help but think that all of those risky surgeries that propelled him to the top of his profession must have overloaded his brain in one way or another, causing that brilliant brain to crash.
Even if Carson's just pandering for a good chunk of those millions of dollars from the filthy rich on the Right, it doesn't negate the fact that he must've suffered some neural damage through overload, simply because there's no way anyone with this man's intelligence can say the idiotic things he's been saying on all Neo-Confederate media and then be considered "sane".
The more he spews his hate-filled ignorance, the easier it is to forget that he was a renowned brain surgeon. It looks like whatever "intelligence" he possesses is confined to just one area of expertise. He is an empathy-challenged ignoramus who is also apparently a blamer of prisoners who are also rape victims. He is an embarrassment, but that's par for the course when it comes to potential or actual GOP nominees.
I can only echo the other comments here. It's hard to reconcile the intelligence needed to propel one through a career in neurosurgery with the utter idiocy that seems to come out of his mouth on a regular basis these days.
I wouldn't allow this buffoon anywhere near me or my family to operate or treat.
I seriously question that he's a renowned brain surgeon as those that have built him up as a surgeon -- they're suspect. You hear the media quote his being 'renowned' but then we've watched media not do their jobs nor research and just repeat BS from others.
I don't care for the man, but his accomplishments as a neurosurgeon is documented and undisputed.
Let's not be like the hateful Neo-Confederates. As Liberals, at least give him credit where he's earned it.
Exactly. He is a brain surgeon, not an andrologist nor a psychologist. He's way out of field.
One would think that a Neurosurgeon would know how to actually operate a brain, I mean he does know HOW the brain works but he hasn't a clue on how to maneuver said brain through the nuanced and complex world of reality. This is a result of bible blinders and cataracts of conservatism.