The Neurosurgeon’s Speech

Ben Carson is a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon who spoke before President Obama at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast. In his speech, Carson denounced political correctness and pointed out that freedom of speech is one of our God-given rights and that political correctness tries to smother it. 

He asserted that it’s immoral to pile debt on our children and grandchildren. Without mentioning Obamacare by name, Carson lambasted the idea that government should control healthcare and endorsed a plan of personal responsibility and the idea that every child should be given a personal health savings account. 

But perhaps the most powerful part of Carson’s remarks (and those he gave in subsequent interviews) was his commentary about his own upbringing. Carson grew up in a home that is exactly the kind to which liberals insist we have an obligation to make massive transfers of wealth. 

Carson was raised by a single mother in Detroit. Carson’s mother had very little money or formal education, but she was very observant. She told her children that she didn’t know anyone on welfare who later got off of it. She worked hard to make sure she never had to accept being a ward of the state. 

She became a maid to three families but still had time to teach her kids that watching TV would get them nowhere. She insisted that they read two books a week, and even required that they write book reports about what they read. She would draw smiley faces and make other affirmative comments in the margins of the reports. The kids didn’t know it then, but they later discovered that their mother did not know how to read. 

Carson’s story underscores that on the road to success every child needs an adult (preferably two!) for whom that child is the most important thing in the world. What kids need are loving parents, not liberal bureaucrats. Carson’s life and comments are an indictment of government dependency. 

I recommend taking a few minutes to watch and listen to Dr. Carson’s remarks here. 

Cal Killer Cheered On Left

Chris Dorner is an ex-cop who is on a killing spree in Southern California because he claims he was wrongly disciplined by the Los Angeles Police Department a few years ago. Dorner has already killed three people, including the daughter of a former police officer, and is threatening to kill the families of other police officers. He published an 11,000-word essay airing his grievances. In it he leaves no doubt he is a political leftist, expressing hatred for America. Big media has conveniently failed to report this aspect of the story. Rush Limbaugh asked last week what the media would be doing right now if Dorner were a Rush devotee. Every conservative would be blamed for the murders. 

But here is the most disturbing news. This murderer is being cheered as he terrorizes the law enforcement community in southern California. On one Occupy Wall Street website there were numerous postings calling him a “true patriot” and expressing the hope that he would “dispense justice thoroughly.” And Jesse Jackson urged Dorner to turn himself in but began by saying, “I understand your feelings of hurt and pain…” Really, Mr. Jackson? 

Pope Benedict To Step Down

Citing poor health, Pope Benedict XVI will step down at the end of the month as the leader of the world’s Catholics. Benedict, who is 85, has been pope since 2005. Pope Benedict has been a constant and clear moral voice in support of the sanctity of life and the institution of marriage. Our prayer is that the next pope will be just as unwavering in speaking the truth about life and love to a confused world.