At a candidate forum on criminal justice reform Saturday, Ben Carson expressed his opposition to mandatory minimum prison sentences and his support for restoring voting rights to ex-felons. The Republican presidential candidate also reiterated his belief that the Black Lives Matter movement should focus its advocacy on all black lives, including those destroyed by abortion and homicide.
The event was hosted by Allen University, a historically black college in South Carolina, and organized by several organizations, including the National Black Police Association and the 20/20 Leaders of America, a group made up of 20 black Republicans and 20 black Democrats. The one-day conference also included speeches by Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley.
Carson spoke first, and began by reviewing familiar territory — his poor upbringing in Detroit and the example set by his mother, who singlehandedly raised two sons. “My mother never complained and absolutely refused to be a victim,” the former neurosurgeon said, emphasizing that his mother rarely relied on government assistance.
Carson talked about the important role of education in breaking the cycle of poverty that ensnares many in the black community. He reminded the audience that during the time of slavery, it was illegal for slaves to learn to read and write and that “when people are well informed it’s hard to manipulate them.” He also linked America’s high incarceration rate to the high out-of-wedlock birthrate in the black community.
Carson also railed against the politics of division, especially those who try to divide the black community and the police. “We need better communication with each other,” he said, telling a story about visiting Ferguson, Mo., last summer and being encouraged by the conversations he heard between protestors and the police. “They were civil and that’s because they knew each other.”
After his speech, Carson was interviewed on stage by one of the event’s organizers. When pressed on what he would do about policy brutality in the black community, Carson again raised his own biography. He said that he never had any problems with the police because he had been taught by his mother to be very respectful of authority.
When asked how the rift between police and the black community could be repaired, Carson suggested that police could do a better job of getting to know the communities they patrol. The police and the communities they serve need to be “introduced regularly, so that Johnny’s first experience with police is playing kickball, not being chased down an alley.” He added that more black Americans should become police officers, noting that the profession used to be respected in the black community but no longer is.
Carson seemed to dismiss the idea that police officers sometimes use excessive force. To which the moderator replied, “I’ll show you the Tamir Rice video!” — a reference to the 2014 police shooting of a 12-year-old boy in Cleveland. The moderator’s interjection drew hearty applause from the audience. Carson then said, “I’m talking about pattern [of abuse]. You don’t condemn the whole group, and base policies on the bad apples.”
Carson’s message to people in the black community who complain about police abuse seemed to be that young black men would do well to follow his example. He said he was able to overcome racism and discrimination by focusing on his goals, respecting authority and not allowing himself to be “dragged into a ditch.”
In response to a question on mandatory minimum sentences, Carson said, “I don’t like mandatory minimums, because they don’t take into consideration individual circumstances.” Asked about mass incarceration, Carson pointed out that while the United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, it houses 25 percent of its prisoners. With 330 million people, Carson said, “we can’t afford to be throwing away so many people to prison.”
Carson also voiced his support for restoring voting rights to ex-felons. “After they have paid their debt, if they are American citizens, they should be able to vote,” he said.
Asked about the Black Lives Matter movement, Carson said “I believe we ought to be talking about all black lives matter. …The greatest number of black lives are eliminated in abortion clinics and that the number one cause of death for young black man is homicide. …I would like them to mix those things in, rather than focus on one small segment.”
Carson is currently third on the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings.
Daniel Allott is deputy commentary editor for the Washington Examiner
