By Bill D. Morris
On the morning of February 7th at the National Prayer Breakfast, keynote speaker, Dr. Ben Carson, delivered a speech that resonated so loudly that the next day an article in the Wall Street Journal promoted his unsolicited candidacy for President in 2016. As I am writing this piece, I am watching Dr. Carson engaging an audience on Fox News’ “The Sean Hannity Show”. He has become a media darling of late, particularly in conservative circles, credited for blasting President Obama’s failed policies to his face! I urge you to find an unedited video of the speech to hear the man speak, in his own words. As often in these discussions, the politics and the truth are not necessarily the same.
First, Dr. Carson is a son of 50’s and 60’s Detroit. He overcame poverty, single-motherhood, anger issues, and artificial racial obstacles to become the youngest director of Pediatric Neurosurgery in the history of Johns Hopkins University Hospital, at age 33. Before now, his name simply might have been the answer to a Black History Month question. Second, Dr. Carson stated that his intention was not to offend anyone, despite the omnipresence of political correctness. Let us take him at his word. Third, after listening to his speech in its entirety, I did not once hear him mention the President by name, past his introduction, point out the president’s policies directly or challenge the president, alone, to do better. Yet, listen to the conservative media tell it, that is exactly what went down.
In his 28-minute speech, Dr. Carson offered some scripture, cracked some jokes and dropped some pearls of wisdom. He told his personal story, and naturally, it was inspirational. Dr. Carson is a highly intelligent man. He is a highly principled man. In the speech he said, “Be respectful of people with whom we disagree.” He spoke pointedly about personal responsibility. That is the one point that resonated with me. When we criticize the state of public education, what is our personal responsibility in the issue? When we attack our elected leaders, where were we when the polls were open? When we ask our government to live within its means, what is our personal debt to income ratio? When we anoint a figure to prominence because he offered some good ideas, when do we separate the man from the message?
As I watched the video, I noted the President and Vice-President watching Dr. Carson intently. Makes sense to me since he was the keynote speaker, and they were on C-SPAN2 with the world watching. Still, I can’t say that the President looked like he had been dissed on national television. Even on the close-ups and split screens that populated the news shows visited by Dr. Carson in the days following, I didn’t see it, and I watch football. Now after the fact, as conservative media hosts, one after another, lobbed questions aimed directly at a negative critique of President Obama, Dr. Carson takes a slant.
The doctor has clearly tilted against the power structure of political correctness. To his credit, Dr. Carson offered some faith-based, salient solutions to some of our country’s greatest ills, but he did not present a plan to Congress. However, he did use some keywords that any conservative search engine would optimally rank very highly. The audience of 3,000 applauded the message and the messenger. Yet, for all of the spotlight cast on the President, he is still not the one who writes legislation.
So why is it that the same conservative political element that rallied around the battle cry of “one-term president” suddenly anoints a political neophyte as the Moses for our national debt faster than it takes for the Vatican to pick a Pope? This same group that criticized then Sen. Obama for his lack of political experience! It begs the question whether the ascent of Dr. Carson onto the Conservative Wall of Fame is a political move or a practical one. Dr. Carson is a man who has achieved greatness in his works. The Bible tells that good works will not grant you salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Dr. Carson’s good words alone are insufficient to change our national fortunes, but they can provide a good starting place. To follow the good doctor’s example, the American People would have to: hold ourselves personally accountable, stop speaking and acting with intent to offend, be respectful with those with whom we disagree, and then act accordingly.
This was printed in the February 24, 2013 – March 1, 2013 Edition
