Dr. Ben Carson’s tall tales about abortion and black women
September 1, 2015Photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty Images
As the election season drags on, some presidential candidates are spewing comments that aren’t just political fodder for their base, but also dangerous myths detrimental to how we understand important social issues.
I’m not just talking about Donald Trump. In a FOX interview on Aug. 12, retired pediatric neurosurgeon and GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson, whom polls show as tied for the lead among Iowa Republicans, took it upon himself to repeat debunked myths about Planned Parenthood’s health care mission. “One of the reasons you find most of the clinics in black neighborhoods is so you can find a way to control that population,” Carson said.
Unfortunately, he isn’t alone. Republican presidential hopefuls repeat these myths ad nauseam and will continue to do so to avoid talking about their own lack of women’s health policy platforms.
As a biracial black woman who has had an abortion, I find any implication that health clinics in black neighborhoods exist in order to push abortions on unwitting black women wildly offensive. To use factually incorrect rhetoric to render our healthcare needs and experiences irrelevant is an affront to our dignity.