Dr. Ben Carson's Todd Aiken moment
Dr. Ben Carson, the well-financed African-American surgeon who is running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, has effectively destroyed his own credibility with the amazingly bizarre statement that because prison inmates go into jail straight and emerge gay, homosexuality is a choice.
Even among wild animals, the absence of available opposite-sex partners often results in temporary same-sex behavior. And the same thing happens in prison. Of course sometimes people who previously considered themselves "straight" discover otherwise when they experience homosexual behavior- even rape- in prison, and may continue to involve themselves in homosexual behavior after they leave (though in most casesas bisexuals rather than as exclusive homosexuals).
But the statistical evidence shows clearly that more than half of identical twins of gay men are also gay. This demonstrates that there is no gay "gene;" if there were, all twins sharing the same genome would have the same sexual orientation. But it does demonstrate a biological pre-disposition toward homosexuality, and does so conclusively enough that only the most uninformed can suggest that sexual orientation is, at least in most cases, a choice. Perhaps some previously heterosexual men or women become effectively bisexual in practice. But that's a different matter from saying that orientation is voluntarily chosen as a general rule.
And that a man- a doctor, at that- running for president is even capable of holding the belief that sexual orientation is simply a choice is not simply shocking. It disqualifies him from further consideration. I don't see how any intelligent person can consider supporting Ben Carson at this point.
He has apologized- sort of- for his comments. But I'm afraid it's too late.
Ben Carson is simply no longer a credible candidate for public office.
Even among wild animals, the absence of available opposite-sex partners often results in temporary same-sex behavior. And the same thing happens in prison. Of course sometimes people who previously considered themselves "straight" discover otherwise when they experience homosexual behavior- even rape- in prison, and may continue to involve themselves in homosexual behavior after they leave (though in most casesas bisexuals rather than as exclusive homosexuals).
But the statistical evidence shows clearly that more than half of identical twins of gay men are also gay. This demonstrates that there is no gay "gene;" if there were, all twins sharing the same genome would have the same sexual orientation. But it does demonstrate a biological pre-disposition toward homosexuality, and does so conclusively enough that only the most uninformed can suggest that sexual orientation is, at least in most cases, a choice. Perhaps some previously heterosexual men or women become effectively bisexual in practice. But that's a different matter from saying that orientation is voluntarily chosen as a general rule.
And that a man- a doctor, at that- running for president is even capable of holding the belief that sexual orientation is simply a choice is not simply shocking. It disqualifies him from further consideration. I don't see how any intelligent person can consider supporting Ben Carson at this point.
He has apologized- sort of- for his comments. But I'm afraid it's too late.
Ben Carson is simply no longer a credible candidate for public office.
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