The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
Written By: Cole Edwards
Days after a controversial speaker came to VSU’s campus, people are still buzzing about the event.
A renowned John Hopkins neurosurgeon and potential 2016 presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, spoke to a sold-out crowd last Thursday at VSU, including Gov. Nathan Deal.
In a speech entitled “America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great,” Dr. Carson spoke at length on his often harsh upbringing in both Detroit and Boston, as well as the current political and educational landscape of America.
“Those who have the ability to learn are those who make progress,” Dr. Carson said, citing his childhood pursuit of education. “America is a land of dreams. Education represents the great economic divide. We have got to get back to instilling in people the importance of education in the Information Age.”
Dr. Carson remarked on the estimated 93 million voters who did not vote in the 2012 election, saying not to vote for a party just because a favorite candidate did not make it in is “the same as voting for the other side.”
“The majority of America has been beaten into submission, and it’s time for them to wake up and stand up in what they believe in,” Dr. Carson said. “It is quite easy to become an informed voter. We are not each other’s enemies. We the people are the pinnacle of power, and to vote is to protect that power.”
While giving a brief history on his nearly 40 years at John Hopkins, including operations separating conjoined twins who were born joined at the head, Dr. Carson spoke on the power of knowledge and the human brain.
“Think about what God has blessed us with,” Dr. Carson said. “He blessed us with a brain in His image. That brain has hundreds of billions of neurons. You can’t overload the brain. What can your brain do if you actually put your mind to something?”
Dr. Carson also openly discussed the country’s fiscal irresponsibility, warning that the country could potentially become a third world nation if not more careful.
“We have an $18 trillion debt,” Carson said. “If we paid that off by $1 billion every day, every week, every month, it would take us 50 years to pay it off.”
The event went on despite the appearance of protestors, including members of the VSU Sociology Club, outside Whitehead Auditorium who were critical of his extremely conservative views over issues such as gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act.
“His message is a message of bigotry,” said Ben Vieth, a VSU grad student who was among the protestors. “The message that he has is hurtful to students.”
Despite a petition signed by over 600 students and community members demanding Dr. William McKinney cancel the event, Dr. McKinney argued the importance of free expression at universities in a letter released before the event.
“I believe that we do ourselves the greatest disservice when we silence civil debate as a result of controversy,” Dr. McKinney wrote.
When an audience member asked if he planned to run in the 2016 election, Carson said he was waiting to see what happens in this November’s elections.
“I’ll put everything I have into helping save this country for the next generation,” he said. “If the people of the country decide they like big government, I’ll go away and play golf. But if they want to be a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, I’ll run for president.”
(Photo By: Paul Leavy | Valdosta State University)
RUN BEN RUN We Love you man. Please sign Petition to DRAFT BEN CARSON!!!
It is amazing to me that people would protest Dr. Carson. To use the term bigotry relating to Ben Carson is a group’s inflammatory method of trying to silence a conservative voice. Carson has never uttered a word that is hateful toward gays. His desire that the term marriage be reserved for the union of one man and one woman is not out of the mainstream at all. He has publicly voiced his support for gay unions that will give them the same rights as husband and wife but would simply like to have it called something different. Not your run of the mill bigot. His desire to replace Obamacare with something that will still provide universal coverage but will cost significantly less is largely to protect the patient/doctor relationship and their decision making and to avoid the trillion dollar price tag of the Affordable Care Act. I hope that people everywhere appreciate the rants of these left wing ideologues for what they are; an effort to silence people who disagree with them politically or to attempt to discredit them, wrongly, if they do speak. How will we ever heal this divided nation if we won’t even allow one another to speak?
Respectfully:
To successfully guide us through these turbulent times, America requires a new optimism and clear vision. Wise counsel and commonsense solutions from the likes of the esteemed Dr. Ben Carson. He exemplifies what America requires to excel. Dr. Carson is respected by those who know him. He offers responsible and honest leadership that our country – and the world — demands.
Listen to him and decide for yourself: runbenrun.org
Ben Vieth’s claim that Dr. Carson’s ” … message is a message of bigotry .. . The message he has is hurtful to students” is totally ludicrous on its face. Read his books, view videos of his speeches, learn his positions on the issues at runbenrun.org/issues. One need only look at the good work done by the Carson Scholars Fund (www.carsonscholars.org) to see that he is a HUGE champion of education as the primary enabler of students fulfilling their dreams, especially students striving to overcome challenging circumstances.
Ben Vieth is a liberal progressive activist who is conducting a smear and destroy mission with regard to Dr. Carson. If anyone is a bigot it’s Mr. Vieth, who if he had his way, would silence the brilliant and accomplished Dr. Carson because he is both Black and Conservative, a combination that the Ben Vieth’s of the world cannot abide.
What is so ‘controversial’ about Dr. Ben Carson? Answer: Nothing
He’s a clear headed, constitutional man who LOVES the USA!!
He’s come from TRUE POVERTY. He is a brilliant man who helps those who want to help themselves through his foundation. The only ones who are against him are the ones who are threatened by the TRUTH.