- Dr. Benjamin Carson delivered a noteworthy National Prayer Breakfast keynote speech in President Barack Obama’s presence
- Carson attacked political correctness as a “dangerous” threat to free speech and encouraged Americans to boldly share their views
- The pediatric neurosurgeon also provided his theories about the national debt, deficits, taxation and health care, taking stances that were opposed to the president’s
- Obama watched intently as Carson spoke for more than 25 minutes
One of the more unique speeches delivered at this morning’s National Prayer Breakfast came from Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Taking the stage before President Barack Obama’s faith-filled address,
Carson spoke for more than 25 minutes, tackling issues ranging from
education to personal responsibility. His keynote, while predicated upon
the theme of Jesus Christ as his ultimate role model, also took a
starkly political tone, advocating against some of the very policies the
president has implemented.
 |
| Dr. Benjamin Carson receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2008 (Photo Credit: AP) |
At the beginning of his speech, Carson shared an intense disdain for political correctness. Without getting too specific on the issue front, he said that Americans should stop being afraid to speak up and defend their beliefs; he also encouraged people to respect the individuals they disagree with. Carson held little back, condemning political correctness as “a horrible thing” that is “dangerous,” as it hampers freedom of thought and expression.
“We’ve reached a point where people are
actually afraid to talk about what they want to say,
because somebody might be offended,” Carson said, noting the example of
people refraining from saying “Merry Christmas.” “We’ve got to get over
this sensitivity and it keeps people from saying what they really
believe.”
Carson encouraged discussion about
societal issues, also pointing out education as an essential conundrum
the country needs to confront. He highlighted his own path from poverty
to success, sharing very personal details about his parents and early
family life and subsequently described the importance of helping
students seeking to advance academically through his Carson Scholars Fund.
The speech took an interesting turn
when the doctor cautioned that moral decay and fiscal irresponsibility
can have dire consequences — even for powerful countries like America.
Here, he became even more pointed and impassioned.
“I think particularly about ancient
Rome. Very powerful — nobody could even challenge them militarily…they
destroyed themselves from within,” Carson continued. “Moral decay.
Fiscal irresponsibility.”
While he said America’s issues are
dire, he was positive that the nation can fix its ways, as there are
bright and innovative people who simply need to come together to address
the problems at hand.
“And one of our big problems right
now…our deficit is a big problem,” he said, as Obama watched
him intently. ”Think about it — and our national debt — $16 and a half
trillion dollars.”
 |
| Dr. Banjamin Carson speaks at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast (Photo Credit: C-SPAN) |
To illustrate just how massive the
debt is, Carson told the audience that if they counted one number per
second, it would take them 507,000 years to get to the sum total. The
doctor said that the massive fiscal blunder is something that the nation
must contend with. From there, he moved on to taxation, seemingly
taking a stance in direct opposition to Obama’s.
“What about our taxation system — so
complex there is no one that can possibly comply with every jot and
tittle,” he noted, going on to call for a simpler (i.e. flat tax)
system. ”When I pick up my Bible, you know what I see — I see the
fairest individual in the universe — God — and he’s given us a system.
It’s called tithe.”
Carson progressed, seemingly comparing
the tithe, at least in principal, to the flat tax system. Rather than
continuing to tier taxes owed, he argued that everyone should pay the
same proportion and that, through this fairer system, money sent by
wealthier Americans for protection abroad should be brought back to
America to help build infrastructure and create additional jobs.
The doctor also addressed medical
care, advocating for health savings accounts and railing against the
notion that Americans should be sending money into a
large bureaucratic system.
You can watch the entire, 26-minute speech below:
