Yes, we know this is Arizona. And yes, part of the deal is politics always surrounds our Tucson Unified School District. Can’t we stay away from religion? At least that’s what folks at Weekly World Central were thinking when we saw this on TUSD’s Facebook page:
Yes, Ben Carson has an amazing story, but right now he’s the darling of the political right. His appearance at last week’s National Prayer Breakfast has put him front and center and now there’s talk he’s a presidential contender. Fox News has been drooling over Carson this week, because there’s nothing like watching the president get lectured at a nonpartisan event.
On Hannity, Carson said he’d run for president “If the Lord grabbed me by the collar and made me do it, I would.”
This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2013.
Let me see if I have this right; Ms. Herreras is upset because TUSD featured an African-American who overcame enormous odds to become a neurosurgeon simply because he spoke at a prayer breakfast and is adored by the folks at Fox News.
This is Black History Month…not agnostic Black History Month. I am not a religious person myself, but it is unimaginable to think that African-Americans would have survived centuries of slavery and fought the decades long struggle for civil rights without their churches. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “day job” was as a minister. Should we stop honoring him as well?
You would think that the republicans would realize by now that, when god tells one of them to run, it is just god using his sense of humor. After all, modern republican ideology is about as far from christianity as you can get.
Oh good grief. I agree with Marty. Carson has an undeniably inspiring story. I don’t have to agree with someone’s politics or their religion to be inspired by their rise from struggling student to one of the world’s premier neurosurgeons. Carson’s inspiring story was one of many thoughtfully shared by the TUSD’s Department of African-American Student Services in honor of Black History month. Way to manufacture a controversy where none exists, TW. For shame!
Wow.
I read Dr. Carson’s book over a decade ago, and I still remember the gist of his story. To be a neurosurgeon you have to do whatever it takes, no whining or complaining, and if I remember correctly, Dr. Carson saved the lives of several children, some of whom other neurosurgeons wouldn’t operate on, so I have to say I’m a fan of the guy.
Had no idea he expressed so-called conservative values or is a “republican”, but if you know what a seven year neurosurgery residency is, plus maybe two years fellowship . . . this guy is a workaholic and the “taking responsibility for everything” is just the ethic of the surgeon in the operating theatre, seems like it spilled over into his outlook on other areas, like politics.
Most uber successful people in life don’t see themselves as victims, so I can see why he might not be politically inclined to go the liberal/democratic route which tends to look through the lens of people being victimized, which of course does happen to people, perhaps most of us, at some point in our lives.
If you have the attitude that you are responsible for everything, then you end up like Dr. Carson who *is* responsible for saving the lives of young children. I’m still a democrat, but I try to shy away from seeing myself as a victim as it is/was counterproductive, and it is a reason why I oppose MAS.