Did Ben Carson make the correct comparison?
Yes. Ben Carson did compare the founding fathers to ISIS. He qualified it however appropriately in his mind. But is he correct?
“A bunch of ragtag militiamen defeated the most powerful and professional military force on the planet. Why? Because they believed in what they were doing.” Ben Carson said. “They were willing to die for what they believed in. The British were not. Fast forward to today. What do we have? You’ve got ISIS. They’ve got the wrong philosophy, but they are willing to die for what they believe, while we are busily giving away every belief and every value for the sake of political correctness. We have to change that.”
In the context of this post the founding fathers were all those that fought to create the America of the 1700s. That was the context Ben Carson was speaking about when he said “bunch of ragtag militiamen.”
I will not make believe that somehow Ben Carson believes in some strong congruity between the founding fathers and ISIS. That really is not the case. He knows ISIS is unadulterated evil. His premise however was that solely the founding fathers’ conviction, the belief in their ideology, led them to defeat the British. Further, political correctness or the desire to not disparage, belittle, or prejudge the others is somehow a display of weakness.
Ben Carson seems to have forgotten his past. He should not open this can of worms. While our founding fathers were no ISIS, they were severely flawed beings.
Political correctness ensures everyone has a seat at the table. Political correctness keeps opportunity open for all. Political correctness ensures sanctioned verbal abuse, the abuse that mentally and physically affect our children is not tolerated. Political correctness ensures that women do not have to tolerate misogyny and chauvinism. Political correctness is powerful. When we have fully evolved to a truly egalitarian society, political correctness will have no meaning.
Our founding fathers were not at that level of fairness or sophistication at the founding of the country. They were not at that level during the writing of the constitution. They were not at that level on their deathbeds.
We had to grow together as a country striving for what is best for all and not just for some. We had to fight to give the vote to women and Black people. We had to fight to ensure that the barbaric institution of slavery that was codified in our constitution was extricated. We had to fight to honor treaties with native Americans that are still unfulfilled. We had to fight to ensure industrialists/capitalists treated workers like human beings.
So Dr. Ben Carson should be very careful. Many foreigners know our history much better than we do. Many of our aggrieved can never buy into some past purity. The same country and caricatures a particular sect of your party is trying to go back to, will make you un-electable for the office you may be seeking.