SPLC Backs Down And Removes Ben Carson From Anti-Gay 'Extremist' List
The Southern Poverty Law Center took the rare step of removing Dr. Ben Carson from its list of anti-LGBT "extremists" Wednesday after conservative news websites and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly raised hell.
"In October 2014, we posted an 'Extremist File' of Dr. Ben Carson," the SPLC said in a statement. "This week, as we've come under intense criticism for doing so, we've reviewed our profile and have concluded that it did not meet our standards, so we have taken it down and apologize to Dr. Carson for having posted it."
The blog Legal Insurrection appeared to have been the first to notice Carson's inclusion in the SPLC's "Extremist Files" on Friday despite the fact that the listing had been up for months. Other conservative news sites then picked up the story and railed against the SPLC for putting a potential 2016 Republican presidential contender on what they called a "watch list" because he opposes gay marriage.
Mark Potok, a senior fellow at SPLC, told TPM earlier this week that the organization had designated Carson as an anti-gay "extremist" because of "his very extreme rhetoric about the evils of gay people."
more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/splc-removes-ben-carson-anti-lgbt-extremist
= new reply since forum marked as read
