CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A UNC student was booed after protesting Ben Carson’s views on climate change at his event on October 26th.
Dr. Ben Carson is a renowned neurosurgeon. He was the first to separate conjoined twins at the head in 1987. Carson gained political attention with his campaign during the 2016 presidential election.
“I think it’s very important that students recognize that we, the American people, are not each other’s enemies and don’t fall prey to those who are trying to divide us on the basis of any difference they can find. That’s not why we are called the United States,” said Ben Carson, Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Turning Point USA, determined to bring more conservative voices on campus, sponsored the event and believed in the importance of having Carson on campus.
“You are bringing somebody with intelligence that people can’t really ridicule, and then obviously he’s a minority which is really huge in the conservative movement,” said Abby Cameron, a Turning Point USA Field Representative.
TPUSA chalked sidewalks and tabled in the pit to invite fellow students to listen to Carson speak and have the chance to ask questions. And students came.
“So Ben Carson is just a really inspirational figure, and just like when Mike Pence came, I just thought it would be really nice to see him in person and see what he has to say. And of course, his story is really inspirational, and I thought it would be a nice thing to see in person,” said Jaden Shorette, a Student Attendee.
UNC Democrats argued that Carson was not relevant enough to protest but took issue with his opinions on systemic racism.
“Ben Carson likes to talk about his career as a main reason why systemic racism doesn’t exist in American society, and although his story is incredible and it provides a nuance to black Americans more broadly, that nuance doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s the exception for millions of black and brown people across the country,” said TJ White, President of UNC Young Democrats.
Although Carson spoke about his disappointment with the political left, most of his speech encouraged students to apply for his web-based education and training.
“Talk to the young people about the state of our country and what they can do about it, particularly one of our programs called Executive Branch for America that teaches people the ins and outs of the Executive Branch of government and hopefully encourages some conservative-minded students to get involved with the executive branch of our government,” said Carson.
And when it comes to the Executive Branch, Carson has now officially endorsed a candidate for 2024 – Donald Trump.