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Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson called out President Barack Obama on his message regarding the Charleston, S.C., shooting.
Obama suggested in a news conference Thursday that a lack of gun control was at the heart of the matter when it came to such acts of violence.
In an interview with Fox News’ Megan Kelly, Carson challenged the president’s claim, arguing that guns were not the issue.
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“The heart of the matter is not guns. The heart of the matter is the heart — the heart and soul of people,” Carson said Thursday night on “The Kelly File.”
Carson elaborated, “Hate is destroying our nation.”
Carson claimed race wars, religious wars, age wars, income wars and the war on women have created a divisive country.
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“Anything you can imagine, we have a war on it, and we’re giving people a license to hate people who disagree with them, to try to destroy their lives … this will have consequences in our society,” said Carson. “We have to recognize that this is going to destroy us as a nation, just as fast as any of the other factors.”
Carson has written about the dangers of hate, specifically race-based hate.
“I hope we the American people can come to the understanding that we are not each other’s enemies,” Carson said in the interview. “The enemies are those who are stoking the flames of division trying to divide us in every category and weakening us as a society. You don’t have to be all that observant to see what’s happening to us.”
Carson went on to explain how division can stem from one’s upbringing and background.
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Watch the video below (H/T Washington Examiner):
“I think (the thing) we really need to start concentrating on in this country is once again instilling the right kinds of values, particularly in our young people,” the candidate said.
Carson said change is possible but it’s up to us to begin focusing on positive things and stop listening to those want to create division.
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