Carson on Holocaust comments: 'Never intended' to 'diminish' tragedy

By Al Weaver, Al Weaver

Published December 20, 2015

Ben Carson responded to criticism Wednesday of his recent comments about the Holocaust and guns by walking them back slightly.

In an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, Carson said that he never meant to "diminish" the tragedy of the Holocaust, adding that he did not intend to "cause any pain" for survivors of the tragic ordeal.

Carson argued that Jews could have used guns to fight back against Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. He did not apologize for his comments, but indicated he did not intend to give offense.

"In recent days I suggested that things might have unfolded in a very different manner in Europe had the Jewish people been armed and better able to defend themselves," Carson wrote. "What would have been the impact on Hitler's war machine if his victims had had more access to guns? It is something that we will never know for sure."

"What I do know however, beyond any shadow of a doubt, is that I never intended for my words to diminish the enormity of the tragedy or in any way to cause any pain for Holocaust survivors or their families," Carson continued, adding that those who died then "deserve our deepest reverence."