When it comes to murder, black people should most fear black people
The Florida shooting death of a young black man by a white Neighborhood Watch bozo is indeed tragic. But should black people be terribly worried with getting murdered by white bigots and vigilantes? Or is the REAL danger other black males?
Everyone knows the answer, but doesn’t want to talk about it. Certainly Obama doesn’t.
Consider these factoids quoted from Wikipedia:
A United States Department of Justice report which surveyed homicide statistics between 1974 and 2004 stated that of the crimes surveyed, 52.2% of the offenders were Black, 45.8% were White, and 2% were Other Races.
Of the victims in those same crimes, 50.9% were White, 46.9% were Black, and 2.1% were Other Races.
The report further stated that “most murders are intraracial” with 86% of White murders committed by Whites, and 94% of Black murders committed by Blacks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_crime_in_the_United_States#Murder
If you do the grisly math, each WEEK over 110 blacks are killed by other blacks.
http://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide11.pdf
Where’s the outrage?
Where’s the black leadership?
Thanks Mr. Sills,
Your plea makes lots of sense. Let the legal process sort it out.
Statistics used to label an entire racial group as one to be feared is racism. You are grouping peaceful Black Americans, obviously the majority of the population, in with the violent ones and saying they should all be looked at with the same caution. That is the essence of racism, punishing innocent people for a crime they would never commit because they belong to a certain racial group. Anyone who says all white people should be feared because of Zimmerman’s actions is making the same mistake.
It would make more sense to say that people who engage in violent, bigoted or vigilante behavior should be our concern, regardless of their race.
Gwendolyn says,”You can tell when someone is losing the argument. They try to drown you with “stats.”
I have some ocean front property in Arizona with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean really cheap. Don’t let any of those “ludicrous” people use a “diversionary tactic” such as “drowning you with stats” about the location of the Pacific Ocean as we all know they are just trying to win an argument. Follow your feelings just like Eric. See you in escrow.
So, Paul, the fact that blacks, who constitute 13% of our population and commit 52% of of our homicides should not be even mentioned. Nor should the fact that 93% of blacks murdered are murdered by other blacks.
Good to know. Be sure to inform Juan Williams.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303404704577307613183789698.html?mod=WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Darticle
Gosh, where’s your outrage at the stats showing/proving “discrimination” because of the lower number of blacks attending college, or getting jobs, or getting mortgages? This “disparate impact” theory establishes discrimination based solely on statistical differences in outcome — no actual proof of discrimination is needed. The Obama “Justice” Department is extorting billions from banks using this bogus method of establishing mortgage discrimination.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304636404577293622283974562.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
Oh, wait . . . I think I understand. Unpleasant statistics are racist — as is anyone who points them out. Favorable statistics (a.k.a. statistics that you find useful to your cause) require legal action. NOW I get it.
Mole – now that we have seen a video which clearly shows Mr. Zimmerman NOT in distress what is your opinion? Having had my nose broken twice I can tell you
A) It hurts like no tomorrow
B) You bleed like a stuck pig.
Apparently also Mr. Zimmerman’s head trauma also was so severe as to require magic invisible bandages.
We also learned that the police thought he should be charged. So, rightfully, now we turn to the prosecutor.
Richard — black on black violence is a serious issue and one that IS relevant.. However I am not sure it is validly carried out in a few hundred words in blog posts. A critical issue is that you have to determine, as an author, how to treat the murders associated with the crack epidemic – where violence waxed and waned according the degree to which the cartels were consolidating monopoly power in the upstream distribution. If you back out drug related gang violence the numbers start to look not a lot different than other ethnic groups, especially if you also account for higher levels of poverty.
Finally, and I think we all would agree, on CNN they said something very telling. An important piece of evidence which has not been released (and you just hope it was done) is whether there is physical evidence of the handgun being shot at extremely close range. If there are burn marks on Mr. Martin’s clothing that would be consistent with those providing statements on behalf of Mr. Zimmerman. But what will the supporters say if there are no burn marks? Or worse, if the police did not test the clothing for such evidence?
Eric, the black and Hispanic level of poverty is roughly equal. Yet the black murder rate is roughly triple the Hispanic murder rate. Seems to me that I’ve heard some Hispanics are involved in the drug trade as well.
I presume you are inferring that the black community glorification of the gangsta culture has little or nothing to do with the homicide rate. I must admit that such a view is, ahhh, counter-intuitive.
A) Isn’t at all clear (at least any more) that “glorification of the gangsta culture” is limited to the black community. Indeed, as you may know white kids purchase MUCH MORE “gansta” rap than black kids.
B) I think I could make a pretty compelling argument that there are MANY more black voices calling for kids to turn away from that glorification of violence than there are white voices.
C) Of course I am going to argue that there is no relationship between it. Otherwise we are down the rabbit hole of saying that because suburban kids in the 1970s listened to AC/DC or Black Sabbath they were one small step from devil worship and biting the heads off bats
D) The violence in the black community in the 1990s was not that dissimilar to the violence in the inner city neighborhoods in the 1920s….it was a turf battle over monopoly seller rights to a controlled substance. But once the SUPPLIERS of that substance worked out their OWN turf battles, the violence subsided. Pretty interesting (in a sick and twisted way) of how vertical integration can be good for sellers and middle men. Just look at LA County Homicide rates _AND_ drug use. Still got a real problem in drug use but the murder rate has fallen dramatically. To me, vertical integration of the drug trade is the easiest explanation.
Erik, I think that is a good point regarding your “C” (AC/DC rabbit hole, etc). The huge difference is scope. Few suburban kids were actually worshipping the devil or biting the heads off of bats. Even if they were the only real danger there was rabies. So it was pretty silly to get mad at bands for putting on a show.
The violence and glorification Richard and Juan Williams are talking about is real and it is murder. Not bat head eating. Half of murders are of black Americans and causes by other black Americans. We can either tell people who point that out to “go put on white sheets and burn a cross” or we can speak honestly about it in the hopes of one day solving the problem.
Honestly Michael I don’t even begin to know where to start with this really frustratingly bad analysis.
A) Gansta Rap is predominantly CONSUMED not by blacks but by Young WHITE MALES.
B) Where you and Richard fail in your analysis is some basic statistical fallacies. Here is a paper
http://www88.homepage.villanova.edu/lance.hannon/Forthcoming%20in%20the%20Journal%20of%20Poverty.pdf
that directly tests your hypothesis. Guess what – once you control for poverty and “urbaness” the racial differences go away.
In the 1970s I listened to those bands, but I didn’t end up biting the head off a bat. I ran for public office. Lord help me.
I’m not blaming it on one thing. I am saying that dismissing this one aspect is wrong. There is a cultural problem and part of the problem is the music/videos/movies. There are by far more poor white Americans than black Americans, but they aren’t committing nearly the amount of violent crime proportionately. It’s uncomfortable to talk about, I know, but it only gets worse the further we stick our heads into the sand. Dismissing large parts of the culture that glorify the problem is as silly as blaming it entirely on one part of the culture.
PS I just pictured Barry in a school boy outfit and long hair banging his head and making horns with his fingers! Wowzaa!
Too many are dealing with racism like it is the same problem it was 70 years ago. I didn’t grow up with black servants and seeing water fountains that were for blacks only. Blacks weren’t denied jobs or the ability to serve in the military in my lifetime. I don’t know anyone who can’t get a job because companies won’t hire blacks. A lynching is no more a reality to me than a woolly mammoth. I can’t even fathom a law against interracial marriage. At no time were blacks presented to me as less than human or without the same rights as everyone else. I grew up cheering for Jordan, and worshipping Lawrence Taylor, and watching Bill Cosby.
It is a totally different world now. But many were extremely comfortable with the idea that some white guy shot a little kid simply because he was black and in the wrong neighborhood. You’re trying to make this thing a simple case of a country full of racist rednecks. Those thoughts are extinct. Move forward. Yes, we need to stop people from automatically treating every black kid in a hoodie like a criminal, but we also need to figure out why so many black kids in hoodies are criminals.
We need to reject relics like the Black Panthers and the KKK or even references to them like they are relevant or real. People need to be held accountable for their actions no matter their skin color. We need to stop assuming that everything bad that happens to a black American is because they are black and an American. Just get rid of the word “racist” because these days all it amounts to is the end of a conversation rather than the beginning of one. And a pair of blinders so we don’t have to face reality.
The biggest problem with racism is actions and words of some of the people who hate racism.
Well I will simply say I strongly disagree with you and I have MUCH more experience in understanding (as some on this site know) from direct experience.
Michael,
I truly wish you were correct, but unfortunately you are not. Racism may not be as overt as it once was, but it certainly isn’t extinct.
Erik, I don’t know how you would know what my experience with racism is. Maybe the same way you knew the details of the case so well that it made you fear for a family member’s life.
Alger, I didn’t say racism is extinct. I said the way many talk about it and view it should be extinct.
Anyway…until next time. Take care.
Michael – if you are Caucasian and have an African American son then we have a similar experience. If not, then I really think you need to put a sock in it.
Can we stop shouting at each other over this for the time being?
All the advocates have had their say. You’ve done your duty.
The other guy disagrees, and so be it.
No kidding. A provocative post and a passionate discussion. But, does anyone have anything NEW to say? Ok then.