easyt65
Diamond Member
- Aug 4, 2015
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Exaggerations have poisoned discussions about relations between blacks and the police.
“Black men between the ages of 15 and 19 are 21 times as likely as whites to be killed by a police officer,” said Chuck Todd on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.”
Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree echoed Todd. “The data is clear, that black boys are being killed by white police officers around the country.” The claim was repeated frequently on other shows.
But those numbers aren’t entirely accurate, and they are far from the whole truth.
Nor is there any denying that blacks feel discriminated against. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 70% of blacks believed that the police treated whites better than blacks. By contrast, only 37% of whites agreed. Last week, President Obama emphasized how blacks’ distrust of police is “rooted in realities” and how the anger to the verdict was “an understandable reaction.”
But at least part of this feeling seems to stem from how the media covers the issue.
After adjusting for murder rates, black male teenagers are still killed by the police 2.3 times as often as whites. This is a considerable difference — but again, over-representation of urban areas in the data set could be a big part of the explanation.
Screaming “racism!” may attract a TV audience. But uncritically spreading bad information is downright dangerous.
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Yes it is dangerous - it just got 12 officers shot, 5 assassinated!
John Lott: Dangerous distortions on cops shooting black men
“Black men between the ages of 15 and 19 are 21 times as likely as whites to be killed by a police officer,” said Chuck Todd on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.”
Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree echoed Todd. “The data is clear, that black boys are being killed by white police officers around the country.” The claim was repeated frequently on other shows.
But those numbers aren’t entirely accurate, and they are far from the whole truth.
Nor is there any denying that blacks feel discriminated against. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 70% of blacks believed that the police treated whites better than blacks. By contrast, only 37% of whites agreed. Last week, President Obama emphasized how blacks’ distrust of police is “rooted in realities” and how the anger to the verdict was “an understandable reaction.”
But at least part of this feeling seems to stem from how the media covers the issue.
After adjusting for murder rates, black male teenagers are still killed by the police 2.3 times as often as whites. This is a considerable difference — but again, over-representation of urban areas in the data set could be a big part of the explanation.
Screaming “racism!” may attract a TV audience. But uncritically spreading bad information is downright dangerous.
---------------------
Yes it is dangerous - it just got 12 officers shot, 5 assassinated!
John Lott: Dangerous distortions on cops shooting black men
