The Logic of Inherent/Systemic Racism

[DGS49]

Black Spokane residents are 5 times more likely to be arrested, new data show

Over the course of a year, a Black person in Spokane is over five times more likely to be arrested by Spokane police than a white person, according to a Spokesman-Review analysis of recently released data.

www.spokesman.com

I have linked a long, well-researched article carrying the inflammatory headline, "Black Spokane residents are 5 times more likely to be arrested..."

But as you read through it, it is logical nonsense. It is based on a gigantic fallacy, namely, that police arrests, if they are not based on RACISM, will be proportionate to the demographic split of the population.

Clearly, in Spokane, Washington and in other jurisdictions mentioned in the article, Blacks are arrested at higher rates than "white" people. But there is no attempt whatsoever to identify WRONGFUL arrests. Is this not the crux of the issue? The implication is that because Blacks are arrested at higher rates, then that is because the police are harassing Blacks - treating them unfairly. But if the arrests are APPROPRIATE, then what is the problem? And there is not even a claim that the arrests are largely wrongful.

Year after year, the best statistical breakdown in the country, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, reports that a group comprising roughly 6% of the U.S. population - Black males - commits about 45% of the violent crimes, a proportion that is more than seven times higher than one would expect if violent crime were proportionately committed by all demographic groups.

I am humble enough to acknowledge the possibility that some forms of harmful racism are not amenable to objective measurement, but this article is logical nonsense. It doesn't even pretend to support its most important assertions and implications. Yes, Blacks are arrested much more often than whites. As they should be.

 

[candycorn]

I'll tell a synopsis of the story I've told many times here. I was pulled over in Bellaire, Texas one night for a tail light being out. I went to Traffic Court in Bellaire (about 90% white) and the only 3 non-minority people in the court that evening were me, the judge, and an attorney--this was about 50-100 defendants in the room. The cops were apparently only ticketing predominantly ethnic minorities.

Systemic racism does exist. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply ignorant.

 

[Indeependent]

Up to

I'll tell a synopsis of the story I've told many times here. I was pulled over in Bellaire, Texas one night for a tail light being out. I went to Traffic Court in Bellaire (about 90% white) and the only 3 non-minority people in the court that evening were me, the judge, and an attorney--this was about 50-100 defendants in the room. The cops were apparently only ticketing predominantly ethnic minorities.

Systemic racism does exist. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply ignorant.

Up to the late 90s, Jews wearing yarmulkes were constantly being stopped and berated by cops on the way to, and home from, the Catskills.
After a few decades of not having a reputation for committing crimes, they softened up on us.
Building a reputation helps.

 

[JoeMoma]

I'll tell a synopsis of the story I've told many times here. I was pulled over in Bellaire, Texas one night for a tail light being out. I went to Traffic Court in Bellaire (about 90% white) and the only 3 non-minority people in the court that evening were me, the judge, and an attorney--this was about 50-100 defendants in the room. The cops were apparently only ticketing predominantly ethnic minorities.

Systemic racism does exist. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply ignorant.

And somehow you were the only non-minority defendant in the room of at least 50.. What did you do to piss the cop off since all the other whites were getting off scott free?

 

[TNHarley]

I'll tell a synopsis of the story I've told many times here. I was pulled over in Bellaire, Texas one night for a tail light being out. I went to Traffic Court in Bellaire (about 90% white) and the only 3 non-minority people in the court that evening were me, the judge, and an attorney--this was about 50-100 defendants in the room. The cops were apparently only ticketing predominantly ethnic minorities.

Systemic racism does exist. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply ignorant.

Yet you have nothing to prove your assertions.
Just whine about something that doesnt exist

 

[MaryL]

Black Spokane residents are 5 times more likely to be arrested, new data show

Over the course of a year, a Black person in Spokane is over five times more likely to be arrested by Spokane police than a white person, according to a Spokesman-Review analysis of recently released data.

www.spokesman.com

I have linked a long, well-researched article carrying the inflammatory headline, "Black Spokane residents are 5 times more likely to be arrested..."

But as you read through it, it is logical nonsense. It is based on a gigantic fallacy, namely, that police arrests, if they are not based on RACISM, will be proportionate to the demographic split of the population.

Clearly, in Spokane, Washington and in other jurisdictions mentioned in the article, Blacks are arrested at higher rates than "white" people. But there is no attempt whatsoever to identify WRONGFUL arrests. Is this not the crux of the issue? The implication is that because Blacks are arrested at higher rates, then that is because the police are harassing Blacks - treating them unfairly. But if the arrests are APPROPRIATE, then what is the problem? And there is not even a claim that the arrests are largely wrongful.

Year after year, the best statistical breakdown in the country, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, reports that a group comprising roughly 6% of the U.S. population - Black males - commits about 45% of the violent crimes, a proportion that is more than seven times higher than one would expect if violent crime were proportionately committed by all demographic groups.

I am humble enough to acknowledge the possibility that some forms of harmful racism are not amenable to objective measurement, but this article is logical nonsense. It doesn't even pretend to support its most important assertions and implications. Yes, Blacks are arrested much more often than whites. As they should be.

The Democrats are self hating anti white shitheads and they support race riots, and that it self is "systemic" enough for us to call for a close examination of the democrats. Are the Democrats a hate group? They are at least enabling riots and civil unrest, NO Government official should be doing what the Dems are doing RIGHT fucking now.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

I'll tell a synopsis of the story I've told many times here. I was pulled over in Bellaire, Texas one night for a tail light being out. I went to Traffic Court in Bellaire (about 90% white) and the only 3 non-minority people in the court that evening were me, the judge, and an attorney--this was about 50-100 defendants in the room. The cops were apparently only ticketing predominantly ethnic minorities.

Systemic racism does exist. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply ignorant.

What you're describing, if we assume that the numbers you noticed were based on selective enforcement, proves only the racist actions of the individuals who handed out those traffic violations. Granted, there's a lot of definitions of systemic racism floating around out there, but I've yet to find one that doesn't contain the caveat that it ISN'T about the actions of individuals. That being the case, you wouldn't have proven systemic racism with your single anecdote even if we were under the impression that a single data point is enough to prove any pattern, let alone a specific one, which we are not.

 

[danielpalos]

Black Spokane residents are 5 times more likely to be arrested, new data show

Over the course of a year, a Black person in Spokane is over five times more likely to be arrested by Spokane police than a white person, according to a Spokesman-Review analysis of recently released data.

www.spokesman.com

But as you read through it, it is logical nonsense. It is based on a gigantic fallacy, namely, that police arrests, if they are not based on RACISM, will be proportionate to the demographic split of the population.

Why do you believe it is a fallacy, ceteris paribus?

 

[DGS49]

If you were driving at night, how did the cop know that you were Black?

How long ago did that happen?

Did the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department exist at that time? The ACLU?

I suspect that that COULD NOT HAPPEN any more.

But I could be wrong.

 

[IM2]

Systemic racism exists. It's been shown to exist. Racists making a claim of it not existing is expected.