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The Talk: Nonblack Version (Knock-Out precautions revisited)
Taki's Magazine ^ | April 5, 2012 | John Derbyshire

Posted on 11/23/2013 5:28:23 AM PST by Third Person

There is much talk about “the talk.”

“Sean O’Reilly was 16 when his mother gave him the talk that most black parents give their teenage sons,” Denisa R. Superville of the Hackensack (NJ) Record tells us. Meanwhile, down in Atlanta: “Her sons were 12 and 8 when Marlyn Tillman realized it was time for her to have the talk,” Gracie Bonds Staples writes in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Leonard Greene talks about the talk in the New York Post. Someone bylined as KJ Dell’Antonia talks about the talk in The New York Times. Darryl Owens talks about the talk in the Orlando Sentinel.

Yes, talk about the talk is all over.

There is a talk that nonblack Americans have with their kids, too. My own kids, now 19 and 16, have had it in bits and pieces as subtopics have arisen. If I were to assemble it into a single talk, it would look something like the following.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

(1) Among your fellow citizens are forty million who identify as black, and whom I shall refer to as black. The cumbersome (and MLK-noncompliant) term “African-American” seems to be in decline, thank goodness. “Colored” and “Negro” are archaisms. What you must call “the ‘N’ word” is used freely among blacks but is taboo to nonblacks.

“There is a talk that nonblack Americans have with their kids, too.” (2) American blacks are descended from West African populations, with some white and aboriginal-American admixture. The overall average of non-African admixture is 20-25 percent. The admixture distribution is nonlinear, though: “It seems that around 10 percent of the African American population is more than half European in ancestry.” (Same link.)

(3) Your own ancestry is mixed north-European and northeast-Asian, but blacks will take you to be white.

(4) The default principle in everyday personal encounters is, that as a fellow citizen, with the same rights and obligations as yourself, any individual black is entitled to the same courtesies you would extend to a nonblack citizen. That is basic good manners and good citizenship. In some unusual circumstances, however—e.g., paragraph (10h) below—this default principle should be overridden by considerations of personal safety.

(5) As with any population of such a size, there is great variation among blacks in every human trait (except, obviously, the trait of identifying oneself as black). They come fat, thin, tall, short, dumb, smart, introverted, extroverted, honest, crooked, athletic, sedentary, fastidious, sloppy, amiable, and obnoxious. There are black geniuses and black morons. There are black saints and black psychopaths. In a population of forty million, you will find almost any human type. Only at the far, far extremes of certain traits are there absences. There are, for example, no black Fields Medal winners. While this is civilizationally consequential, it will not likely ever be important to you personally. Most people live and die without ever meeting (or wishing to meet) a Fields Medal winner.

(6) As you go through life, however, you will experience an ever larger number of encounters with black Americans. Assuming your encounters are random—for example, not restricted only to black convicted murderers or to black investment bankers—the Law of Large Numbers will inevitably kick in. You will observe that the means—the averages—of many traits are very different for black and white Americans, as has been confirmed by methodical inquiries in the human sciences.

(7) Of most importance to your personal safety are the very different means for antisocial behavior, which you will see reflected in, for instance, school disciplinary measures, political corruption, and criminal convictions.

(8) These differences are magnified by the hostility many blacks feel toward whites. Thus, while black-on-black behavior is more antisocial in the average than is white-on-white behavior, average black-on-white behavior is a degree more antisocial yet.

(9) A small cohort of blacks—in my experience, around five percent—is ferociously hostile to whites and will go to great lengths to inconvenience or harm us. A much larger cohort of blacks—around half—will go along passively if the five percent take leadership in some event. They will do this out of racial solidarity, the natural willingness of most human beings to be led, and a vague feeling that whites have it coming.

(10) Thus, while always attentive to the particular qualities of individuals, on the many occasions where you have nothing to guide you but knowledge of those mean differences, use statistical common sense:

(10a) Avoid concentrations of blacks not all known to you personally.

(10b) Stay out of heavily black neighborhoods.

(10c) If planning a trip to a beach or amusement park at some date, find out whether it is likely to be swamped with blacks on that date (neglect of that one got me the closest I have ever gotten to death by gunshot).

(10d) Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks.

(10e) If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible.

(10f) Do not settle in a district or municipality run by black politicians.

(10g) Before voting for a black politician, scrutinize his/her character much more carefully than you would a white.

(10h) Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in apparent distress, e.g., on the highway.

(10i) If accosted by a strange black in the street, smile and say something polite but keep moving.

(11) The mean intelligence of blacks is much lower than for whites. The least intelligent ten percent of whites have IQs below 81; forty percent of blacks have IQs that low. Only one black in six is more intelligent than the average white; five whites out of six are more intelligent than the average black. These differences show in every test of general cognitive ability that anyone, of any race or nationality, has yet been able to devise. They are reflected in countless everyday situations. “Life is an IQ test.”

(12) There is a magnifying effect here, too, caused by affirmative action. In a pure meritocracy there would be very low proportions of blacks in cognitively demanding jobs. Because of affirmative action, the proportions are higher. In government work, they are very high. Thus, in those encounters with strangers that involve cognitive engagement, ceteris paribus the black stranger will be less intelligent than the white. In such encounters, therefore—for example, at a government office—you will, on average, be dealt with more competently by a white than by a black. If that hostility-based magnifying effect (paragraph 8) is also in play, you will be dealt with more politely, too. “The DMV lady“ is a statistical truth, not a myth.

(13) In that pool of forty million, there are nonetheless many intelligent and well-socialized blacks. (I’ll use IWSB as an ad hoc abbreviation.) You should consciously seek opportunities to make friends with IWSBs. In addition to the ordinary pleasures of friendship, you will gain an amulet against potentially career-destroying accusations of prejudice.

(14) Be aware, however, that there is an issue of supply and demand here. Demand comes from organizations and businesses keen to display racial propriety by employing IWSBs, especially in positions at the interface with the general public—corporate sales reps, TV news presenters, press officers for government agencies, etc.—with corresponding depletion in less visible positions. There is also strong private demand from middle- and upper-class whites for personal bonds with IWSBs, for reasons given in the previous paragraph and also (next paragraph) as status markers.

(15) Unfortunately the demand is greater than the supply, so IWSBs are something of a luxury good, like antique furniture or corporate jets: boasted of by upper-class whites and wealthy organizations, coveted by the less prosperous. To be an IWSB in present-day US society is a height of felicity rarely before attained by any group of human beings in history. Try to curb your envy: it will be taken as prejudice (see paragraph 13).

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

You don’t have to follow my version of the talk point for point; but if you are white or Asian and have kids, you owe it to them to give them some version of the talk. It will save them a lot of time and trouble spent figuring things out for themselves. It may save their lives.

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TOPICS: Education; Society
KEYWORDS: blacks; johnderbyshire
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Derb nailed it.
1 posted on 11/23/2013 5:28:23 AM PST by Third Person
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To: Third Person
I wonder what the "Black" version would sound like.

Regards,

2 posted on 11/23/2013 5:35:54 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: alexander_busek

It starts wit “Yo! Homey!”


3 posted on 11/23/2013 5:44:26 AM PST by pingman (Trust a lib? Surely you jest!)
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To: Third Person

Going to go crush some clays with the Derb right now


4 posted on 11/23/2013 5:48:23 AM PST by frithguild (The warmth and goodness of Gaia is a nuclear reactor in the Earth's core that burns Thorium)
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To: frithguild

Please pass along my appreciation of his work.


5 posted on 11/23/2013 5:51:22 AM PST by Third Person (Welcome to Gaymerica.)
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To: alexander_busek

whites want to oppress and enslave
you, you should hate all whites.


6 posted on 11/23/2013 5:57:28 AM PST by nixonsnose (you never know how much pee splatters until you are standing at the urinal in flip flops.)
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To: Third Person
Odd. The version of "The Talk" I received as a youngster was quite different, and involved becoming intimately aware of exactly what would occur to Me should any of the lovely lasses I was in the habit of spending any amount of time with begin to exhibit any gradually increasing weight and developing a bulge located in their lower abdomen.

Since it was delivered by all My closest female relatives, including no few cousins and aunts, some of which were known to be especially skillful with kitchen knives and not always the most pleasant of company, and considering that our family ran about eighty percent females, I took the warning(s) to heart. Especially since ALL the male relatives wisely kept their gobs shut and simply nodded emphatically at certain points to emphasize how they were not going to interfere in any way concerning such matters.

I took the talk to heart.

Over the years it evolved into a simple telling glance at times, which warning I always was quick to heed.

7 posted on 11/23/2013 6:01:48 AM PST by Utilizer (Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)
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To: Third Person
This past summer, I worked with a 27 year old black man ("Edward") on a couple of highway projects. He's an intelligent, hard-working man yet he feels pulled to live the "Ghetto-gangsta" lifestyle, ie, different women, partying, rapping, etc. His uncle runs a car repair shop and his folks do excellent work. working for the uncle is Edward's dad, a sort of ne'er do well who dealt drugs as a young man and is now trying (with mixed success) to straighten out his life.

I believe Edward has two dads here- one the hard-working responsible successful businessman, the other the lazy alcoholic, and he's pulled in both directions.

Edward is smart enough to pull better, but I think there's too much emotionalism among the young black community...much of it is being raised by single moms, without the rational counterbalance of having a strong father. The shows they watch, the music they play, even the talk shows like Rickey Smiley do nothing to make one think. Even his Christian faith was too emotional and doesn't have too much depth to it.

In spite of all this (me a middle-aged white man from Mississippi), we got along great. We respected each other enough to listen to each other, and I think I got through to him on a few things (in one case I cheated-I told him not to support Obama because he's gay). Also, I got a perspective on what young blacks think today.

8 posted on 11/23/2013 6:03:44 AM PST by MuttTheHoople (Nothing is more savage and brutal than justifiably angry Americans. DonÂ’t believe me? Ask the Germa)
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To: Third Person

Time for NRO to apologize to Derbyshire. Actually well past time.


9 posted on 11/23/2013 6:04:02 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: MuttTheHoople

Where is the cheating?


10 posted on 11/23/2013 6:06:23 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Third Person

” If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible.”

Sad but true. Nothing more criminally intention-ed than a herd of blacks running the streets after a sporting event... Make that any event. You run the other way with the knowledge that riot Police will soon be in tow.

That black America is your legacy. Hope you are proud.


11 posted on 11/23/2013 6:06:28 AM PST by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept?)
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To: alexander_busek

“the talk most black parents give their teenage sons”

Intro. in the USA: “Once upon a time ...”
Redneck intro: “You ain’t gonna believe this **** ...”


12 posted on 11/23/2013 6:07:43 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: All armed conservatives.)
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To: Third Person

For the record, two of my children are black. They are adopted, and no pre-screening was done. They were adopted at birth. Their intelligence is normal to slightly above average. This leads me to believe that some of these oberall sample cognitive differences have to do with an urban/black subculture, and not anything racially innate. I also wonder what role fetal alcoholism/pre-natal drug exposure contributes to these numbers, as that is also skewed between the races in this country.


13 posted on 11/23/2013 6:13:47 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There's no salvation in politics.)
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To: tumblindice
Army intro: "No sh*t, there I was..."

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

14 posted on 11/23/2013 6:24:08 AM PST by wku man (It's almost deer season, got your DEERGOGGLES on yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jexrnFq2fXY)
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To: Third Person

I disagree with 10g.


15 posted on 11/23/2013 6:26:13 AM PST by ottbmare (the OTTB mare, now a proud Marine Mom)
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To: DariusBane
” If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible.”
That's the reason I stopped following basketball years ago. The days of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, "Dollar Bill" Bradley(well, before he became a NJ senator), Earl the Pearl Monroe, etc. are like ancient history. The NBA degenerated into a glorified "gangsta" headquarters. I would add, stay away from any city with an NBA team competing for the championship. Win or lose, there's gonna be trouble.
16 posted on 11/23/2013 6:28:06 AM PST by Impala64ssa (You call me an islamophobe like it's a bad thing.)
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To: Impala64ssa

I know it. But I still love the NBA. Sir Charles gives blacks a whole lot of lee way to be angry, and to revel in black culture. It’s a shame and unless leaders of the black community confront the underlying current of anger, hostility and stupidity head on then nothing will change.

Now Shaq has made a lot of himself. He has a doctorate in education. So he leads by example, BUT he will not dare to confront black culture verbally.

When the Thunder made it to the playoffs in 2012 you bet your bottom dollar, somebody died right across the street from the stadium. Shot to death by... Wait for it... I don’t even need to say it do I?


17 posted on 11/23/2013 6:33:57 AM PST by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept?)
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To: MuttTheHoople

You didn’t cheat......overwhelming evidence that obama is likely homosexual


18 posted on 11/23/2013 6:44:25 AM PST by Josa
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To: newgeezer

Dude!


19 posted on 11/23/2013 6:52:27 AM PST by DungeonMaster
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To: Third Person

20 posted on 11/23/2013 6:53:10 AM PST by bkopto (Obama and Biden are merely symptoms of a more profound, systemic disease in American body politic.)
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