“It was a mis-use of statistics to suggest a larger problem than really exists, in order to justify a wholesale treatment of a race of people differently because of the actions of a few.
It was the basic fallacy of the stereotype. So there was one incident in a theme park. Does that mean that you need to avoid ever going to a theme park anywhere if you find out there is a “minority” event at the park? That’s what Derb wrote, and it’s absurd — and frankly, it is a racist statement.
I think we are in a civil war in this country, because of race, but I don’t think we need to give into the war. We need to end the war.”
Are you kidding me? A “misuse of statistics”? Based on my PERSONAL experience over the past 35 years and based on reading and following local and national news for the past 35 years (since I was about 12), there is nothing he said that was not right on the money. Yep those conclusions are statistically significant. Not only that, but another indirect piece of damning information is the percentage of the black population behind bars compared to the percentage of the white population behind bars. And NO, contrary to what Holder would have you believe there is no systemic bias against blacks in the judicial system - they are generally held to the same standard. If you disagree, produce the academic evidence that suggests otherwise - it doesn’t exist.
Actually I should correct myself there - Holder doesn’t even maintain that there is bias against blacks in the judicial system - he simply wants the percentage of blacks convicted to be the same as for whites after adjusting for the general population percentages of both races. He would do this even if meant having two DIFFERENT standards of justice for the different races.
As for the Bell Curve, I suggest you read it. Or if you don’t have time it is available on audio as well - you could listen to it on your commute. As was indicated earlier in the thread, in spite of the hysterical liberal critics who produce blatantly fallacious criticisms of it, it has withstood criticism quite well. The argument that all IQ tests are hopelessly culturally biased is bunk.
Take a close look at what you see around you on a day in and day out basis. And if you’re feeling very brave (or lucky), take a liesurely stroll in the black section any major (or not so major) urban area in the country at around 2 AM. Good luck with that.
How does one argue against “personal experience”? You must have had a lousy life, if you have personally experienced everything that Derb mentioned statistically.
You mention black incarceration rates. How does that personally effect you? Do you spend a lot of time in prisons, and find it hard to deal with blacks in that environment?
In the environments I exist in, there are people of many races, and as we are all in the same environments, we all have similar backgrounds, similar abilities, interests, and all seem to get along just fine. I don’t walk down the halls of my work worrying about whether there are too many blacks in the next aisle. I don’t get scared if my softball team is playing the AME church, nor am I scared if a group of black people get off the bus for the local walk for life.
I don’t get scared when I visit my son’s school, which has a significant black population. I don’t stay home rather than visiting the local mall, even though there is a significant minority presence. I don’t find the theme parks any less enjoyable when there are minorities there, or dislike my summer vacation because upwardly mobile blacks have decided to buy into the timeshare experience.
I ate dinner in Brunswick on a 4-day bike camping trip on the C&O canal. We road right past several minorities, and I didn’t think twice about it. They came to the pizza place we went to, and I said hi to them and made small talk about their bikes as compared to the loaded-down bike I was riding.
Sure, all of this is just “personal experience”, but that was the playing field you insisted we use.
I’d prefer to note that every day, almost every white person in America is NOT beat up, assaulted, or in any way inconvenienced by a minority.
So when Derb argues that you shouldn’t try to be a good samaritan to a minority, and offers as “proof” a single story where a 3rd-party trying to stop a guy from beating up his girlfriend is attacked (something that clearly would happen no matter what the race of the attacker), that is a harmful use of “statistics”.