Are Blacks Being Oppressed in America? - A Critical Analysis

originally posted by: scorpio84
The analysis isn't derogatory - it's honest.

BS! "critical analysis", my ass!

Like many who take your position, you have chosen to ignore the MANY REASONS that black people have been relegated to the poor inner cities, prisons and gangs in this country. You have totally forgotten the WHY. That's totally DISHONEST and very derogatory.

I'm just upset that the one black man with the soundest advice for black people just has to be a rapist

Yes, let's talk to an extremely wealthy man who's never had to deal with ANY of the issues that people living in today's inner cities have had to deal with... Real smart!

What's funny is that, on some level, you probably really think you're being honest. Here's an idea... Instead of trying to do a half-assed "analysis" of the condition of black people (which you clearly know nothing about), why don't you do some critical analysis of yourself and why you feel it's so important to spread your vile racist crap around?

Educate yourself.

originally posted by: DEANORULES24
NO !!!
It's not about race !
Or being poor!
It's how your raised!
What kind of values are instilled in you as a child!

While you and I would like to believe that, I've seen firsthand how things really turn out. I've had black friends of mine, ones from good families with no police or legal issues, dressed well and speaking proper English, been totally treated different in interactions with police. It shocked me how differently he was treated

4 of my cousin's kids are adopted African American Boys, adopted almost at birth. Exremely well spoken,well raised and courteous boys. They have lived around the world and have been raised in a what you would call a white upper middle class family and area. They still get treated differently by people,even though if you took their pigment away, they'd be as white as Larry Bird. They have had to have "the talk" about how to handle themselves should they ever have an interaction with the police. It's troubling and sad that that even has to occur.

While I get what you are saying and I believe that is a part of it, there are still other issues at play. Being non white, non Asian even, puts you at a distinct disadvantage in American society. Poverty,crime ect only excerbate this disadvantage. There are many elephants in the room on all sides of race relations. A priest friend of mine Fr. Clarence Williams wrote a great book on it, calling it racial sobriety. That means everyone has to acknowledge that everyone harbors "some" racial preconceptions about others and that you have to make a concerted effort to change and overcome them, much like an alcoholic has to daily fight their fight.

a reply to: scorpio84

Just briefly and on one point (BTW I like your formatting nicely done):

Regarding the numbers killed. In exact terms the number are correct.

But this does not tell the tale and shows a lack of understanding either basic arithmetic and statistics.

In the US Blacks make up only 13.5 % of the entire population. (quickfacts.census.gov...)

So therefore the percentage of white kills by police would of course be higher in exact numbers.

The percentage of police killings as a percentage of a specific population tells an entirely different story:

From your source www.theguardian.com...

2.65 people out of each million of white population in the US have been killed by police in 2015.

Whereas 6.32 people out of each million of black population have been killed by police in 2015.

That's just one point.

I'll speak to your 'entitlment' theory when I get back from work.

Its so bad that once a south African delegate was visiting a Chicago jail and asked where is the jail for the white people. Like it or not white people are more likely to get a pass when it comes to spending time in the slammer.

originally posted by: conspiracy nut
Its so bad that once a south African delegate was visiting a Chicago jail and asked where is the jail for the white people. Like it or not white people are more likely to get a pass when it comes to spending time in the slammer.

As he walked down the street in Chicago did he also ask where are the white people too? Did he also ask why did black people shoot 52 blacks a couple of weekends ago in Chicago?

a reply to: Xtrozero

Still how come they didn't see ANY white people in the jail? Are you telling me white people don't commit crimes?

a reply to: conspiracy nut
Did they explain to the delegate that white people don't commit near the same percentage of violent crime that deserve housing in such jails?

a reply to: PresidentCamacho

I sincerely doubt that white people commit such little crime that they wouldn't have even the slightest presence in jail. A jail filled with minority's and you find nothing wrong with that? Its not like there are no white people in Chicago.

a reply to: scorpio84

Even though I admire what the UK Guardian is doing with "The Counted" website ... it's still exceedingly vestigial as a useful (or even truthful) basis for your incredibly HUGE topic. That's one of several reasons I didn't want to formally debate the topic with you: there's no way, even if we wrote pages and pages of content, that we can really answer "the question" without providing and analyzing gigabyte upon gigabyte of data ... and that's just not within the scope of ATS (at least for me).

(I'm not going to critique "The Counted" but make sure you understand just how they create their content.)

So, while I appreciate your willingness to approach the question "critically" ... I'd have to say you are, at best, only on the sheer edge of the matter based on what you've said so far.

You've conflated a lot in your OP ... and you've made some pretty strong assumptions not cited by data ... but let me ask you this as a basic question: how is it you think that by looking at ONE data source you can make the sweeping statements you do about your topic? Do you realize that there are thousands of folks studying and working with, in and around the REALITIES of this topic every day ... and some have been doing so for decades ... that don't make the broad-based statements that you have???

What's your actual knowledge base? Are you involved in academic sociology, crime research, social work, community development, law enforcement, the judicial system ... or any other area that would give you the knowledge base to make these kinds of statements?

I'm really not trying to throw a wet blanket on your thread, because IN ITS ESSENCE, I think you're doing something really important here: you've already seen the reluctance on the part of many to discuss any matter rationally, logically, from the perspective of proven evidence.

That's what I'm inviting you to do, even though it's a much, much bigger topic than we can really do justice to in this forum.

a reply to: conspiracy nut

Have you ever compared the amounts of violent crimes committed by blacks and whites?

Blacks at 13% of the population commit over 50% of violent crimes.

With a much higher percentage of black population in Chicago compared to the rest of the US, no I do not find it odd that a majority of the population is black.

I am sure there are a much greater number of prisons around the country that the overwhelming majority of the population is white.

Prisons normally reflect the racial makeup of the area in which they are in.

originally posted by: PresidentCamacho
a reply to: conspiracy nut

Have you ever compared the amounts of violent crimes committed by blacks and whites?

Blacks at 13% of the population commit over 50% of violent crimes.

Can you quote your actual source for these statistics?

Thank you kindly.

a reply to: conspiracy nut

YT vid

How do you add a youtube video on mobile?

a reply to: FyreByrd

While I think we both agree there is a problem with police violence, I do not agree this should be seen as a race problem.

One stat from The Counted: people killed by police in 2015 I thought was interesting was the amount of people killed who they themselves were unarmed.

I first thought about it as I was looking at the profiles of those killed this year. I noted how many people are killed cause they are armed and dangerous and how many were not, so I filtered and found that 204(19.4%) of the people killed by the police were unarmed.

91 people who were identified as white were also unarmed: 44% of unarmed killed, 8.6% of total killed
68 people who were identified as black were also unarmed: 33% of unarmed killed, 6.4% of total killed
49 people who were not identified as black or white were also unarmed: 23% of unarmed killed, 4.6% of total killed

If there were economic numbers we would see that most of the unarmed victims came from poor communities. Now, I am the frist to admit the dark history the U.S. has had with the African-Americans, but I feel violence can only be stopped if the cause if fully understood. I don't mind a law enforcement officer using lethal force on a criminal who is being dangerous and armed, but there should be no excuses for taking the life of unarmed non-violent criminals.

Black lives do matter, but to assume this is solely a race issue only shows the mass media's agenda is winning. Let us not divide because of the color of our skin or the beliefs we hold in our hearts. My point is this, its hard to end racism by trying to establish that it happens, instead let's find the cause and act to stop it.

a reply to: Looselungjones

Yes, because let's just keep making excuses instead of taking personal responsibility. Are you telling me that if I commit a crime, I can list the oppression of German-Americans as a reason for my behavior? Everyone's ancestors have been slaves. The thing is - white one white has nothing to do with blacks or them being oppressed. It is a stat that is completely irrelevant.

a reply to: pcgamer11

They don't have the sense of entitlement that pervades the black community.

a reply to: WeRpeons

That is why the cold hard truth is that it isn't being black nor poor...it's being poor and black that is the greatest indicator for crime in the United States.

originally posted by: conspiracy nut

Still how come they didn't see ANY white people in the jail? Are you telling me white people don't commit crimes?

OK I can play your game, What jail was it, what is the black population in that precinct? So are you telling me that there is never a white person in jail, see how that comes back with your hyperbole. In my first post I asked what was the percentages of the local population for that jail? There are areas in Chicago that is basically 100% populated by blacks, and the gang violence makes it the worst black on black crime in the country, so you tell me.

Obama is living proof of that.

I mean, he cant even be HIMSELF!

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

The truth will always hurt some more than others and for some reason it appears to be especially painful for you.

you have chosen to ignore the MANY REASONS that black people have been relegated to the poor inner cities, prisons and gangs in this country. You have totally forgotten the WHY

No, I haven't forgotten the "why" - which is a sense of entitlement with a lack of motivation. Quite frankly, if someone has all the opportunity but chooses to not even try, but instead cry about slavery - their excuses are null and void.

Yes, let's talk to an extremely wealthy man who's never had to deal with ANY of the issues that people living in today's inner cities have had to deal with... Real smart!

Apparently, in your world it's okay to commit murder and rape if you're black and poor. Do you even know any of the issues blacks in the hood deal with or are you just repeating liberal propaganda? Have you ever been to the hood - because I honestly doubt it. I find that the most vociferous defenders of impoverished blacks - the ones making the most excuses for them - are liberal whites with a crap ton of white guilt who have never stepped foot near the hood.

Yes, because the Cosby family wasn't descended from slaves.

why don't you do some critical analysis of yourself and why you feel it's so important to spread your vile racist crap around?

It's funny that your entire post is reactionary but adds zero substance to the debate. Argue with the stats if you think its racist.

originally posted by: scorpio84
a reply to: pcgamer11

They don't have the sense of entitlement that pervades the black community.

WTF is the "black community?" Is it the same as a "white community??"

Jon Jones? Neil DeGrasse Tyson? Money Mayweather? Will Smith? Is that your black community? You mean the "black community" where these guys live? Is that it? Is it the "black community" where marketing managers, store owners and college lecturers live?

Show your cards man and stop hiding