Five Myths About Crime in Black America—and the Statistical Truths - COLORLINES

[hfojvt]

9. not much of a debunking

As far as #1, from the 2001 SAUS (which I have a paper copy of and I still prefer a book to a link)

Homicide rate 1980 - white male 10.9, white female 3.2, black male 66.6, black female 13.5
1996 - white male 7.0, white female 2.5, black male 51.5, black female 10.2

that's a rate for victims, but since your link says that 94% of black victims are killed by other blacks, it is almost a measure of black on black homicide. A murder rate that is 6 to 7 times higher than a corresponding white on white rate certainly seems "uniquely bad". As in, it happens way too damned often.

Not sure how prevalent the other myths are. Who is it that says, or believes, the violent crime rate is increasing? And what does that general claim have to do with specifically black America? If there even is such a thing. My neighborhood, my city, seems pretty inter-racial, except in the churches. Perhaps not many white people going to Bethel AME.

As for #5, I do not doubt that most blacks are not committing crimes, but from the homicide rates, it seems likely that the crime rate really IS higher in the black community, but like the homicide rate, most of the victims of black crime are - other blacks.

And why shouldn't there be some pushback to the myth advanced by the murder of Martin, that black people are in a huge amount of danger from gun toting racists. Most white people are not gonna shoot a black person for no reason other than hate.