Another shooting ina government building in DC

Mar 05, 2010 13:43

Christ I hate typing that. I hate that it's true. And I hate that it's not being hyped the same way it would be if the shooter had been any other ethnicity ( Read more... )

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jordan179 March 5 2010, 19:48:14 UTC
If these were people of color there would be all sorts of outrage, like what happened at Ft. Hood. (Though, admittedly, Ft. Hood is special because more people were killed.) People would be looking for connections or conspiracies. As it is, as soon as the dude is dead or in jail things quiet down. It seems to me that disgruntled white guys get a pass.

Fort Hood was "special" because the traitorous Major involved carried out his attack explicitly in support of the Terrorists. He was also corresponding via e-mail with a known Terrorist cleric. The fact that he also killed more people is not the reason why it was a Terrorist attack.

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ladyaelfwynn March 5 2010, 20:05:00 UTC
There were lots of things special about the Ft. Hood, attack, you're correct. I'd forgotten the bit about corresponding with the cleric.

But, it doesn't negate the fact that white guys that crash planes, shoot people, and blow up buildings are given more of a benefit of the doubt and justice is allowed to run its course.

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jordan179 March 5 2010, 20:13:23 UTC
But, it doesn't negate the fact that white guys that crash planes, shoot people, and blow up buildings are given more of a benefit of the doubt and justice is allowed to run its course.

???

What the hell are you talking about? Are you under the impression that nonwhite guys who commit major crimes are simply shot on the spot, while white guys who do the same things are let loose?

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ladyaelfwynn March 5 2010, 22:49:55 UTC
White guys who commit crimes, are more often than not, treated the way suspected criminals are supposed to, innocent until proven guilty. More white guys are able to afford attorneys, and work their way through the system.

Whereas people of color are more often seen as guilty until proven innocent, can't afford private attorneys, and are often pushed through the system as fast as possible.

People of color are not in jail because they commit 70% of the crimes (Wikipedia's stats on prison populations). They are there because they are disproportionately targeted. Why else do you think there's the term "driving while black"?

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jordan179 March 5 2010, 22:59:44 UTC
People of color are not in jail because they commit 70% of the crimes (Wikipedia's stats on prison populations). They are there because they are disproportionately targeted.

Has it ever occurred to you that American blacks (not "people of color," but blacks in particular) may actually commit a disproportionate percentage of violent crimes? And that they may be disproportionately targeted, not only in addition to this but because of this?

The reason I mention blacks is that the true disproportion does not involve Chinese, Japanese, Korean or even Hispanic prison populations, but rather black prison populations. Ignoring the problem of disproportionate black criminality won't make it go away, and blaming it on racist cops won't make it go away either.

Why else do you think there's the term "driving while black"?

Most incarcerated people are not there for traffic violations.

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ladyaelfwynn March 5 2010, 23:08:11 UTC
We're getting into an area which I think it's safe to say that neither of us are experts, so as the librarian I am, I'm going to refer you to Amazon.com and several books that go into the racial disparities in U.S. prisons.

The search "prison disparities" brought up over 20 hits, with a few focusing solely on African Americans.

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