Quote:
Originally Posted by iruinedyourday
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racist implications
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Facts aren't racist. Blacks commit a disproportionate amount of crime. That's not a racist statement anymore than 'most white people can trace their ancestry to Europe' is a racist statement. However, there are several conclusions you can draw which may or may not be racist:
Racist: Blacks commit a disproportionate amount of crime because as a group they are inferior to white people and I hate them. Accordingly, I will judge all black people negatively based on this information.
Not Racist: Blacks commit a disproportionate amount of crime due to a combination of factors including institutional racism and poverty, but most importantly a toxic, dysfunctional culture that predisposes them to negative outcomes. Accordingly, I realize this information should not dictate how I judge a black-skinned individual, because his narrative is not necessarily the same as that of his "race", and that would be bigoted.
When you come to realize just how powerfully somebody's culture dictates their beliefs, behavior, potential, and just general strength of character, it's easy to see why some cultures on Earth are so much more successful than others; why at one time Middle Eastern Arabs and ancient Chinese were miles ahead of their Western European counterparts, and why the revolution in empirical thought, scholastic achievement, and the Protestant ethic combined to produce the scientific revolution-- which created almost all the technological advances of the modern world.
The correct approach in this situation isn't to plug your ears and shout 'RACIST!' when somebody provides facts you don't agree with. Being unable to accept factual evidence severely undermines society's ability to solve these problems, and it's the hallmark of the conservative political legacy in this country to ignore evidence that disagrees with your values and motives.