When Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom were brutalized and murdered by four blacks I wondered aloud why it seems that so many of the most violent crimes are perpetrated by blacks. The shooting of Officer Rickman raises the same question. So I wonder aloud again- why?
I also wonder if the same is the case in Europe. Are most violent crimes in England perpetrated by blacks? In Germany? In France? If not, what is it about American culture that breeds such violence?
The easy answer would be the racist answer. Blacks are criminal by nature. However, that answer simply doesn’t work, as a rather large percentage of blacks in the States are not only law abiding citizens but excellent human beings. Are some blacks simply reacting to years of poverty and oppression? I don’t imagine that can be the answer either because there are a lot of poor whites as well and most of them don’t lash out in violence.
So – again – why are some blacks (usually males in their teens to late twenties) so very violent? And, more importantly, what can be done about it so that there are no more victims of that violence? And, by the by, this isn’t just a sociological issue but a theological issue as well- and more so.
UPDATE: See Tim’s take on the issue. As an inveterate news junkie I have to say that it simply is a fact that most violent crimes reported in the media are perpetrated by blacks. Now whether or not there are loads of whites committing very heinous crimes and those crimes are going unreported I cannot know. But watch the local and national news for a week wherever you live, count how many violent crimes are committed and by whom, and see what statistics you arrive at.
You might find these an interesting point of departure for such a discussion.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/42274/black_males_and_the_penal_system.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0429-08.htm
http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=3
By: Bob Schillaci on May 21, 2008
at 4:32 pm
Of course another question to consider is whether or not there’s actually more violence committed by blacks and other minorities, or if in fact it just seems like there’s more violence committed by blacks and other minorities, chiefly because it’s reported on more often than violence committed by whites. For the kind of influence that reporting can have on perception, see the “Crack Mother” hysteria of the early 1980s, in which there were literally hundreds upon thousands of reports in the local and national media (particularly televised media, but also in print media) highlighting what turned out to be an essentially made up phenomenon. It’s not that there were no mothers addicted to crack, of course, but that there was no sudden rise in the number of mothers addicted to crack that might merit such reporting, nor any commensurate reporting on mothers addicted to cocaine, the drug from which crack is created, and which, for children, would have the exact same effects as crack cocaine. Many (myself included) would recognize that the difference between crack and cocaine is not the drug itself, but by and large those who use the drug: poor minorities generally in the case of the former and relatively wealthy white people in the case of the latter. For other such media-invented nonsense, see reports on “Welfare Queens,” or for a non-race related example the always popular “War on Christmas.”
By: Tim Ricchuiti on May 21, 2008
at 5:08 pm
Tim, your point would be valid if the report listed by Bob weren’t true (the first one in his list).
By: Jim on May 21, 2008
at 5:15 pm
I disagree: increased incarceration rates aren’t reflective of a community that necessarily commits more crime or even more violent crime. It’s reflective of a society that is more comfortable incarcerating its minority cultures than its majority culture. In the first place, it should be pointed out that the United States imprisons its population at an astounding rate: recent reports put the number at 1 in 100 adults, and 1.6 million people overall. China, a country four times larger than ours, with human rights abuses of its own, managed to imprison only 1.5 million in the same time period. The vast majority of those in prison are there because of drug convictions, convictions that occur at a rate 12 times higher for black men than for white men (thank you, War on Drugs). That 12 times higher conviction rate does not reflect the fact that whites “in fact, commit more drug crimes than blacks.” So, again, I would argue that the racial component to this problem is a reflection of our society’s continuing prejudicial attitudes more than it is a reflection of actual levels of offences.
By: Tim Ricchuiti on May 21, 2008
at 5:51 pm
I’m not sure about the connection between the black community and high crime but as for violence in the States I would have thought that the prevalence of firearms has a lot to do with it.
In the UK even the police don’t carry guns, owning a gun is illegal for a member of the public and even possessing one will land you at least 5 years in prison.
It’s not that people in the UK are inherently less violent than Americans, just that the consequences of violent tendencies coupled with easy access to firearms makes things a lot worse.
The percentage of black people as part of the total population is much lower in the UK than in the USA but the disproportionately high number of black people in prison (7.3 per 1000) compared to white people (1.6 per 1000) is the same.
I don’t think that underlying racism is an adequate explanation, and neither is poverty, since amongst other poor ethnic minority groups (e.g. Pakistani & Indian communities), crime is very low. I’d suggest that more widespread family breakdown, poor social mobility and the popularisation of black knife and gun culture is all part of the problem.
By: Steven Harris on May 21, 2008
at 6:13 pm
If it is true that “more blacks” are involved in “violent” crime than whites in America I’d guess as an outsider that one of the problems is white people’s treatment of blacks. Still. There is alot of racial prejudice against blacks and more so in some states, so I read and hear and see as an outsider. I don’t believe you all have “equal opportunities”. Not only that I wonder if the rate of poverty is higher among black people than white. But I’m not convinced that “more blacks” are involved in “violent” crime anyway. Especially as my brother got mugged and beaten up last week by seven boys last week – the oldest was about 17. They were white. OK it was Syndey Aus but it’s a very multicultural city.
By: steph on May 21, 2008
at 7:53 pm
I agree with Tim. Although I am obviously not au fait with the US scene, here in Australia a much higher proportion of Aboriginal Australians who are charged with crime actually end up incarcerated than do Anglo Australians. Ability to get a good lawyer to represent you in court and familiarity with “the system” help a great deal in avoiding incarceration for more minor crimes.
By: Judy Redman on May 21, 2008
at 8:17 pm
I tend to agree with Tim to a point. The US seems to specialize in putting people into jail and grandstanding District Attorneys, always looking to show the electorate how ‘tough’ they are on crime seem to seek out ways to make more and more behavior “criminal.” I’m old enough to remember when DUI was a matter for civil action, as an example. Nobody went to jail for DUI.
Sometimes I wonder if a major part of the problem is that the judicial system has become an important cottage industry. Cops and prosecutors demand bigger budgets (all in the name of fighting “crime”) and for every trial a defense lawyer gets a fee. If convicted then we need more prisons and guards and probation officers and let’s not even consider the private corporations which make a bundle by running prisons through contracting.
There is a lot of money being made and prisoners are the “product” that fuels the industry. Without prisoners…a lot of people are out of work.
Of course, I’m a terrible cynic. Perhaps someone will convince me that I’m wrong?
By: Bob Schillaci on May 21, 2008
at 8:44 pm
Damn random smilies!
By: Bob Schillaci on May 21, 2008
at 8:45 pm