Any killing of another human is reprehensible. Why is it that the killing of a person of color is seen as different. No wait, it is different only if the person of color was killed by a person of not the same color.
According to a study by Heather McDonald (Thomas W. Smith Fellow; Manhattan Institute) released in April of 2016 the data shows the overwhelming violent deaths of black Americans are the hands of people of a similar race. Of the 987 civilians killed by police, 50% were white, 25% were black. Our problem isn’t the very low percentage of police who shouldn’t be police, but the lack of leadership and efforts in the black community to root out violence. Come on Reverend Al, step up and talk about this!
Over the last two decades murder rates have dropped precipitously across the country, NYC by 85%. Community based policing, Compstat, Stop and Frisk, etc. has worked. In NYC, if the old crime rates were still happening, 10,000 more black males would be dead. Yet, there is protest about the police!
If you ask the residents of areas plagued by violent crime they want the protection they deserve, yet, what we see on TV is protests, chants about burning pigs, looting, etc. The facts don’t matter.
The “Ferguson Effect” is a fact, and murder rates are rising.
When police department is acting in a discriminatory fashion, there are ways to fix it other than violence. Leadership is the key. When the mayor tells the police to pull away and not arrest looters, not a good deal.
Can we focus on the data please.