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Well, let me avoid "floundering in ambiguity". I'm not "espousing a theory" I'm stating well-attested facts: slavery in American was not theoretical, the KKK a

Well, let me avoid "floundering in ambiguity". I'm not "espousing a theory" I'm stating well-attested facts: slavery in American was not theoretical, the KKK are not theoretical, redlining is not theoretical. Someone else in the thread has linked to a article about the FBI investigating white supremacists who are following today a "historical goal" of infiltrating Law Enforcement. That's not theoretical. So there are "ongoing racist plots", it's no theory. Furthermore there are also emergent properties of our policing strategy that lead to problems as well. FWIW I have no fear that my "position", as you put it, in the "race debates" can stand on its own.

throwaway894345 7y ago
You misunderstood my comment. The "theory" refers to an explanation for what is perpetuating disparities in violence across racial communities, not whether or not certain injustices have happened or continue to happen. (hence, "There are a lot of (both racist and non-racist) theories for explaining this")
- carapace 7y ago
  I understood you fine. You want to call the obvious connection between racism and endemic violence "theory" and I'm pointing out that that's it's not theoretical at all. I mean, think about it: > the relative prevalence of (especially violent) crime in American minority communities as compared to white communities That obviously has something to do with the fact that a lot of folks living in "American minority communities" can't call the cops for help, eh?
  - throwaway894345 7y ago
    > That obviously has something to do with the fact that a lot of folks living in "American minority communities" can't call the cops for help, eh? I don’t know. Seems plausible, as do many other theories such as the high incarceration rates of adult males leads a leadership/fatherhood void, lack of career opportunities, ratio of negative to positive role models, the types of behaviors that are glorified, etc. I would be terribly surprised if it came down to a single trite explanation (such as yours) as opposed to a complex interplay of all of the above and many more. Social scientists don’t even profess to understand, but you seem very confident, so please, take the floor.

throwaway894345 7y ago

You misunderstood my comment. The "theory" refers to an explanation for what is perpetuating disparities in violence across racial communities, not whether or not certain injustices have happened or continue to happen. (hence, "There are a lot of (both racist and non-racist) theories for explaining this")

carapace 7y ago
I understood you fine. You want to call the obvious connection between racism and endemic violence "theory" and I'm pointing out that that's it's not theoretical at all. I mean, think about it: > the relative prevalence of (especially violent) crime in American minority communities as compared to white communities That obviously has something to do with the fact that a lot of folks living in "American minority communities" can't call the cops for help, eh?
- throwaway894345 7y ago
  > That obviously has something to do with the fact that a lot of folks living in "American minority communities" can't call the cops for help, eh? I don’t know. Seems plausible, as do many other theories such as the high incarceration rates of adult males leads a leadership/fatherhood void, lack of career opportunities, ratio of negative to positive role models, the types of behaviors that are glorified, etc. I would be terribly surprised if it came down to a single trite explanation (such as yours) as opposed to a complex interplay of all of the above and many more. Social scientists don’t even profess to understand, but you seem very confident, so please, take the floor.