(ThyBlackMan.com) Even in this age of runaway emotions, there are still some people who want to know the facts. Nowhere are facts more important, or more lacking, than in what has been aptly called “The War on Cops,” the title of a devastating new book by Heather Mac Donald.
Few, if any, of the most fashionable notions about the police, minorities and the criminal justice system can withstand an examination of hard facts. Yet those fashionable notions continue to dominate discussions in the media, in politics and in academia. But Ms. Mac Donald’s book of documented facts demolishes many fashionable notions.
Consider one of the big talking points of politicians and others who claim that the harsher penalties for people selling crack cocaine than for people selling powder cocaine show racism, since crack cocaine is more likely to be used by blacks.
The cold fact, however, is that black political and community leaders, back in the 1980s, spearheaded the drive for more severe legal penalties against those who sold crack cocaine. Black Congressman Charlie Rangel of Harlem was just one of those black leaders who urged these more severe penalties. So did the New York Times, the promoter of many crusades on the left.
Fast forward to the present, when both black leaders and the New York Times are blaming white racism for the more severe penalties for selling crack cocaine. If you want to see what they were saying back in the 1980s, check pages 154-159 of “The War on Cops.”
When the political winds change, politicians change. But that does not change the facts about what they said and did before.
As in her previous book, “Are Cops Racist?” Heather Mac Donald put hard facts front and center — and those facts devastate many a fashionable notion in the media, in politics and in academia.
One of the most popular arguments used in many different contexts is to show that blacks have been disproportionately represented among people stopped by police, arrested or imprisoned, as well as disproportionately represented among people turned down for mortgage loans or for other benefits.
Although many people regard these “disparate impact” statistics as evidence, or virtually proof, of racial discrimination, suppose that I should tell you that black basketball players are penalized by NBA referees out of all proportion to the 13 percent that blacks are in the American population.
“Wait a minute!” you might respond. “Blacks are more than just 13 percent of the players in the NBA.”
Black basketball players are several times more numerous than 13 percent of all NBA players. This is especially so among the star players, who are more likely to be on the floor, rather than sitting on the bench. And players on the floor most are the ones most likely to get penalized.
The difference between the percentage of blacks in the general population and the percentage of blacks in the particular activity being discussed is the key to the fraudulent use of “disparate impact” statistics in many other contexts.
Hillary Clinton, for example, decried a “disgrace of a criminal-justice system that incarcerates so many more African-Americans proportionately than whites.”
The most reliable crime statistics are statistics on murders, 52 percent of which were committed by blacks over the period from 1976 to 2005. If blacks are convicted of far more than 13 percent of all murders, does that mean that racism in the courts must be the reason?
On the benefits side, there was instant condemnation of mortgage lenders when statistics showed blacks being turned down for prime mortgage loans in 2000 at twice the rate that whites were turned down.
Seldom, if ever, did the media report that whites were turned down at nearly twice the rate that Asian Americans were turned down — or that Asian Americans’ average credit scores were higher than the average credit scores of whites, which were higher than the average credit scores of blacks.
Such facts would have spoiled the prevailing preconceptions. Many facts reported in “The War on Cops” spoil many notions that all too many people choose to believe. We need to stop this nonsense, before there is a race war that no one can win.
Written by Thomas Sowell
Official website; http://www.tsowell.com/
Wow!Mr Sowell you should be ashamed of yourself,to have posted such “MERITLESS” NONSENSE! War on cops you say? that”s laughable! and your source of reference,Heather McDonald is a “DELUSIONAL NEUROTIC” someone who has no business,putting out books dis-seminating such Pre-posterous,lies&DIS-INFO.You talk about a Race War? as bad as that is,there”s something worse coming down the pike! it”s World war 3 or Armageddon,as it”s called in the Bible.But back to the original topic.Strange but just about every other day,we see or hear of “UNARMED” Black Men,Women,Children,Little Girls,being shot&killed by the “COPS”,yet you say there is a war on the police!How can that be? when in every case,even when shown on camera,The police are always justified,never held accountable,never lose Pay,never do any jail time,and even when a family gets,a settlement the money is paid from the citizens,”TAX DOLLARS! Being a Cop is a dangerous job! but it comes with the territory.And anybody who chooses to enter this profession,has made a “WILLFUL” DECISION” to risk their life,in protecting the masses from criminals.Another thing Mr Sowell you talk about “STATISTICS” but statistics,are at best flawed and can be easily manipulated,especially when it comes to the police dept.Last time i looked i don”t see very many instances,where African Americans are killing police! but we definitely see the reverse.Going further here”s a Statistical fact,for you sir.The marjority of African American citizens,are “LAW ABIDING” Folks who obey the law,which is mostly flaw! many blacks do not even own guns.Whites are the ones with the Guns,can you deny that?One more thing i would like for you to address.We always hear about Black on Black crime,Drugs,etc.You talked about the crack epidemic,back in the 80″s and how Charlie Rangel,was responsible for the Disparate sentencing,assigned to blacks.That may be the only thing you said,that has any “Validity! Charlie Rangel was a lackey,for the power structure and fooled a lot of blacks,like Pres Obama.But answer this for me Mr Sowell.How is it that Crack Houses were allowed,to exist in the Black community?places like Harlem where whites from Jersey,Long Island,connetticut,upstate,came to get crack?How is it that with all those police,in the black Neighborhoods/community,we have all these drugs,robberies,assaults,murders being committed?I”m sure you know the greatest “CONCENTRATION”,OF COPS is in the Black community right? so how can we have “SIMULTANEOUSLY”,all these police and yet have all this crime? I”ll tell you:Because they allow it! then they talk all this “BS” like this article,this “DRIVEL” you have put together.Stop the ignorance&the deceit,the “HYPOCRISY” Because the “TRUTH” wears no “DISGUISE!
So, some of you want a race war. Has anyone been in a real war? Has anyone felt the whizzing sound of bullets? Has anyone seen and smelled an abdominal wound. Fought from morning to night, day in and day out? Killing is your job and you must do your best to kill as many of the enemy before they kill you, every single day. After a while, its a waking living nightmare, but you do it and after a while the smell of death won’t bother you. You will get used to it, until its over, then you can smell death in your sleep. You remember how your friends were in agony before they died. By the way, you don’t always ambush sometimes they get to you first. Now, this war on cops – as a black man I believe at some point they just won’t come. That’s when the gangs take over