Are Police Anti-Black?

Recent polling makes clear that most blacks believe they are treated unfairly by law enforcement personnel, with recent examples of police-caused deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City being cited as evidence.  The explicit view is that these law breakers would not have been killed if they had been white. 

Is that so?  Was the police focus on skin color or conduct?

There are many in our society who believe that it must be the former since statistics show that blacks are far more likely than whites to be charged with crimes and end up in jail. 

Blacks make up 13% of the U.S. population today yet more than fifty percent of all murder suspects are African-American.  And their arrest rates for other serious crimes, such as armed robbery and aggravated assault, range from 25-40% of all such crimes.  Why are blacks so grossly over-represented in these dismal statistics?

Is it really possible that the disproportionate representation is due to police racism?  All of it?

Or is the truth rather less complicated?  The simple answer may be that blacks do commit more than their share of crime.

Why?

Is it certainly not a matter of genes or other inbred character flaw, as a true racist might claim.

But there are cultural and attitudinal factors more pronounced among blacks than whites.

Over 70% of black births are out of wedlock; 29% is the current number for white illegitimacy.  [Since both statistics are much higher than fifty years ago, the trends are horrible for family stability for Americans, in general.]  Study after study has established that children of single-parent households (almost always headed by a female) do not thrive as well as children who have both parents present.  It seems rather obvious to suggest that there is a connection between illegitimacy rates and criminal behavior.  The absence of the father in the home means there is no positive model for a youth or young man.  He therefore looks for guidance from the streets.

Consider what are undoubtedly related facts:

The high school drop-out rate is about 50% higher for blacks than for     whites.

For those remaining in school, blacks perform significantly less well than whites on tests measuring achievement levels in reading and math.

So how can it be a surprise that a population group with greater negative characteristics – less stable upbringing, bringing with it poor educational performance – produces disproportionate numbers of young people who can’t function effectively in the broader community and become criminals?

It is easy for the race hustlers and the ideologically blind to look “outside” certain black communities for explanations for high crime rates.  It’s always comforting to be able to ascribe blame for one’s problems to someone – or something- other than one’s self.  But that misplaced focus is truly tragic and destructive for it delays – or halts – confronting the real question:   High crime rates will not change until the real cause is addressed – cultural dysfunction.

Alas, for a young black man coming from such a sad and troubled background, the color of his skin is the least of his problems.