USA Discrimination by Police

[Josiah]

I've often heard it CLAIMED (but never seen a single stat that PROVES it) that 20 year old males get more speeding tickets than 80 year old women.

Assuming such is true (and again, NOTHING offering that proves it)....

Does this PROVE the police discriminate against 20 year old males? Or does it merely mean 20 year old males are more likely to speed than 80 year old women? Could that at least be a possibility?





.

 

[tango]

It's well known that the police discriminate against entire classes of people.

Burglars, muggers, rapists, thieves, all get far more attention from police than the rest of the population despite being a small percentage of the population.

If you look at prison populations you'll find criminals form a much higher percentage than they do of the population at large. If that doesn't prove discrimination I don't know what does.

 

[Josiah]

Someone being arrested by the police COULD mean the police love to arrest people of that age, race, color, gender, language, education or social level. Yes, it COULD. But the act of arresting does not prove that;. I assume that those under 30 get more speeding tickets than those over 80 (in terms of percentage of their population) but does that prove discrimination against young people? Obviously, not necessarily. There is another possibility. One that is never mentioned.

AGAIN this morning as I watched NBC morning news, the point was made YET AGAIN that a certain race is arrested in greater percentages (vis-a-vis the population) and it was presented as proof of police discrimination. I don't question the stat, only the ASSUMPTION. It COULD be true but the data they presented by no means substantiates it.

I'm reminded SO OFTEN how some depend on people not thinking... and they do it because it works. These issues are difficult enough without this ploy being constantly used.




.

 

[Andrew]

What if I identify myself as a non Criminal.. can I sue them if I commit a crime and they arrest me? LgbtqI (for innocent?)?...

 

[tango]

What if I identify myself as a non Criminal.. can I sue them if I commit a crime and they arrest me? LgbtqI (for innocent?)?...

On a more serious note it does create a bizarre situation if a violent rapist is convicted but decides to identify as female. It appears some people truly believe this person should have their newfound gender identity acknowledged and be placed in a women's prison with a female cellmate. Because, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Josiah]

ONE of the (yes) MANY issues I see is the silly point that if the police arrest one subgroup of humanity in greater proportion to their population as a whole, this PROVES discrimination against that group. You hear and read it all the time. Again this morning on NBC's morning news as I was drinking my coffee. "PROOF" is the word they used repeatedly.....

Well.... are men arrested more often for murder than women? Does this prove the police discriminate against men? Are drivers under 30 arrested for speeding more often than drivers over 80? Does this prove the police discriminate against young people? See my point? The entire premise - on which MUCH of the "police hate _______" argument is based, is all on this absurd, silly, laughable premise. Do people THINK when they hear these things? Oh, silly me.... oh, silly me




..

 

[tango]

ONE of the (yes) MANY issues I see is the silly point that if the police arrest one subgroup of humanity in greater proportion to their population as a whole, this PROVES discrimination against that group. You hear and read it all the time. Again this morning on NBC's morning news as I was drinking my coffee. "PROOF" is the word they used repeatedly.....

Well.... are men arrested more often for murder than women? Does this prove the police discriminate against men? Are drivers under 30 arrested for speeding more often than drivers over 80? Does this prove the police discriminate against young people? See my point? The entire premise - on which MUCH of the "police hate _______" argument is based, is all on this absurd, silly, laughable premise. Do people THINK when they hear these things? Oh, silly me.... oh, silly me

In the UK some years ago a woman was the first person to be legally charged and convicted in court of rape. I forget the exact details of the case but it was extremely unusual because the legal definition of rape at the time was such that a woman was incapable of raping anyone. Since the police only ever seek men when hunting a rapist that clearly proves they are sexist.

 

[Josiah]

Since the police only ever seek men when hunting a rapist that clearly proves they are sexist.

... and thus British police STRONGLY DISCRIMINATE against men. At least that's the "logic" that is used in the USA (maybe you Brits are smarter).



.

 

[tango]

... and thus British police STRONGLY DISCRIMINATE against men. At least that's the "logic" that is used in the USA (maybe you Brits are smarter).

Smarter? I used to think so, now I'm not so sure. Our laws are full of helpful terms like "reasonable", which is typically defined as being whatever a "reasonable person" would consider appropriate under the circumstances. Gotta love a circular definition.

But we have Lord Buckethead who stands in major elections, so at least we can laugh at the system.