But that doesn't explain why black people receive stricter sentences, are more likely to be arrested for similar crimes, are more likely to suffer police brutality and are more disproportionately affected by all the various factors that generate criminality (such as poverty). When you start to think about those things, you start to realize what systemic racism actually is.
OK. Let’s break this down.
“But that doesn’t explain why...
1.) African-Americans receive stricter sentences -
This is a decision made by a judge and you have already claimed that decisions made by individual judges has nothing to do with your claim of systemic racism.
Like I said before, “If this is
not evidence of systemic racism - stop claiming that it is.”
2.) African-Americans are more likely to be arrested for similar crimes -
This is a claim that is impossible to prove.
Although the higher crime rate in African-American communities does justify an increased police presence which leads to more policing actions.
Basically - police officers doing their jobs is not systemic racism.
3.) African-Americans are more likely to suffer police brutality -
You already agreed with me when I claimed that African-Americans are more likely to flee or resist arrest.
If a police officer is required to use force - based on the action or inaction of a suspect or offender - then no one should be surprised if someone gets hurt.
I understand that you like to employ various circular reasoning's like;
Blacks resist arrest because police officers are violent towards blacks→ Police officers use force on those who resist arrest → Black resist arrest because police officers are violent towards blacks → ad infinitum.
Basically - it is a self-fulfilling prophecy to claim that police officers are violent toward African-Americans while maintaining that African-Americans are justified when they resist arrest.
I saw a great list of “10 Rules of Survival if Stopped by the Police” which
everyone who is stopped by police should follow:
1. Be polite and respectful when stopped by the police. Keep your mouth closed.
2. Remember that your goal is to get home safely. If you feel that your rights have been violated, you and your parents have the right to file a formal complaint with your local police jurisdiction.
3. Don’t, under any circumstance, get into an argument with the police.
4. Always remember that anything you say or do can be used against you in court.
5. Keep your hands in plain sight and make sure the police can see your hands at all times.
6. Avoid physical contact with the police. No sudden movements, and keep hands out of your pockets.
7. Do not run, even if you are afraid of the police.
8. Even if you believe that you are innocent, do not resist arrest.
9. Don’t make any statements about the incident until you are able to meet with a lawyer or public defender.
10. Stay calm and remain in control. Watch your words, body language and emotions.
None of this means that police officers are trigger-happy lunatics that we should be cowering in fear of.
It points out that every single person an officer approaches is a mystery to them. They do not know what to expect.
Anyone they approach could have a weapon and violent intent. They do not know - but they need to approach these people anyway to do their job.
Following these rules will help the officers know that you mean them no harm and that they don’t need to use force.
People often forget that police officers are people too - with families - and they want to go home at the end of the day just like anyone else and their gaining control of suspects and offenders keeps everyone safe.
4.) African-Americans are more disproportionately affected by all the various factors that generate criminality (such as poverty)
Again - broken-record here - that is because of their culture.
They are taught that they are perpetual victims that are owed success because of historical injustices that they themselves never experienced.
I believe this culture leads to higher drop-out rates, children born to teenage and unmarried mothers, unemployment, higher rates of crime, higher likelihood of arrest and imprisonment - and all this leads to further poverty.
I do not see any evidence of systemic racism.
No, it isn't. But it IS racist to blame this statistic on their race, rather than acknowledging systemic racism that generates this.
Then it is a good thing that
I never once blamed this or any other statistic on anyone's race.
There is no system in the United States that forces anyone to murder someone else.
Your desire to blame some mythical system rather than acknowledge the real causes of poverty and crime in the African-American community - culture and poor life-choices - proves that you are not looking for a solution to these problems.
You just want another talking point for some liberal Democratic agenda.
No, my understanding is that since all of the facts show that there is systemic racism, there is systemic racism.
Why haven’t you shared any of these facts yet?
I mean - I’m literally asking you to share these things with me.
Why do you keep bringing up assumptions and assertions - when you claim to have actual facts to support your claim?
That doesn’t make any sense.
Even this post is rife with it. Literally, look at what you're saying above:
"There is no systemic racism in American economics - black people are just more likely to be poor."
"There is no systemic racism in American politics - black people are just more likely to be negatively impacted by government policy."
"There is no systemic racism in the American justice system - black people are just more likely to be punished and receive harsher sentences."
"There is no systemic racism in American policing - black people are just more likely to be victims of police brutality."
You're willing to acknowledge and accept all of the facts of systemic racism, but you're, for whatever reason, unwilling to accept the existence of systemic racism. You're missing the forest for the trees.
This is all nothing but confirmation bias and circular reasoning.
Every single one of these examples you have referenced can be explained by negative aspects of African-American culture.
African-Americans are more likely to live in poverty because the vast majority of African-American children are being raised without a father in the home.
As Obama claimed - this leads to all kinds of negative outcomes including poverty.
African-Americans are more likely to be negatively affected by certain government policies because they are being taught by the media, Hollywood, schools, their community leaders and the Democratic Party that they are victims of historical injustice and are therefore entitled to various privileges.
This is akin to convincing someone - who is perfectly capable of walking on their own - to always use crutches - thus weakening them and eventually making it impossible for them to walk on their own.
African-Americans are more likely to be punished for crimes because they commit more crime. The incarceration rate of African-Americans reflects the crime rate of African-Americans.
African-Americans are more likely to receive harsher sentences than their “Non-Hispanic” White counterparts due to an individual judge’s ruling which is based on a variety of variables - which you keep claiming is not evidence of systemic racism.
So stop bringing it up.
African-Americans are more likely to enter into altercations with police officers because they are more likely to flee or resist arrest.
Whether or not you believe that their fleeing or resisting is justified is beside the point. Police officers are required to gain control of suspects/offenders by any means necessary to ensure their own safety, the safety of the suspect/offender and the safety of all others.
You claim that I am missing the forest for the trees while I claim you are seeing a forest when there is nothing there.
Nothing that you are claiming exists actually exists in the United States today. Nothing.
No, it doesn't. It thoroughly supports my conclusion. You seem to still be under the misapprehension that my argument is about individual racists rather than systemic racism.
Your source failed to provide evidence of either individual racists or systemic racism.
It merely points out the effects of the negative aspects of African-American culture.
You said so yourself. You implied that, on the whole, black people are more likely to have worse credit.
Why do you think that is?
It is also true that - on the whole - Asian-Americans score high on the SAT.
That does not infer that the SAT is a test that is racist against all other races.
I asked you to explain how credit is a system that oppresses African-Americans and you try to turn it around and force me to answer the very question I posed to you?
No - I will not do that. Please answer my question.