# Why are young black men in the US 21X more likely to be killed by police than young white men? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 13, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156 "2014-10-13T01:48:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/101 "2014-10-13T21:03:54Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Obviously the second guy. I just don’t see how this particularly matters. While I don’t particularly like judging someone based on things like chains, clothes, and teeth, it’s not nearly as bad as judging them based on their skin color. The point is that we, and especially cops, are wired to protect ourselves. And that means assessing risk. Anyone who just sees skin color and ignores other cues is not using his head. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/102 "2014-10-13T21:04:30Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > This gets to the problem. You’re taking things incorrectly, and in the worst possible way. If the members of your family are not violent, then they need to not change their behavior. It’s like telling people to stop smoking. If you don’t smoke you can ignore the advice. So while you’re speaking to “the black community”, most black people can ignore this “advice”. If you’re not speaking to the majority of black people, then why do you say you’re speaking to the “black community”? > [@](#): > > But I will go further. It would serve the black community well if they had less tolerance for violence. I don’t fault blacks individually for tho, as I think the problem sprouts from the what has happened to the black family unit and the degree to which fathers are absent. It’s really a shame. And one that has consequences. My family has no tolerance for violence. Most black people do not tolerate violence. Again – if the vast majority of black people can ignore this recommendation, then why are you talking to “the black community”? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/103 "2014-10-13T21:05:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Of course it fits here - since police culture is not the sole source of the issue, it ought not to be the sole source of attention. More like we shouldn’t talk about it at all. By any measurement you can find, [black people are more likely than white people to be stopped and searched by the police.](http://www.reformer.com/reformereditorials/ci_19992621?source=rss) [Even though those searches are more likely to be fruitless.](https://www.aclu.org/racial-justice/department-justice-statistics-show-clear-pattern-racial-profiling) They’re more likely to get traffic tickets, too. [They’re far more likely to be jailed.](http://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/raceinc.html) [They stay in prison longer.](http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/) > [@magellan01](#): > > But I will go further. It would serve the black community well if they had less tolerance for violence. I would say the same about the police. They should be less tolerant of violence aimed at black people. > [@](#): > > I don’t fault blacks individually for tho, as I think the problem sprouts from the what has happened to the black family unit and the degree to which fathers are absent. It’s really a shame. And one that has consequences. Hmm. I wonder if that rate of absence is in any way connected to the disproportionately high rates of arrest of incarceration and violence suffered by black men. Nah, probably not. I bet it’s all because of baggy pants and hip hop music. > [@magellan01](#): > > The point is that we, and especially cops, are wired to protect ourselves. And that means assessing risk. Anyone who just sees skin color and ignores other cues is not using his head. Yes, but if you get a gun you can kill people without using your head. And you are failing to understand how people assess risk. Experience is a part of it and facts might even be a part of it, but the larger cultural context is huge. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/104 "2014-10-13T21:05:52Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > The point is that we, and especially cops, are wired to protect ourselves. And that means assessing risk. Anyone who just sees skin color and ignores other cues is not using his head. So obviously you agree that the cops pulling over the black guys in suits more than the white guys in suits are not using their heads? Do you agree that this is a serious and major problem in our society, and in police culture? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/105 "2014-10-13T21:16:48Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So obviously you agree that the cops pulling over the black guys in suits more than the white guys in suits are not using their heads? Do you agree that this is a serious and major problem in our society, and in police culture? I think it is a problem. I don’t know if it is a major problem. It would be interesting to see what the numbers would if one could control for economic status cues, neighborhood, etc. I wouldn’t go as far as saying the cops wouldn’t be using their heads. As long as black men exhibit a strikingly more violence than whites, some greeter suspicion is understandable. But even so, my point is that 1) among blacks, by changing the signals sent to cops via things like dress they can largely eliminate an increased level of suspicion/fear. And 2) for everyone, there are cues that might indicate risk. One of them, unfortunately is skin color. Others, like dress, can be more important. So, for instance, I would expect the black guy in the suit and tie in the Volvo has a lower likelihood of being stopped and detained than a white guy in the rap garb and black SUV I mentioned earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/106 "2014-10-13T21:20:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Please provide a breakdown of what albums you are talking about, the areas where the buyers of those albums lived, their SIRE, and their ages compared to each other. You’re now demanding I prove stuff I didn’t bring up in the first place. I am having trouble seeing this as a legitimate request for a cite. > [@magellan01](#): > > But even so, my point is that 1) among blacks, by changing the signals sent to cops via things like dress they can largely eliminate an increased level of suspicion/fear. No, they can’t. Think about it: do you think the police started mistreating black people when “rapper-type t-shirt, gold chains and gold teeth” were invented? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/107 "2014-10-13T21:21:46Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I think it is a problem. I don’t know if it is a major problem. It would be interesting to see what the numbers would if one could control for economic status cues, neighborhood, etc. > > I wouldn’t go as far as saying the cops wouldn’t be using their heads. As long as black men exhibit a strikingly more violence than whites, some greeter suspicion is understandable. But even so, my point is that 1) among blacks, by changing the signals sent to cops via things like dress they can largely eliminate an increased level of suspicion/fear. And 2) for everyone, there are cues that might indicate risk. One of them, unfortunately is skin color. Others, like dress, can be more important. So, for instance, I would expect the black guy in the suit and tie in the Volvo has a lower likelihood of being stopped and detained than a white guy in the rap garb and black SUV I mentioned earlier. I think such disparate treatment, in which skin color is actually part of the cop’s decision-making (whether the cop is black or white), actually _makes society worse_. If a kid of any race sees his father mistreated (or just treated differently) again and again by the police just because of his skin color, that kid is X% more likely to do something bad someday against the police. So if black kids are more likely to see their fathers treated this way, then black kids are X% more likely to do something bad against the police _because of the way the police acted_. I don’t know the value of X here, but I don’t think it can be denied that this factor would exist if such treatment exists. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/108 "2014-10-13T21:21:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I would say the same about the police. They should be less tolerant of violence aimed at black people. And when they try to do that, through programs like stop and frisk, the liberals like you get their panties in a wad. Even while many of the law abiding people who live in the neighborhoods favor the program. > [@Marley23](#): > > Hmm. I wonder if that rate of absence is in any way connected to the disproportionately high rates of arrest of incarceration and violence suffered by black men. Nah, probably not. I bet it’s all because of baggy pants and hip hop music. Actually, it more related to Welfare and how it was instituted back in the early '60s. How odd that you don’t know that. > [@Marley23](#): > > Yes, but if you get a gun you can kill people without using your head. And you are failing to understand how people assess risk. Experience is a part of it and facts might even be a part of it, but the larger cultural context is huge. Huh? Sounds like you’re agreeing with me. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/109 "2014-10-13T21:23:28Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Yeah, and I think you can read that from the statistics as well by looking at the 1-4 rates, which are somewhat higher for whites. Children in that range barely swim at all so the rate probably just reflects the difference in exposure. But just a few years later, there’s a massive disparity. Are we sure the police aren’t shooting them and dumping their bodies in pools? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/110 "2014-10-13T21:24:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, they can’t. Think about it: do you think the police started mistreating black people when “rapper-type t-shirt, gold chains and gold teeth” were invented? This makes me think of a question. **magellan01** – if you think racism in police culture is not a major problem in our society, when do you think it ceased to be a major problem? Was it still a major problem in 1920? In 1960? 1980? Did it stop being a problem before or after hip-hop style clothing and accessories became popular? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/111 "2014-10-13T21:35:42Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think such disparate treatment, in which skin color is actually part of the cop’s decision-making (whether the cop is black or white), actually _makes society worse_. If a kid of any race sees his father mistreated (or just treated differently) again and again by the police just because of his skin color, that kid is X% more likely to do something bad someday against the police. So if black kids are more likely to see their fathers treated this way, then black kids are X% more likely to do something bad against the police _because of the way the police acted_. I don’t know the value of X here, but I don’t think it can be denied that this factor would exist if such treatment exists. I agree with this completely. The sad thing is that we have one group what is, factually WAY more violent than another. Asking a human being to ignore that seems like a stretch. I think people want a more color-neutral world, but when such a blatant disparity exists, it’s hard to ignore it. I think where our think diverges is that you seem to think it is possible to ask people who put their lives on the line to ignore the fact that one threat is substantially higher than another threat. Not only do I think it is probably not possible, I don’t think it’s wise. We need to acknowledge the threats as they are, not as we wish they would be. Again, using the dog analogy (and no, Marley, I’m not equating black people with animals :rolleyes:), would you agree that a pit bull type dog would reasonably be viewed as a greater risk than a golden retriever? There is a pit bull living down the hall from me. It’s one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met. Bu the first few times I got in the elevator with it I was much more nervous than I’ve ever been around a golden. Was my apprehension reasonable? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/112 "2014-10-13T21:36:46Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You have already been corrected on this - the disproportionate treatment is not based on race and race alone. It is based on the fact that young black males commit a disproportionate amount of violent and street crime. Actually, while it may be true that black youth commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime, it is also true that the police tend to base their stops disproportionately (and erroneously) on perceived race. This was demonstrated during the analysis of New York City’s stop and frisk laws years ago and re-affirmed when the court finally evaluated more recent evidence and ordered New York to stop that racist behavior. Salon MONDAY, AUG 22, 2005 **[Why racial profiling doesn’t work](http://www.salon.com/2005/08/22/racial_profiling/)** > [@](#): > > New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer ordered a study of 175,000 “stop and frisk” records and found that although African-Americans composed only 25 percent of New York City’s population at the time, they made up 50 percent of the people who were stopped. Latinos were roughly 23 percent of the population and 33 percent of those stopped, while whites were 43 percent of the population and 13 percent of those stopped. > > Those findings interested Harris less than what the statistics indicated about the results: Police were going to a lot of trouble for little reward, especially when the people they stopped were African-Americans. > > Harris looked at what he called “hit rates” — the percentage of stops in which the police found drugs, a gun or something else that led to an arrest — and noted that the number of hits in general was very low for the number of stops that police made. But more interesting was that the rate for African-Americans was much lower than the rate for Caucasians. Police had a hit rate of 12.6 percent when they stopped Caucasians and only 10.5 percent when they stopped African-Americans. The hit rate for Latinos was 11.5 percent. > > “You might say that we have a difference of 2.1 percent between blacks and whites. But it’s actually a difference of 20 percent when you do the math right,” Harris says. And “the difference between whites and Latinos is about 10 percent.” > > Essentially, police were stopping more African-Americans than Caucasians but finding fewer criminals among the former. Why? Not because blacks commit proportionately fewer crimes than whites do (the data vary according to the type of crime and other factors) but because police were looking at the wrong factors when they stopped people, Harris says. > > “They’re focusing on appearance when they should be focusing on behavior,” he says. “When they’re not distracted by race, they’re actually doing a more accurate job” of picking out the right people. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/113 "2014-10-13T21:40:40Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > And when they try to do that, through programs like stop and frisk, the liberals like you get their panties in a wad. I already posted data showing that stop and frisk did very little except harass innocent people. > [@](#): > > Actually, it more related to Welfare and how it was instituted back in the early '60s. How odd that you don’t know that. How odd that you didn’t post a cite or make a coherent argument for your statement. The idea of welfare = black people and welfare queens didn’t exist in the '60s. At the time the idea of Appalachian poverty (still real, still terrible) was a driving force. Still later we heard how welfare and other forms of assistance were actually bad for black people, which justified cuts that threw more people into poverty. For some reason that didn’t help black people or the black family very much. Anyway: [yes, racial gaps in incarceration have a terrible effect on black families.](http://rt.com/usa/incarceration-african-black-prison-606/) > [@](#): > > Huh? Sounds like you’re agreeing with me. Then you didn’t understand it. I’m saying the police are more violent with black people because our culture sees black people as more violent, and as a result, the police are encouraged to act that way. It’s self-perpetuating and it has jack shit to do with anybody’s clothes. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/114 "2014-10-13T21:45:06Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > This makes me think of a question. **magellan01** – if you think racism in police culture is not a major problem in our society, when do you think it ceased to be a major problem? Was it still a major problem in 1920? In 1960? 1980? Did it stop being a problem before or after hip-hop style clothing and accessories became popular? Interesting question. I think a few things tend to bleed together, those few things being the blatant racism of the pre 1960s, the level of inner city crime of the 1970’s-1980s and the rap culture that followed it. As I mentioned earlier, I think perhaps the largest factor is the break-up of the black family. I think that if whites suffered that as the black community did, and were living in similar situations—poor, densely populated urban areas—that effects would be similar. For me, this is the saddest part of the problem, because it’s something that is really, REALLY difficult to fix. And I really don’t think it can be fixed from the outside. I wish it could, but I fear it can’t. But I low that if I were part of that community, I wouldn’t want to wait and hope that someone else could fix it. I’d take more of a Bill Cosby attitude. But we know well his comments were accepted. It’s a fought one , to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/115 "2014-10-13T21:48:18Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’m saying the police are more violent with black people because our culture sees black people as more violent, and as a result, the police are encouraged to act that way. It’s self-perpetuating and it has jack shit to do with anybody’s clothes. Then you disagree with me, and **iiandiiii** , that a black guy in a Brooks Brothers suit and tie driving a Volvo is less apt to be stopped and detained than a black guy in a rapper-style t-shirt and gold chains and gold teeth. You’re welcome to live in your fantasy land. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/116 "2014-10-13T21:54:30Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > For me, this is the saddest part of the problem, because it’s something that is really, REALLY difficult to fix. And I really don’t think it can be fixed from the outside. I wish it could, but I fear it can’t. But I low that if I were part of that community, I wouldn’t want to wait and hope that someone else could fix it. I’d take more of a Bill Cosby attitude. But we know well his comments were accepted. It’s a fought one , to say the least. So you’ve changed the subject away from any problems in policing and the inequities of the legal system, which are real and backed by data and have major effects on people’s lives. You do believe that black people should dress differently, and otherwise you’ve washed your hands of the entire problem. Thank you for a compelling demonstration of why these problems still exist in American society. > [@magellan01](#): > > Then you disagree with me, and **iiandiiii** , that a black guy in a Brooks Brothers suit and tie driving a Volvo is less apt to be stopped and detained than a black guy in a rapper-style t-shirt and gold chains and gold teeth. Not even close, no. Can you give me some idea what you’re struggling with? I explained myself and you are still coming nowhere near what I said. Here’s what I wrote about your Brooks Brothers example: > [@Marley23](#): > > And why would it be OK for the police to engage in lazy, idiotic stereotyping like this? Do we live in some kind of cartoon world where everyone who wears a suit and drives a nice car can be assumed to be a good citizen and everyone who listens to a certain type of music and dresses a certain way deserves to be harassed based on superficial criteria? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/117 "2014-10-13T22:08:08Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Then you disagree with me, and **iiandiiii** , that a black guy in a Brooks Brothers suit and tie driving a Volvo is less apt to be stopped and detained than a black guy in a rapper-style t-shirt and gold chains and gold teeth. You’re welcome to live in your fantasy land. Do you know any black people? Do you talk to them? Do you have any rough conception of about how many people are driving around in rapper-style t-shirts and gold teeth, and roughly how many are dressing like, you know, people? I’m not sure if you realize what a preposterously cartoonish view of the world you’re presenting here. It’s actually very straightforwardly racist. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/118 "2014-10-13T22:23:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yes, our culture very strongly associates black people with criminality. Is there no basis for this whatsoever? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/119 "2014-10-13T22:24:30Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No problem then. The cops aren’t racist, they’re just really bad at math. Thanks for solving it, **Terr**! I’m sure black people will stop worrying now… cops are just overestimating how dangerous they are! No problem, and no racism. No, no racism. Police react differently under more dangerous circumstances. Do you blame them? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156/120 "2014-10-13T22:26:56Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Is there no basis for this whatsoever? You have it backward. The stereotype existed before the black inner city did. Black people were impoverished, then ghettoized, _then_ we started hearing about how dangerous they are. What you’re looking at is a justification for a stereotyped, not a reason for a behavior. > [@Terr](#): > > No, no racism. Police react differently under more dangerous circumstances. Is ‘being near a black person’ a circumstance? I don’t think it is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-young-black-men-in-the-us-21x-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-police-than-young-white-men/701156.md?page=7)