The Price of Black Lives

[The_Lady_Snow]

White on White crime more prevalent than Black on Black

When White on White crime takes place it’s never talked about the way it is when Blacks commit crimes.

In the United States, a White person is almost six times more likely to be killed by another White person than by a Black person, according to FBI homicide data. In 2011, there were more cases of Whites killing Whites than there were Blacks killing Blacks. However, the mainstream media obsesses over Black on Black violence and rarely mentions the problem of White on White violence.

These statistics have not led to a media outcry about the problem of White on White crime or the unique pathology of the White community. Nor has the White community stood up to demand change in their community like the Black community does when trying to tackle instances of Black on Black crime.

Most White people don’t kill White people. Yet media pundits, from Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly to CNN’s Don Lemon, have no problem using the phrase “Black on Black violence” despite the fact that most Black people don’t kill Black people.

When the news talks about gang-related deaths, they treat it as an almost exclusively Black problem. However, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, for the period of 1980 to 2008, a majority (53.3 percent) of gang homicides were committed by White offenders, and the majority of gang homicide victims (56.5 percent) were White.

When was the last time you’ve seen on the news, discussions about a White-gang problem?

Crimes committed by White people are explained as deviations of the individual but have nothing to do with race, but crimes committed by Blacks or Latino’s are somehow attributed to race. Gang-bangers from South Chicago have somehow become a symbol that Black men are to be feared, but you don’t get the same fear that one could attach to the brutal murders committed by Neo-Nazi skinheads.

According to statistics from the Justice Department, White men are more likely to kill than any other racial group. When it comes to how and why people kill, Black men do, in fact, outnumber Whites in gun-related homicides, but especially drug-related offenses. However, White men top the list in most all other categories.

When the Bureau of Justice Statistics collected homicidal rates from 1980 to 2008, they found that compared to Blacks, Whites were more likely to kill children, the elderly, family members, and their significant others. They commit more sex-related crimes, gang related crimes, and are more likely to kill at their places of employment.

So why does America still perpetuate the lie of Black criminality?

Is it because one in 15 Black men are in prison? That may not explain it. The racial biases in the War on Drugs contribute to the high incarceration rates. Studies show that Blacks are no more likely than Whites to use or sell drugs. Blacks actually only make up 14 percent of regular drug users. Yet Blacks are more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and receive longer sentences than Whites.

Should we blame gangster rap with the gun-toting rappers? If so, why can’t we blame a White man with a pistol being used to symbolize Second Amendment rights?

>source<

[Rockinonahigh]

I watched a fair amount of the Michael Dunn trial,my thoughts that kept coming up were that,why didn't Dunn just walk away from the whole thing and not even engage the kids at all.If he felt so threatened by the music and or the kids in the s.u.v,why didn't he just park somewhere else or just go to another place.All this could have been avoided,a young man with a whole life ahead of him would still be hear to celebrate his birthday.But no,he made the choice to do this awful thing in taking a life because of thinking he was in danger because of kids and music,how ever loud it was.
Through out the time he was on the stand he teared up over his girl friend,and the puppy,but showed not one bit of remorse for the life of Jordan Davis or his family.I can only guess how this will effect the other kids in the s.u.v,I hope they get the help they need to be able to deal with the anger/fear they must feel for the loss of their friend as well as having being involved in this situation.
Michael Dunn having owned and using a weapon,no matter what type it may have been isn't the start of this problem,it is the profiling of a group of black kids or black people in general by his racial views plus his holyer than thou attitude towards anyone he can look down on as not as good as himself,that his word is law cause he said so.
I do hope that we as people,no matter what race,learn not to put ourselves above another.When this becomes the way of life with respect to another person will we truly become peaceful nation that celebrates the diversity of all of us.

[TimilDeeps]

White Americans are the architects of racial oppression.

Any statistics that are trotted out about black on black, brown on black, brown on brown etc. violence are all skewed because the system itself is inherently racist. The system is designed to make that happen!

In every aspect of daily life, white privilege is palpable; from education, politics, economics, health care, housing . . . and the list goes on to include the legal system in this country. I say legal system because if it were a justice system we wouldn't be having these conversations.

It is the history of the United States; white people in power have thrust their culture onto people of color and at the same time have diminished and tried to destroy the cultures of people of color.

Today we have racial profiling, race is still on the census, social services, jobs, political representation and all of these things and more are continually reinscribed to perpetuate our racist systems.

Speaking directly about the verdict in the Dunn trial, since he was not acquitted of first degree murder he can be retried for first degree murder and I do hope that is the path that the attorneys for the Davis family will take.

[*Anya*]

I work in a county behavioral health system.

I have no official statistics for you.

What I bring is my personal experience and how much it troubles me. I am more than aware of white privilege every day.

I run group counseling sessions for young men with primary mental illness and co-existing substance abuse diagnoses.

In this very rich county that I work, in every group of 10 males from 18-years-old to 50-years old, 8 of the 10 are Hispanic, one is white and one is African-American.

They are on probation or parole (Hispanics or blacks). The white males are on probation.

50-70% of the Hispanics in my group have been in jail or prison multiple times.

The white males, even if arrested a couple of times have had no prison time-just very short stints in county jail (if that).

The arrests? For all, possession or sale of methamphetamine or heroin, or paraphernalia or for all at the same time.

When I read about their cases or talk to their PO's, I don't hear much difference in their cases.

The main difference that I can see is their socio-economic status, skin color and the outcome of their trials.

[Martina]

Elephant in the living room -- gun violence. The vast majority of these lives are lost because of gun violence.

We as a culture value our guns more than we value the lives of our children. The fact that so many of the dead and incarcerated are young men of color makes it easier for our racist culture to ignore. But even when twenty white six year olds die, we still ignore it. Guns are more important to us than the lives of any of our citizens. But we are more than happy to allow the destruction of families of color. No problem. We don't care.

[RockOn]

Enraged? YES!!
Keep in mind:
This idiot knew he had protection (gun) ... did he actually think teen-agers would turn down their music at his request?

Frankly, I think he was looking for any "excuse" to pull out his gun and use it. His actions are inexcusable!!! A young man is dead!!!

[fatallyblonde]

Others have already addressed Grainne's post with what I would've said so I'm not going to. I am so glad and grateful for those who said what needed to be.

Losing these young men is a tragedy. My heart is aching for their lost lives and for their poor families, who have to deal not just with the grief of losing them but with blow after blow after blow adding insult to injury from white society. Everything about this is wrong. My prayers are with their loved ones.