There have been an uptick in stories challenging statements made by presidential candidate Donald Trump such as his account of watching thousands of people cheering the destruction of the Twin Towers in New Jersey. One such factual dispute comes from a retweet on Trump’s account that shows dark-skinned man wearing a bandana, a dark shirt and military-style pants and holding a handgun sideways. The image is accompanied by the rather surprising figures based on an unknown source called “Crime Statistics Bureau – San Francisco” on murders committed by blacks versus whites. It is an example of why retweets can be so dangerous.
The figures do not track with any reliable source. According to FBI statistics, of the 2,451 homicides of black people in 2014, 90% were committed by black people as opposed to 8% of the cases where offenders were white. That is high but so is the ratio for whites. Of the 3,021 homicides of white people in 2014, 82% were committed by white people while 15% of the offenders were black. It is hard to see how someone came up with the stats in the tweet. While the number of whites killed by blacks is roughly twice that of blacks killed by whites, it is still far short of the suggested 81% of white homicide victims. The difference is just seven percent above the rate for whites killing blacks. Even if you factor in lower number of blacks in society into weighing this percentage difference, it is still far less than what was presented in this retweet. Moreover, the statistics show that the overwhelming likelihood is that people are murdered by people of their own race.
There is plenty for us to argue about in the criminal justice system, but as the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”
When will the Italians give us all reparations because of the Roman Empire!
You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts …. (Daniel P Moynihan)
pernicious pacifist,
“I think the problem is humans.”
Humans have problems.
Americans have the uncorrupted Preamble, Constitution and Bill of Rights, circa 1789.
P.S. Wait’ll you see what the universe has in store. Tomorrow or some millions of years from now, a random comet or asteroid is going to slam into the earth and cause the next extinction event. People will have to adapt to and live with the consequences of life – and its demise. I don’t think it will be subsequently litigated.
The Founders understood the fleeting nature of the universe and tried to provide capable and ambitious people with freedom to live and control their own lives. No king. No despot. No “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Simple freedom and self-reliance.
They even allowed for folks like you to open a global charity and give away all the private money you want.
How about that? Now you like the Founders, huh? You are free to give away ALL your money.
Just not other people’s .
Paul, no worries, I already apologized to them on your behalf.
They are still expecting their mules however.
Paul C. Schulte
1, November 24, 2015 at 5:59 pm
po – get a grip. Don’t I remember you saying you freed your slave? You should be apologizing. I have never owned a slave. Never oppressed people. I owe no one an apology.
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Paul, I have freed all my slaves and apologized and offered them reparation, 40 acres and a mule…
Have you freed your slaves and apologized yet?
po – never owned slaves. Don’t owe anyone an apology.
Paul, that’s not what your slaves say. They are hiding from you at the White House, in the CAIR office of the Muslim Brotherhood 🙂
po – if they were my slaves they would be doing a much better job or I would be whipping them to death.
Paul C. Schulte
1, November 25, 2015 at 8:16 am
po – if they were my slaves they would be doing a much better job or I would be whipping them to death.
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Paul, that’s why they no longer are your slaves, you slavedriver!!!!
po – two things – 1) I never owned a slave 2) if you work for me you work. I don’t pay people to read the paper or play on the computer.
PP,
What was it Bill Clinton said, “I didn’t have sex with that woman?”
What was it Hillary Clinton said to the media, “It was an anti-Muslim video,” just before saying to her daughter, “It was a well planned terrorist attack, including crew-served mortars.”
Let’s see, Bill Clinton, a psycho-babbling, liberal whack job with “redistribution” as the solution, told the biggest lie in American history. He was impeached and lost his law license.
All while Bill Clinton spent decades conducting a war on women and sexual abuse, perhaps “Orgy Island.”
And you said about Trump, “But he lies most of the time.”
Funny thing, as soon as he exaggerated a fact to make a point by saying that illegal aliens commit crimes such as murder, rape, etc., an illegal alien wantonly murdered a completely innocent, beautiful young American woman.
You’re so full of it, if Trump said, “You’re killing me, Man,” you’d hysterically claim that Trump just threatened someone’s life.
Funnier thing, when you collectivist, progressive democrazies criticize Trump, regular, normal, coherent,
rational people hear
A RINGING ENDORSEMENT.
I’m perplexed by Trump. People claim to like him because he “tells the truth.” But he lies most of the time. He makes stuff up, throws it at the wall like spaghetti to see what sticks. And the more outrageous, vile, and deceitful, the better.
The fact that he leads the GOP tells us more about Americans than I ever wanted to know.