Comments on: The Bay Area, drugs and blacks http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/ She escaped from the belly of the liberal beast Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:35:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Denis Eugene Sullivan http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17640 Denis Eugene Sullivan Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:56:07 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17640 Greetings: Interesting bit of agit-prop, but as an antidote let's try this bit of social science. A couple of years ago, on one of my internet safaris, I came across the crime statistics published on the US Department of Justice website. Looking at the murder numbers, I saw that a white person had three to four times the chance of being done in by a black person than a black person had of being done in by a white person. These were straight murder to murder numbers, not in any way adjusted for the differences in size of populations. To date, I have seen this interesting, in my opinion, information in the mainstream media exactly once, in a Michael Barone column in the US News & World Report. But, hey, getting black druggies out of jail is much more important. Greetings:

Interesting bit of agit-prop, but as an antidote let’s try this bit of social science.

A couple of years ago, on one of my internet safaris, I came across the crime statistics published on the US Department of Justice website. Looking at the murder numbers, I saw that a white person had three to four times the chance of being done in by a black person than a black person had of being done in by a white person. These were straight murder to murder numbers, not in any way adjusted for the differences in size of populations. To date, I have seen this interesting, in my opinion, information in the mainstream media exactly once, in a Michael Barone column in the US News & World Report.

But, hey, getting black druggies out of jail is much more important.

]]> By: eliXelx http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17641 eliXelx Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:41:57 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17641 What's this whole article mean? SF Cops are Racist? Isn't this Pelosi/Feinstein/Harman/Boxer land? If a black and a white are both puffing on joints the cop arrests the black? Do blacks prefer to do their drugs in public? What is the % of black women arrested? Comparable? Do the same blacks get busted more often than the same whites? Naah! Let's just blame the pigs and their racist behaviour! That should solve the problem! What’s this whole article mean? SF Cops are Racist? Isn’t this Pelosi/Feinstein/Harman/Boxer land?
If a black and a white are both puffing on joints the cop arrests the black? Do blacks prefer to do their drugs in public? What is the % of black women arrested? Comparable? Do the same blacks get busted more often than the same whites?
Naah! Let’s just blame the pigs and their racist behaviour! That should solve the problem!

]]> By: Don Quixote http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17642 Don Quixote Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:54:55 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17642 Most arrests aren't really for use (though that may be the ultimate negotiated plea bargain, so you can't tell by looking at the ultimate sentence) but for dealing. The police typically don't care nearly as much about users as they do about dealers. Are there any stats on the percentage of dealers who are black? Also, has anyone studied the effect of the place of useage? I'd bet that whites use more commonly in the privacy of their own homes where they are very unlikely to be arrested and that the population in crack houses, which are easy targets for police raids, contains a much larger precentage of blacks. Most arrests aren’t really for use (though that may be the ultimate negotiated plea bargain, so you can’t tell by looking at the ultimate sentence) but for dealing. The police typically don’t care nearly as much about users as they do about dealers. Are there any stats on the percentage of dealers who are black?

Also, has anyone studied the effect of the place of useage? I’d bet that whites use more commonly in the privacy of their own homes where they are very unlikely to be arrested and that the population in crack houses, which are easy targets for police raids, contains a much larger precentage of blacks.

]]> By: freetime http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17643 freetime Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:09:20 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17643 It would seem that, to make sense of these numbers, you would need to know what percentage of the total and of each of the black and white populations are users of the types of drugs that lead to incarceration. That is, it is conceivable that the black population is a heavier proportion of the user group and may well lead to a higher percentage of those caught and incarcerated. Alternatively, the study could indicate the percentage incarcerated vs. the percentage appearing in court for the offense(s) for each group which would show more conclusively whether it is a systemic bias. I suspect that there are other, more statistically meaningful ways of setting the study up as well. Whatever, the numbers given are not good proxies for the accusations leveled. As with most of these private group commissioned studies, the purpose isn't to illuminate but to proselytize. It would seem that, to make sense of these numbers, you would need to know what percentage of the total and of each of the black and white populations are users of the types of drugs that lead to incarceration. That is, it is conceivable that the black population is a heavier proportion of the user group and may well lead to a higher percentage of those caught and incarcerated.

Alternatively, the study could indicate the percentage incarcerated vs. the percentage appearing in court for the offense(s) for each group which would show more conclusively whether it is a systemic bias.

I suspect that there are other, more statistically meaningful ways of setting the study up as well.

Whatever, the numbers given are not good proxies for the accusations leveled. As with most of these private group commissioned studies, the purpose isn’t to illuminate but to proselytize.

]]> By: ymarsakar http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17645 ymarsakar Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:56:30 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17645 Don't worry Book. The San Fran Left will have all of the blacks under lock stock and barrel once they eliminate all military presence in SA. Then blacks will have nothing to look forward to except Leftist promises of advancement and getting back at the "white man". This will ensure a cycle of economic destitution, which is favored by many parties and factions. Don’t worry Book. The San Fran Left will have all of the blacks under lock stock and barrel once they eliminate all military presence in SA. Then blacks will have nothing to look forward to except Leftist promises of advancement and getting back at the “white man”.

This will ensure a cycle of economic destitution, which is favored by many parties and factions.

]]> By: expat http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17644 expat Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:55:31 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17644 Is it true that crack is more addictive than coke? I recall hearing a few years ago that that was the problem, along with its affordabiltiy in relation to coke. This made it a greater immediate danger to kids. In the real world, changing the law is slow and police have to act in the present. I agree with BW: the numbers don't give enough information. Ultimately, the discussion should be about preventing harm to the community and the best way to handle or treat drug users. Is it true that crack is more addictive than coke? I recall hearing a few years ago that that was the problem, along with its affordabiltiy in relation to coke. This made it a greater immediate danger to kids. In the real world, changing the law is slow and police have to act in the present. I agree with BW: the numbers don’t give enough information. Ultimately, the discussion should be about preventing harm to the community and the best way to handle or treat drug users.

]]> By: Bookworm http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17646 Bookworm Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:00:48 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17646 Black Sentinel, I agree with you that illegal drugs are illegal drugs and should be treated the same. If we think pot should be less illegal, we should change the laws, not the policing. But the fact is that police are clearly more laid back about pot, which is ubiquitous. And if you're correct about the similarity of drug use between black and white, but the difference in policing, than there is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. I just didn't like the article which attempted to draw conclusions from raw numbers, with no further data. Black Sentinel, I agree with you that illegal drugs are illegal drugs and should be treated the same. If we think pot should be less illegal, we should change the laws, not the policing. But the fact is that police are clearly more laid back about pot, which is ubiquitous.

And if you’re correct about the similarity of drug use between black and white, but the difference in policing, than there is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed.

I just didn’t like the article which attempted to draw conclusions from raw numbers, with no further data.

]]> By: theblacksentinel http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/12/04/the-bay-area-drugs-and-blacks/#comment-17647 theblacksentinel Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:16:47 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2202#comment-17647 Drugs are drugs, it does not matter what they type, if they are illegal they should be looked at the same. Now with that said, I think that marijuana is the drug of choice in the black community of course there is the crack. Yet meth and heroine are big in the white community as of late also cocaine. They have also done this study to show that blacks with crack get sentenced and to longer terms than their white counterparts who were doing cocaine. Now both drugs are cocaine crack using smaller portions of cocaine in order to make it cheaper and bigger quantities. So what is the difference, they both get the person high, are addictive and lead to crime. I think that the difference is definitely race related and this is the hypocrisy that needs to be stopped. Not only the Bay area but most areas and the justice system in general is racist. As studies show that a states lynching rate directly matches there death penalty rate. There are many more studies to show that race plays a large role in how the law is applied and to whom. Drugs are drugs, it does not matter what they type, if they are illegal they should be looked at the same. Now with that said, I think that marijuana is the drug of choice in the black community of course there is the crack. Yet meth and heroine are big in the white community as of late also cocaine.

They have also done this study to show that blacks with crack get sentenced and to longer terms than their white counterparts who were doing cocaine. Now both drugs are cocaine crack using smaller portions of cocaine in order to make it cheaper and bigger quantities. So what is the difference, they both get the person high, are addictive and lead to crime.

I think that the difference is definitely race related and this is the hypocrisy that needs to be stopped. Not only the Bay area but most areas and the justice system in general is racist. As studies show that a states lynching rate directly matches there death penalty rate. There are many more studies to show that race plays a large role in how the law is applied and to whom.

]]>