You seem to be implying that race is not actually an indicator of whether you should feel afraid. That the local housing market (or more generally, income levels) is a better indicator of probability of crime. Is that accurate?
It is very accurate. Poverty and crime are directly related. That's not to say every poor neighborhood is bad. You can also be murdered in an upscale neighborhood. But one is rarely present without the other.
Then it seems to me the discussion you should be participating in is why there is correlation between race and income levels instead of race and crime.
Now under some peoples thinking, the fact that your in a black neighborhood is irrelevant. You could be in any park, with any race of youths in the lot checking for unlocked cars. But experience tells you, you've been to the other 40 parks many times over many years and you know there is a direct correlation here. We as the better part of society simply don't say or imply anything out loud because "That's racist". But if you think your car and your belongings are safe, you'd be an idiot.
"This is not a safe parking lot" is not racist.
"This is not a safe parking lot, because people's cars are broken into regularly" is not racist.
"This is not a safe parking lot, because it's in a predominantly-black neighborhood" is racist.
What I won't agree with, is any statement that you shouldn't feel safe if a muslim or black person moved in across the street. If you ALREADY live in a nice neighborhood, the reason they move in is to ALSO live in a nice neighborhood just like you. Neighborhoods can go down hill and they often do as they age. But there's just as many low income white neighborhoods. And if your neighborhood begins to slide, you have the freedom to move out.
You seem to be implying that race is not actually an indicator of whether you should feel afraid. That the local housing market (or more generally, income levels) is a better indicator of probability of crime. Is that accurate?
Polarization is not a problem when the other side is unambiguously wrong. It's why any sane person would look at the Civil War and say that, however horrific and unfortunate the war was, to have allowed slavery to continue in order to prevent the war would be a far worse circumstance.
So, what else would you go to war for?
You realize most civil wars today and throughout history haven't been about slavery, right? The U.S. Civil War is hardly the first or the last civil war that has ever occurred. There are apparently a myriad of reasons to go to war with your own country.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
"This is not a safe parking lot, because people's cars are broken into regularly" is not racist.
"This is not a safe parking lot, because it's in a predominantly-black neighborhood" is racist.
You seem to be implying that race is not actually an indicator of whether you should feel afraid. That the local housing market (or more generally, income levels) is a better indicator of probability of crime. Is that accurate?
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)