“Between 1976 and 2005, African-Americans, 12.6% of the population in the last census, committed 52.2% of all homicides”
This statistic is even bleaker than it first appears. It’s not old black men or women. It’s not boys or girls under about 12. It’s not, for the most part, young black women. It’s young black males typically around 15 to 30 doing most of the violent crime, not just murder. If the whole black population is 13% of the US population, the young black males committing most of the crime are probably only 3-4% of the US population. This should be considered inexcusable.
(Note to MtBaldy - this rant isn't directed at you, specifically) First, I dislike the whole race angle this article goes into. The racist angle only incites the race-baiters that much more. Let other people delve into the racial aspects, we should be more concerned with the facts of the Trayvon case.
However, let's look at how young black males are depicted by one of the most influential elements in our society - TV and Movies. They are almost always depicted as thugs, drug dealers and criminals. This depiction, to a LOT of inner city folks who have NO other insight into life, becomes the role model of what they think they are supposed to be.
We always hear about role models - from athletes to politicians to "celebrities" and the largest majority of those are white. The ones that aren't, typically jump into racist politics because that's what they think they are supposed to do.
I would bet that if Hollyweird were to stop depicting young black males as being crooks and showed them in a more positive light, within 10 years we would see significant changes in prison populations.
It's something to consider.