Pretty much all Derb’s claims are subject to empirical test.
What are the risks of stopping to help a black motorist as opposed to a white one? That can be statistically measured.
Are white people at a gathering dominated by blacks more or less likely to be attacked than at a gathering dominated by whites?
Are whites (and blacks, FTM) at greater risk in black neighborhoods? Black skin is, of course, only a surrogate for measurement of criminality, but everyone knows it is a very good surrogate.
John claims dealing with black staff at a government office is slower and more frustrating than dealing with white staff. This is an objective issue subject to measurement.
I have myself noticed that the line with a black checker seems to move on average more slowly than the one with a white checker. Is this accurate? I have no idea, but it could certainly be measured.
Denny’s and others have gotten in legal trouble because of staff unwillingness to wait on black patrons, due to a perception that black patrons are more demanding and less remunerative. Here is something that could be very easily measured and disproven. With all the denunciation of the waiters, nobody does such a study. Because they know it will confirm and quantify the perception. And we can’t have that bit of truth brought to light.
I have had black taxi drivers tell me they won’t pick up young black riders at night. Period. I once waited an hour for a taxi at a convenience store in a black neighborhood I had unintentionally walked into at night. Finally had to call the company and tell them to look for the white guy. Cab arrived two minutes later. Black driver. Said those who wanted him to not discriminate in this way could pick up the black riders themselves.
All I know is that attempts to deny reality and force others to do the same seldom end well.
Well, all of these things could be measured although in some cases it might be difficult to set up control groups, etc.
What I’ve been saying is that despite the demonstrable truth of the things that Derb said it seems he went out of his way to say them as offensively as possible.
So, the message:
that whites fear, or should fear, associating with blacks
that this is for good reason and
that there isn’t much one can do about that except avoid black people as much as reasonably possible
is going to get lost in all the outrageous outrage that he had to know his article would provoke.
Many of the comments on the various threads here provide a contrast. Yours is a good example of how these same unfortunate facts (let’s just call them facts because I don’t think anyone who has lived in a mixed race city at least would dispute them regardless of any statistical proof that may be lacking at this time) can be stated in a less inflammatory way.
And, at the risk of repeating myself some of what he wrote was really just needless. The bit about no blacks winning the Fields Medal (only 50 people have ever won it!), the idea that you should seek out some high end black friends, even dragging your teenage children into such a rant in the first place, stuff like that takes away from whatever serious points you are trying to make.
If he was trying to be serious and not, you know, just seeking to get a rise out of people. Which he certainly did.
Rich Lowry fired him, but I’m pretty sure both his kids probably want to strangle him right now!