The color of murder and gun violence in New York

Washington Post ^ | 11/10/2010 | Jonathan Capehart

[Altura Ct.]

...Check out these statistics from the "Crime and Enforcement Activity in New York City" report for the first six months of 2010.

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter victims are most frequently Black (67.0%) or Hispanic (28.1%). White victims account for (3.2%) of all Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter victims while Asian/Pacific Islanders account for (1.8%) of all Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter victims.

The Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter arrest population is similarly distributed. Black arrestees (53.8%) and Hispanic arrestees (36.4%) account for the majority of Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter arrestees while White arrestees (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%) arrestees account for the remaining portions of the Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter arrest population.

Shooting victims are most frequently Black (73.8%) or Hispanic (22.1 %). White victims account for an additional (2.6%) of all Shooting victims while Asian/Pacific Islanders victims account for (1.2%) of all Shooting Victims.

The Shooting arrest population is similarly distributed. Black arrestees (70.9%) and Hispanic arrestees (25.8%) account for the majority of Shooting arrest population. White arrestees (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) account for the remaining portion of the Shooting arrest population.

In short, 95.1 percent of all murder victims and 95.9 percent of all shooting victims in New York City are black or Hispanic. And 90.2 percent of those arrested for murder and 96.7 percent of those arrested for shooting someone are black and Hispanic. I don't even know where to begin to describe the horror I still feel looking at those numbers. But the word "hunted" comes to mind.

[coloradan]

I bet that if the analysis were done with knives or lead pipes, that the results would be very much the same story as it is with guns. In which case, the entire gun angle is destroyed - unless one also wishes to get knives and lead pipes off the streets. How about the demographics of people killed with large chunks of asphalt? I bet that would be the same, too. But getting asphalt off the streets is going to be difficult.

[WilliamHouston]

This is a good example of “hate facts.”

[wbill]

In short, 95.1 percent of all murder victims and 95.9 percent of all shooting victims in New York City are black or Hispanic.

You mean, "Law and Order" got it wrong? Inconceivable.

[Hacklehead]

What percentage of the victims and murderers came from single parent families or unwed mothers? If govt can punish people for behaviors that cost the money (like smoking and overeating), why not reduce or eliminate benefits for out of wedlock mothers? While we’re at it, the cost of AIDS is huge as well. How about some PSAs denouncing these activities?

[Gigantor]

[Little Ray]

Politically incorrect factoid: If you eliminate the black and Hispanic crime statistics, the crime rates of the USA look more like those of the more peaceful European nations (i.e. Switzerland).

[whd23]

But new alliances must be formed between the two to get guns off the streets and to break the "stop snitching" culture...

Using the grabber logic of blaming the object and not the user of the object, couldn't we make a persuasive case for ripping up the streets? Then there wouldn't be any streets for the guns to be 'on.' It would be a lot easier for the city to rip up a street than to try to get criminals to hand in their guns.

[ArrogantBustard]

When I used to actually read Washington DC newspapers, I was (at first) surprised by the number of homicides committed with bare hands and shod feet. A typical crime report might include "Smith was arrested in connection with the stomping death of Jones last night in the 400 block of ..."

It's not the tools. It's the fools.

[Gritty]

No fair profiling. After all, it's everybody who's doing it!

[monocle]

Can one conclude that New York’s strict gun laws have a disproportionately impact on the black community?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Ah for the good old days when a person's safety depended on themselves.

[The Toll]

Uh oh.......somebody owes John Rocker an apology.

[Godwin1]

The numbers are the consequence of a breakdown of the family, with tens of thousands of children raised like feral animals, without guidance, without discipline, without a sense of right and wrong. Add a subculture of permanent racial/ethnic grievance which pardons all individual deviant behavior as somehow society's fault, and what else could you expect?

[Hiddigeigei]

Ah for the good old days when a person's safety depended on themselves.

I have a friend, a Schützenbruder, who grew up in New York City and is of mixed ancestry (Scottish, East Indian, African). Now, in his mid-eighties, he was drafted in the segregated army shortly after WWII. Following several incidents during his teens, he has carried a pistol both illegally in NYC and outside the city legally with a permit. He has lots of interesting and amusing stories from his younger days, including one incident in which he claims his life was probably saved by the intercession of “Murder Incorporated.” He spent his adult life as a teacher of science and thinks he has “turned around” a handful of his students. For the rest, and their culture, he despairs.

[TexasRepublic]

It surely must be racist to be pointing out facts. How dare you! ;-)

[LightningStriker2010]

Do such race based threads that tend to be popular and attract so many comments (mostly for the sake of ridicule)somewhat undermine the premise that we conservatives are “color blind”?