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The National Anthem Protests -- Do Facts Matter?
Townhall.com ^ | September 28, 2017 | Larry Elder

Posted on 09/28/2017 5:58:48 AM PDT by Kaslin

Where was the angry left when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the national anthem protests "dumb and disrespectful"?

Let's focus on the "dumb" part.

NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who started the protests, did so over the supposed widespread instances of police brutality against blacks. Kaepernick said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. ... There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." According to the Centers for Disease Control, since 1968 police killings of blacks have declined nearly 75 percent. According to The Washington Post, almost 500 whites were killed by cops in 2015, an average of more than one a day. Two hundred fifty-nine blacks were killed by the police. Most suspects killed by police had a weapon.

Now for some perspective.

Do you know anyone who has been struck by lightning? Neither do most people. Yet each year an average of about 300 Americans are killed or injured by lightning. That's approximately 40 more than the number of blacks killed by the police in 2015. Is there an "epidemic" of Americans being struck and injured by lightning? We don't know the number of black men injured by lightning every year, but let's assume the number is 7 percent of the total people struck by lightning, mirroring the percentage of the black male population in America. That brings the average number of black men injured by lightning to about 21.

Out of the 965 people killed by the police in 2015 (as of Dec. 24), the Post reported (on Dec. 26) that "less than 4 percent" involved an unarmed black man and a white cop, the fact pattern most commonly referred to by anti-police activists like Black Lives Matter. Last year, The Washington Post put the number of unarmed black men killed by the police at 17, less than the number of blacks likely struck by lightning. Twenty-two unarmed whites were killed by the police. Any death that results from police misconduct is one death too many, but the point is that police killing of a suspect is rare, no matter the race of the suspect or the cop. And a police shooting of an unarmed black male is still more rare.

But blacks are routinely and disproportionately being stopped, pulled over and/or arrested due to police misconduct, right?

No, not according to numerous studies, many by the government. Take traffic stops. In 2013, the National Institute of Justice, the research and evaluation agency of the Department of Justice, published a study of whether the police, as a result of racial bias, stop blacks more than other drivers. The conclusion? Any racial disparity in traffic stops is due to "differences in offending" in addition to "differences in exposure to the police" and "differences in driving patterns."

According to Philippe Lemoine, writing in National Review, a white person is, on average, more likely to have interactions with the police in any year than a black person, 20.7 percent vs. 17.5 percent. It is true that a black person is more likely to have multiple contacts with the police. But according to the data, multiple contacts with the police are rare, as well. Lemoine writes that 1.2 percent of white men have more than three contacts with the police in a year versus 1.5 percent of black men.

But what about the experience of a black person with the police versus that of a white person? The DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics regularly studies this, too. Every year, the BJS surveys a representative sample of 70,000 people. Among the questions, the survey asks whether respondents had contact with the police in the last 12 months. If the answer is "yes," the survey asks a number of follow-up questions, including about use of force.

Let's concentrate on cases involving use of force.

Lemoine writes: "Only 0.6 percent of black men experience physical force by the police in any given year, while approximately 0.2 percent of white men do. ... Moreover, keep in mind that these tallies of police violence include violence that is legally justified." And keep in mind the much higher levels of crime by mostly black males. It is estimated that half of all homicides are committed by, and mostly against, black males.

In 1995, the federal government looked at 42,500 defendants in the nation's 75 largest counties. A government statistician, Patrick A. Langan, found "no evidence that, in the places where blacks in the United States have most of their contacts with the justice system, that system treats them more harshly than whites." So much for the so-called "institutional racism" in the criminal justice system.

Recently, in Illinois, in a kids' 8-and-under football league, the entire team, which appeared to be all black, including the coach, took a knee during the national anthem. Asked why, one third-grade player parroted Kaepernick, saying, according to the coach, "Because black people are getting killed, and nobody's going to jail."

Facts don't matter. The coach, presented with a teachable moment, fumbled it away


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: americanflag; anthem; colinkaepernick; football; nationalanthem; nfl; nflprotests; sports
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1 posted on 09/28/2017 5:58:48 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

How low we have sunk!

Cubs’ owner Phillip Wrigley refused for years to allow the Anthem played at Cubs games because he felt such frequency cheapened the Anthem. The Cubs only relented in the ‘60s.


2 posted on 09/28/2017 6:05:08 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: Kaslin
The coach, presented with a teachable moment, fumbled it away

Now there you go, thinking again. Thinking like a normal person, that is.

That was no fumble, that was a touchdown - in that coach's mind - and therein lies the problem.

3 posted on 09/28/2017 6:06:26 AM PDT by grobdriver (Where is Wilson Blair when you need him?)
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To: Kaslin

Fact were irrelevant for “hands up don’t shoot”


4 posted on 09/28/2017 6:07:41 AM PDT by JohnBrowdie
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To: Kaslin

Bookmark


5 posted on 09/28/2017 6:10:08 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: Kaslin
Well they have two options.

Go Garrett Morris, or go to Africa. The Garrett Morris option aint gonna work.

6 posted on 09/28/2017 6:11:02 AM PDT by rawcatslyentist (TETELESTI Read em and weep Lucy! Yer times almost up.)
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To: Kaslin
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people"

Said the low talent black millionaire.


7 posted on 09/28/2017 6:11:29 AM PDT by Vlad The Inhaler (World's Most Powerful Nation Falls To Invasion Of Mexican Peasants!)
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To: Kaslin

It would take a miracle for the hurt fans to come back even if all NFL players suddenly got a clue.


8 posted on 09/28/2017 6:11:34 AM PDT by \/\/ayne (I regret that I have but one subscription cancellation notice to give to my local newspaper.)
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To: Kaslin

It’s not about black men being killed by white cops. Whether the useful idiots on the spearhead of any social campaign are aware of it or not, the money is far behind them, and they may not have seen a dime of it, but it is manifesting it’s will. And the money in this case, or the true will, is to degrade civil order.


9 posted on 09/28/2017 6:19:27 AM PDT by z3n
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To: Kaslin

bkmk


10 posted on 09/28/2017 6:21:19 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell)
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To: Kaslin

For some years now I’ve been pointing out, given that there appears to be issues with empaneling any jury to sit in judgment (at least in any serious matter) of a black defendant that does not include black jurors, and that it only takes one juror to prevent conviction **, that it seems logical given conviction rates that black jurors are MORE likely to vote to convict, not less.

Which is to say: you cannot get these conviction rates without blacks being perfectly fine with locking them up when it’s actually them you are asking in some official manner.

So what does this do to the whole diatribe about the rate of blacks being convicted bring racism?

As with the laws that are frequently violated being tweaked by the demands of black communities wanting to government to deal with those who prey upon them I’m guessing it undermines it ... a lot.

But rhetoric is not practice: what a person may rile against in theory and what they may do when they are responsible, when they are considering the actual wrongs done, are two entirely separate things.

And defense lawyers just don’t seem to get it.

** mistrials etc are other matters


11 posted on 09/28/2017 6:22:09 AM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Vlad The Inhaler

Ya. He is very oppressed. His Porsche got a scratch on the fender. Yes, it is a metaphor.

Gee, I wonder if he has given away his millions to the “oppressed” that he claims to be concerned about otherwise he is an oppressor like the rest of us. Give until it hurts bub otherwise shut up.


12 posted on 09/28/2017 6:22:24 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Kaslin

Facts are irrelevant in almost all of this race crap.


13 posted on 09/28/2017 6:24:46 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: Kaslin

Many Americans no longer even know what a fact is, much less care about truth. They are too stupid to participate in self governance and deserve to volunteer their freedom rather than enduring the plight of hard work and success on their own.

Our culture has so denigrated as to afford people a living without actually having to contribute anything for their own survival, much less success. As a result, they have time to consider their own self worth. In consideration of their own self worth, they gravitate to self pity. Then they move on to blame. Who is responsible for the reality of their place in society? Ignorance and indolence leads them to accept the easy out that liberals/democrats give them. They believe it’s the fault of society/slavery/racism/white privilege/oppression/police brutality/the 1%/Jews/Alt Right Christians/Conservatives/Republicans. And they want justice and revenge, not change. If they wanted change they would blame the messenger. That’s what people in denial do.

The systemic hate that a burgeoning part of our population is adopting is spoon fed to them and ingrained and/or indoctrinated through their own family dynamic and indeed our education system. But it is also fed to them in the media, television sitcoms, movies and now popular sports too.

Our nation has lost our rich culture of rugged individualism under the flag of freedom. We have lost it to the liberal/socialist left. And good men have and continue to do little to nothing on the scale that is needed. Where have all the leaders gone?


14 posted on 09/28/2017 6:24:51 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being stupid!)
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To: Kaslin
Facts: More blacks kill blacks than cops/whites do. No protests.

NO protest,NO kneeling/singing/ribbons etc HAS ever or WILL ever change how people act. No one seeing a protest will go home and say " I'll change my personality and be sweet and kind to everyone the same." Does anynone have ONE example of a behavioral change because someone else kneels down/protests?

All this symbolism is empty and only about attention. It's useless except as provocation. It's about choosing- a sport and players who offend or love of country. It's about crapping where you eat and expecting/believing your customers will take any abuse to watch a game.
15 posted on 09/28/2017 6:24:59 AM PDT by ClearBlueSky (ISLAM is the problem. ISLAM is the enemy of civilization.)
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To: Rurudyne

Blacks cheered with OJ was acquitted. It was shocking when I discovered this. So, no criminality and guilt are not important anymore. BTW, they knew OJ was guilty.

It was about race and nothing else mattered. It was about revenge and evening the score for all of those years of injustice and probably slavery.


16 posted on 09/28/2017 6:26:30 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: ClearBlueSky

The problem is that it would require some serious introspection and pointing the finger back at themselves.

That doesn’t fall into the “blame everyone else for your problems” narrative.

Oh, and this is all a diversion by the Democrats so that they don’t have to take the blame. After all, they have been promising for decades that if blacks vote for them, all will be good. Well all is not good and the Democrats don’t want the blame so they have come up with a distraction.


17 posted on 09/28/2017 6:29:49 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: dhs12345

Our son WAS a financial adviser for some professional football players, with nice big contracts. Many, many hang by a thread financially. They make big money and spend bigger money, rarely listenened to good sound advice for their future. In fact, he eventually stopped working for them as it was a nightmare.


18 posted on 09/28/2017 6:30:46 AM PDT by Toespi
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To: Kaslin

IMHO every sports event, every community event should start with the singing of the National Anthem, not by some celebrity, but by all present - all spectators. Project the words on a screen for those who where never taught the words in school. Turn up sound.

https://www.facebook.com/NBCSports/videos/1126446184077399/


19 posted on 09/28/2017 6:37:53 AM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said theoal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
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To: dhs12345

For a good while now, the NFL, and basketball, has been about race; for the sake of not killing the goose laying the golden eggs the divide in the locker room and on the field has been left to simmer...now it appears the blacks are pushing their majority up front and are demanding an accounting, and the minority whites can do little but aquiesce...

Rhodesia writ small; chaos the reward...


20 posted on 09/28/2017 6:43:53 AM PDT by IrishBrigade
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