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There is a striking racial disparity in US crime statistics. The reasons are complex
This appeared in The Millennial Source
Statistics alone tell an incomplete story. To understand them in their entirety, one must also consider the justice system and societal factors in which those numbers exist.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” That phrase, made famous by American author Mark Twain, is a pithy way of saying that statistics without context can easily be used to misrepresent reality. On the surface, statistics might seem impervious to human bias (it’s math, after all), but numbers that lack background information are almost meaningless.
Among the most contentious and debated statistics are those for crime rates in the United States. When reviewed on their own, they reveal a troubling reality: people of color, particularly Black people, are far more likely than white people to be arrested and convicted of crimes. That reality, which few people dispute, invites biased interpretation and is frequently the basis for white supremacist talking points.
However, the statistics alone tell an incomplete story. To understand them in their entirety, one must also consider the justice system and societal factors in which those numbers exist.
