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Originally Posted by TroyF
I've read all of those studies before, but the question I have really concerns the last study.
Force is more likely for blacks. What LED to the force? How many of those incidents of force were created by not following police instructions.
We have 1,000 interactions with the police (forget the rate at how many times they have to deal with the police, that is not my question here. Equate the sample size. 1,000 interactions for whites, 1,000 interactions for blacks) How many times does each side comply with instructions. In the cases where they don't, what is the rate of force used? Gunshots, tasers, etc.
Please note to everyone who is going to think I'm racist for asking this: I think there is a very different way all of us look at police officers and it impacts our interactions with them. This is ONE SINGLE part of this overall debate, but it could help us understand why things are the way they are a little bit better.
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I don't see your question as a single variable in a specific event (police interaction). For example, I think asking why African American kids are suspended and put into special ed more often is also very much related to your question. I think in both cases it highlights professionals who can't do the job they signed up for.
I also believe the unconscious brain has a lot to do with the stat you are seeking. In gladwell's blink, he goes into the decision making process during high stress police situations. One of the factors is mind blindness, during a perceived threat the heart rate will get so high, the ability to rationalize is nearly impossible. So, in the stat you are looking for, how could we compare black/white situations where in one case the police is calmer, rational and possibly less traumatized?