This started as a discussion of the BlackLivesMatter claim that 50% of people shot by the police were black, but they make up only 13% of the population proves the Police are racist, targeting Blacks. I pointed out that 51% of murders and 53% of robberies are carried out by blacks. Robberies include bank robberies and muggings but don’t include burglary and theft. They are violent in that a armed robber demands cash from a victim. Most of the people shot by police are in these two categories.

Rape and assault are violent crimes, agreed, but perpetrators are unlikely to be shot by the Police while engaged in either activity.

My point was that Police are shooting Blacks 50% of the time because 50% of murderers/robbers are in fact Black. That doesn’t mean that I think Blacks are more violent because of the colour of there skin: They engage in violent crime because

1. they are poor. Poverty is the number one cause of violent crime.
2. they are gang members. Most of the gun deaths are gang-related, and it isn’t police doing the killing.
3. they are told they are poor because of racism and they haven’t got the opportunity to get ahead by hard work and education. That is a myth, and a very destructive one.

My solution? Stop blaming the police, and start helping young blacks get decent jobs. Middle class workers, regardless of skin colour have low levels of offending. Solve the poverty and the crime will largely go away.

And yes, it would be a valid use of taxpayer’s money to directly assist poor people into paid employment. It does sound a bit Socialist, big Government for my tastes, and I’d rather business or charities would do what is required, but for whatever reason they are not stepping up.