Steve Chapman writes in a cynical manner and matter of fact manner about racial profiling in Reason Magazine. He argues that it is a myth for statistics show that the so called “driving while black” phenomenon is less about fact than perception. Sugary excerpt:
Given the racial gap in crime rates, it would be a shock if traffic stops didn't generate more searches and arrests of blacks than whites. Even in a world where cops are completely free of racial prejudice, that is exactly what you would expect. There is a similar difference, after all, between the sexes -- males are nearly twice as likely as females to be arrested during a stop. Is that because cops are sexists? No, it's because men commit more crimes.
Chapman’s article shows why it is difficult to talk about race in America because to some racism is a question of statistics such as crimes rates and for others, it is about history and perception. Chapman fails to realize that racism is more about perception and irrationality than about rational behavior. In other words, whether or not minorities are simply paranoid and simply see racism everywhere is in my view less important that the fact that paranoia cannot be dismissed out of hand, because doing cuts any possibility of dialogue for it delegitimizes one’s experience, which is real no matter how outlandish it is. The key is not to apologize constantly for the sins mistakes of the past or to give some people the status of victim so they bear no responsibility for their own life and become free loaders. What is essential is to acknowledge that perceptions and human experience can be as important as statistics especially when it comes to social issues.
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