Update: Internet Responds to My Post Asking for Less Racism during r/Berkeley Crime Discussions

I found this interesting. I was notified that my post was cross posted onto rDrama. Interesting response, both on this subreddit and the greater internet.

Not surprised but it's definitely disappointing. I would write this off as trolling and ignore it, if it weren't for my fellow students pushing similar rhetoric. So based on the response to my thread on this subreddit and online, I guess the answer to my original question is no? I intended to have an honest dialogue, but it seems genuinely impossible to bring up this topic without people resorting to low-hanging racial attacks. I gave up once I realized I wouldn't find honest discussions under my post. I find it pretty sad that our online discourse has become…this.

All I asked was for our conversations to take place without 4chan racial dog whistles. I asked for more thoughtfulness when it comes to blaming the entire black race for the actions of individual criminals. No, you don't need to bring up "National FBI homicide statistics" every time a single black person commits a crime (that isn't homicide). Believe it or not, it's not actually relevant. Me suggesting that "13/50" doesn't need to be brought up in largely unrelated contexts, every single time a black person commits a crime, is apparently denying the "truth" and preventing necessary discourse. Sure lol.

Although 13/50 is a misleading (and inaccurate) statistic, I just want to make this point. Even if a statistic is "true" (all statistics are reductive), that doesn't make the statistic useful to mention in all contexts, that doesn't mean the statistic cannot be used for propagandistic reasons, and that doesn't mean any argument being made, using the statistic as support, is true. If you use "13/50" to suggest that the average black person needs to be treated with caution, regardless of their conduct, or that the Black community at large encourages violent crime and is out to get you — no that's not "true".

Let's not let racial resentment and right-wing propaganda get in the way of having honest and fair discussions.

@jesus @ConchShell