A Specious 'Experiment'

[Gemby!]

LilAznAccommodator has been reading this thread for a long time. now i think they are

a) really slow at reading
b) confused and dont know where they are

or

c) planning on killing all you feeble humans that mocked this thread (myself not included, being god and all)

[LilAznAccommodator]

I have? Lol

I only posted and left for class and just got back and thank Barbarossa for answering for me, thanks I appreciate it.

@Gemby lol I just got back to read what was going on so I am not a slow reader I am quite fast actually and I am confused as to why people have to divert to another subject rather than stay on topic like Barbarossa.

Aside from that i have no intention of causing harm =P

[JPaul]

The Author is suggesting that Mr Bennet's comments say more about him than they do about his "thought experiment". That Mr Bennet adding "black" to the equation, for no particularly good reason, may lead us to believe that Mr Bennet is perhaps something of a racist.

Bennet uses research from Steven D. Levitt to support his contentions. Levitt's thesis is essentially that unwanted children who grow up poor in single-parent households are more likely than other children to become criminals, and that Roe v. Wade resulted in fewer of these children being born. Which was part of the reason for the dropping crime rate.

However as the research made no mention of colour, then surely Mr Bennet is being disingenuous in using it to support his opinion. The author (Eugene Robinson) therefore suggests that by adding the "black" Mr Bennet is revealing his own racist thoughts on the matter.

However the author himself seems to miss the point. What Bennet suggests is

if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." (my italics)

Which says nothing of whether the children are wanted or not. Saying nothing of their socio-economic background, saying only that they are black. Saying in fact that there is a direct link between the number of black people in the country and the level of crime. More racist than the authors diluted interpretation.

The other point the author fails to factor in is that Mr Bennet is a radio talk show presenter. His stock in trade is quite possibly shocking folk, perhaps to get them to call in.

He is indeed a racist, either because he believes that aborting all black children will lead to a fall in crime, or because he thinks it is acceptable to say so, for the effect it will cause.

[Gemby!]

I am confused as to why people have to divert to another subject rather than stay on topic like Barbarossa.

its the lounge

and stop trying to cover your plan to kill

[Gripper]

it was RECTUMORICAL !!!!

[Gemby!]

at least i know where your priorities lie

[Barbarossa]

@Gemby lol I just got back to read what was going on so I am not a slow reader I am quite fast actually and I am confused as to why people have to divert to another subject rather than stay on topic like Barbarossa.

Damn you don't single me out for being a swot!!

I'm gonna get bullied now...

[Blythorama]

Damn you don't single me out for being a swot!!

I'm gonna get bullied now...

See you behind the bikesheds, teachers pet

[Barbarossa]

See you behind the bikesheds, teachers pet

You kinky devil!

[Blythorama]

You kinky devil!

Shite, that wasn't much of a threat was it?

We really had bike sheds at my school and yup, that was where you did your snoggin' an stuff. I used to keep me cigs tucked into my long socks and go there for a smoke between classes. If you wanted to beat someone up you'd do it in full view of everyone in the middle of the playground.!

Not that I would ever beat someone up. Or that I could. I'm a wimp.