Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
This story has been all over Drudge, but it's worth talking about here. From NBCChicago.com:
A 15-year-old majorette who performed at some of President Barack Obama's recent inauguration festivities has been shot to death in Chicago.
Police say Hadiya Pendleton died after she was shot in the back while hanging out with a group of teens in Vivian Gordon Harsh Park about 2:30 p.m.
Middle of the day. Young girl. Gun violence. Connect the dots:
Police said Pendleton was not a gang member and was most likely not the shooter’s intended target. But most of the teens with her, who also fled the scene, are believed to be gang members, police said.
Chicago has strict gun-control laws. Chicago is run -- and has been run -- by powerful Democrats. Chicago is experiencing a severe crime wave.
Which nobody wants to talk about.
Which is why our side should be talking about it.
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Comments:
Sep '12
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
Black on black violence doesn't get much attention, especially in Democrat run cities.
Dec '12
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
wmartin
I agree that it is an unpleasant conversation. The facts are often unpleasant, but eventually they must be faced. The only thing that matters is whether the data (IQ stats, and their relationship to criminality and social dysfunction) is true or not. Your feelings about that data do not matter. · 4 hours ago
I think conservatives of all people should be wary of grand conclusions about the nature of the world based on "the data." I am particularly disturbed by your apparent assumption that IQ is some essential, genetically determined component of a person that the test perfectly measures. How do you know that low IQ scores are not caused by social dysfunction, or that both are not caused by other factors? Our feelings about the data don't matter, but our conclusions certainly do. If your conclusion is that black people are inherently dumb and therefore destined to be criminals, that has some very disturbing implications, which you should be willing to own up to, rather than hiding behind "the data."
Apr '11
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
The neighborhood where the shooting took place is the home or former home of some of the most elite blacks in the country. From wikipedia:
The area including both the Hyde Park neighborhood and Kenwood are sometimes collectively referred to as Hyde Park-Kenwood.
Aug '11
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
Is the city doing anything about the gun violence in Chicago? It isn't assault weapons. It's handguns. And everyone is focused on assault weapons, and it won't solve anything. The sad thing is this-- we know how to stop violence when the violence is isolated in these pockets, as it is in Chicago-- send lots of police in, stop and frisk, and keep people in jail for a long time. This is something strong civil libertarians (on both the left and the right) don't tend to want to do. The racial component of this is also something that get's people afraid. No one wants to be seen as "cracking down" on ethnic areas and get blasted on TV, even if that will save lives and make said areas better. But that's just an issue guts. It's easier to avoid the problem than to be called politically incorrect. It's easier to blame assault weapons too.
Dec '12
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
YOu said it, Goldgeller. Race matters in this because Democrats say, "Oh, this behavior is the result of slavery," or even, "Gangs are part of an authentic passage to adulthood for minority youth," or, "It's racist to incarcerate all these black teenagers." And then Republicans who ought to know better say, "Oh, this behavior is the result of low IQ." I would argue that low IQ is the result of this behavior; young people who have opted for a street life don't usually try very hard on tests.
A local note--this shooting took place about 5 blocks from Obama's house, in the same named area of the city. But the neighborhood is one of poor apartment houses and duplexes, not large mansions. In Chicago, the mood can change rapidly from block to block.
Apr '11
Re: Child Shot in Chicago. Media Yawns.
Daughter of Shalott
wmartin
I am particularly disturbed by your apparent assumption that IQ is some essential, genetically determined component of a person that the test perfectly measures. How do you know that low IQ scores are not caused by social dysfunction, or that both are not caused by other factors? Our feelings about the data don't matter, but our conclusions certainly do. · 10 hours ago
Way too much to deal with in the word limit....but it is quite strange to be accused of "hiding behind the data." We know from , among many other things, studies of identical twins raised apart that genetics is the primary factor behind IQ. The material is all out there; there are numerous discussions by Charles Murray, Steven Pinker (although he does not deal with racial gaps very much) and Arthur Jensen. For a principled contrarian view, look to James Flynn.