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I disdain the current popularity of name calling and condemnation of viewpoints with no factual alternatives or logical solutions given that I see so often. If you don't have a solution based on fact and logic, then opt out of the discussion because you have nothing to contribute. My background is a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and 39 years working in middle management jobs for a major retailer. My opinions are forged on the personal experence of life, family, friends, and work as well as triumphs and mistakes that I have made and hopefully learned from. My hope is that this blog helps you.

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It is relatively simple, without sacrificing the enjoyment of living for 'today' and even at moderate incomes, to retire as a millionaire or multi-millionaire, if you focus on that goal consistently from a young age. It is also simple to ensure that your child or grandchild retires rich. It merely requires a one time gift of just $2,000 invested wisely and the passage of time. Please read my first post on this blog to learn more.


Getting it right on Politics, Economics, and Personal Finance

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Friday, June 19, 2020

Racial Issues - Lying With Statistics that Evade the Problem Instead of Solving the Problem


Racial Issues - Lying With Statistics to the Detriment of All

Statistics don't lie, but it is very easy to lie and distort the truth using statistics. Every comparison I see about the “inequities” by race utilizes the proportional “national” sizes of each racial population to make comparisons that conclude that Blacks are discriminated against on the particular issue being reported. These comparisons never talk about the real causes for these differences. In the interest of actually coming up with solutions that will actually work to reduce and eliminate racial disparities, let's examine some of these causes:

1. In the most current and emotional issue of the day – police killings of Blacks is decried, using total racial population differences, to be twice the rate of Whites killed by police:

This comparison deliberately ignores “root cause” and is therefore statistically meaningless. Now for the truth. Police deal one on one with “ law breakers”, not total population. Consistently, year after year, Black crime rates based on their population is about 8 times the national average. What that means for police killings by race is that a White criminal is more likely to die in a police killing than a Black criminal. In other words, the real truth is being ignored and purposely distorted by the media and liberals for political purposes.

2. Black prison population is out of proportion compared to Whites based on total racial population:

Answered in point 1 – Black crime is 8 times the national average. That's why the prison population is skewed heavily toward Blacks. What are we supposed to do – arrest and jail innocent White people so that the prison racial populations will reflect total national racial populations?
3. The Truth - Police have a very demanding job and overall do it very well:
Finally on this issue, with all the hatred currently misdirected onto all police for the sins of a very few bad cops, let us always remember that, based on population size, a cop is 25 times more likely to die in the line of duty than a Black person is likely to be killed by police!! 25 times!!!!

4. Blacks, on average, earn less money and have less wealth than Whites:

There are several reasons for this.

A. The most basic reason is that Black educational achievements are the lowest of any race. In relation to total population, Blacks drop out of high school in far greater numbers relative to race population than any other race. Blacks enter and graduate college at the lowest rates relative to race. This result is despite the fact that Black populations are largest compared to Whites in big cities. Why is that important? In America, we spend more on public schools than any other nation on a per student, per year basis. The national average is about $10,000 per year per student. In many big cities where Black populations are statistically higher compared to Whites than the Black national population, the average spent per year per public school student is about $20,000 each, double that of the national average!! We are putting the resources there for all races to achieve success. Blacks are not fully taking advantage of those resources and it is up to them to do so.

B. Blacks have a higher unemployment rate than Whites. True, but the reason has already been explained. Blacks lag in educational achievements by a wide margin. In the real world, as should always be the case, jobs and income are simply not given out by race. It has to be “individually” earned. Many people of all races have figured this out and are successful because they went out and earned it. That's the way, for the benefit of all of us, it should always be.

C. It is a statistical fact that only 10% of married households with children live in poverty. The poverty rate of single households with children is roughly 50%!! Back in the 1960s, prior to the start of the Democratic “Great Society” welfare programs, 3 out of 4 black babies were born to married parents. Today, just the opposite, 3 out of 4 Black babies (and 1 out of 4 White babies) are born to single parent households – the engine of poverty!! This is easy to understand as a cause of poverty. A married household with children has two potential income earners and two people who can care for the child. A single parent household has only one person to be both the income earner and the person taking care of the child. Two parents are likely to be in a better position to earn income and stay out of poverty than one parent. See link:

D. In the only statistical comparison that matters, the fact is that people, no matter their race or gender, with the same educational levels and years of experience on the job, essentially earn the same income. That should not be a surprise. That's been the law for over 50 years. The current political nonsense of coming up with just one national pay rate to utilize as an income “comparison” by race or gender by putting people of all types of jobs, full time and part time, along with high school drop outs and graduates, plus college dropouts and graduates together to come up with one statistical pay rate by each race or gender is utterly and totally statistically meaningless!

E. Black home ownership rates are the lowest of all races in the US. Of course they are for all of the reasons previously explained above.

5. Health Disparities by Race:

There are several making the rounds.

A. Black women die in childbirth at a higher rate than White women. Teenagers die in child birth at a higher rate than women in their 20s to 40s. Teenage births, comparatively speaking, are higher for Blacks than any other race. There's your root cause.

B. Covid-19 deaths are much higher for Blacks than Whites. Very easy to explain. Covid-19 deaths are proportionally higher in cities than rural areas. We've already established, that based on population, Blacks live disproportionally in big cities.

C. Blacks, on average, die at younger ages than Whites. Obesity rates, a leading cause of disease and death is much higher for Blacks than Whites. See Link:

Conclusion:

Unless Blacks address and fix the issues documented here, then 50 years from now, nothing will have changed, nor should it change. The opportunities are there for each of us to achieve progress, success, and parity with all other races. There is nothing to stop anyone in America from being successful in life. Millions have proven that from all races. We have even had a Black President elected and re-elected. America is the greatest nation in the world, not due to handouts, but due to the freedom, perseverance, and hard work of its people to earn and achieve great things. Go for it!!!

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