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Syrinx

(14,804 posts)
Sat Apr 7, 2012, 07:20 AM Apr 2012

Can we agree with both parts of this assertion?

Most white-collar financial crimes are committed by middle-aged white guys.

And most violent street crimes are committed by young black men.

It's the ugly truth. But it's the truth.

Both are wrong.

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Can we agree with both parts of this assertion? (Original Post) Syrinx Apr 2012 OP
Don't know. Igel Apr 2012 #1
How about: bemildred Apr 2012 #2

Igel

(35,359 posts)
1. Don't know.
Sat Apr 7, 2012, 01:52 PM
Apr 2012

I'd agree with the former; most middle-management, white-collar folk that are in a position to commit anything but trivial financial crimes (e.g. taking money from the office supplies slush fund for a burger) are going to be whites, 30 to 65 years old.

But the second I'd hedge on. I'd say that a wildly disproportionate number of violent street crimes are committed by blacks aged 16-25 for a number of reasons (some of which would be acceptable here, some of which wouldn't be). Whether or not that's a majority of them is committed by black adolescent males is a fact that can be tracked down.

I suspect it's rather like the welfare numbers. No, the majority of welfare recipients aren't black. The numbers range from around 42-48%, depending on the year. 50.1% would be a majority. On the other hand, blacks are 12-13% of the population so they're greatly overrepresented in the stats.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
2. How about:
Sat Apr 7, 2012, 02:52 PM
Apr 2012

Most white-collar financial crimes are committed by middle-aged rich people.

And most violent street crimes are committed by young poor people.

It's the ugly truth. But it's the truth.

Both are wrong.

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