[RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 111, Issue 8

[Alison Spain]

Hello Bruce and all -

If you follow the link to the NY Times article
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/upshot/the-measuring-sticks-of-racial-bias-.html?_r=0>
 each research study mentioned in the article is summarized, and then the
author, Professor Mullainathan, links to the actual research and study,
most which are published in peer-reviewed journals. For example, the study
that states that when African Americans and Caucasians with identical
resumes and training apply for the same low wage job, *"Their sobering
finding was that African-American applicants with no criminal record were
offered jobs at a rate as low as white applicants who had criminal
records." *(Pager et al.)  The link in the article takes you to the paper
in the* American Sodciological Review* and summarizes the findings,
methodology, and stats.  So, if you'd like sources that aren't the usual
media, there you go. I'd also offer that they are generally apolitical, as
there are studies that indict Democratic politicians as much as Republicans
and concede that there is a bias in college admissions that favors minority
applicants.  I'm not sure why Prof. Mullainathan background as an economist
disqualifies him from undertaking research in bias and discrimination,
perhaps you could elaborate.

What the studies do indicate and what I was trying to get at is that bias
is unavoidable, no matter how well intentioned one is.  The article states
it more eloquently, which is why I pulled that quote, here in fuller
context:

"When our own résumé study came out, many human-resources managers told us
they were stunned. They prized creating diversity in their companies, yet
here was evidence that they were doing anything but. How was that possible?

To use the language of the psychologist Daniel Kahneman, we think both fast
and slow. When deciding what iPod to buy or which résumé to pursue, we
weigh a few factors deliberately (“slow”). But for hundreds of other
factors, we must rely on intuitive judgment — and we weigh these
unconsciously (“fast”).

*Even if, in our slow thinking, we work to avoid discrimination, it can
easily creep into our fast thinking.* Our snap judgments rely on all the
associations we have — from fictional television shows to news reports.
They use stereotypes, both the accurate and the inaccurate, both those we
would want to use and ones we find repulsive."

You are correct, you did not mention Riverdale's Police department
specifically.  I don't believe Ms. Cronk was indicting police in general,
either, but instead she chose to begin a dialogue around the very real
risks presented to some by over-zealous policing.  *Some *police
<http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/09/06/3564082/cop-who-allegedly-assaulted-7-black-women-released-from-jail/>
do abuse their power.  This is a reality for *many *people and communities.
It's not YOUR reality, but it doesn't make it not so.

Alison Spain



On Mon, Oct 12, 2015 at 5:02 PM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
wrote:

> Alison
>
>
>
> “Statistics and empirical research prove time and time again prove that
> racial bias exists”.  You cite statistics, what statistics?  This is an
> anecdote if I’ve ever seen one.
>
>
>
> This is precisely the problem I was attempting to articulate earlier.  The
> media claims statistics prove that something is true yet they provide no
> references so the reader can check them.  You are doing the same thing.
> Again I say, what statistics?
>
>
>
> I don’t believe everything I read in the Washington  Post, New York Times,
> Huffington Post, Fox News, etc.  I check multiple sources and statistics if
> available before I make judgements on any issues.  Drudge Report is a great
> source of news if you are interested.  They have articles from multiple
> news sources from all over the world including the ones mentioned above so
> you can do a little fact checking.
>
>
>
> To requote what you wrote below, "Even if, in our slow thinking, we work
> to avoid discrimination, it can easily creep into our fast thinking. Our
> snap judgments rely on all the associations we have — from fictional
> television shows to news reports. They use stereotypes, both the accurate
> and the inaccurate, both those we would want to use and ones we find
> repulsive."
>
>
>
> Here’s some info on who wrote this article;
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendhil_Mullainathan
>
> He’s an professor of economics at Harvard.  Clearly an expert on
> discrimination.
>
>
>
> I do agree with what he says regarding the “snap judgements”.  Think about
> that for a minute with respect to the police.
>
>
>
> BTW, I didn’t mention the Riverdale Police in my email.  Where did that
> come from?
>
>
>
> Bruce
>
>
>
> *From:* towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org [mailto:
> towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] *On Behalf Of *Alison Spain
> *Sent:* Monday, October 12, 2015 3:51 PM
> *To:* TownTalk <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 111, Issue 8
>
>
>
> Hello Neighbors -
>
>
>
> I appreciate the mostly respectful dialogue that has been taking place on
> Town Talk regarding policing in our community.
>
>
>
> Regarding Mr. Wernek's message below, I don't believe Ms. Cronk impugned
> or otherwise charged Riverdale's police force with any abuse of power or
> harassment, merely stated her hesitance to call police under the premise of
> seeing something "weird."
>
>
>
> I've been pulled over on numerous occasions in my 41 years, Mr. Wernek,
> and only once have I received a speeding ticket.  As a college student and
> young white woman, I was generally sent on my way with a warning, by white
> and black police, even when there was clearly underage drinking and/or
> other illegal behavior involved.  In fact, I have never feared for my
> safety in my police encounters. My Black and Latino friends have not shared
> this experience.  In high school, an Asian friend of my brother's, not even
> 15, had a gun drawn on him and was put to the ground for some lesser
> traffic offense.  In fact, the only time that I did not receive the help I
> sought was for sexual harassment in college, when it was deemed my fault
> for being with another woman, hiking together in the woods without male
> friends, and therefore likely enticing harassment upon ourselves.
>
>
>
> These are anecdotes.  The reality is that your experience of "take care of
> them and they will take care of you" is also an anecdote. Statistics and
> empirical research prove time and time again prove that racial bias exists,
> even when we don't want it to be so. That does not mean police are bad, or
> that we are bad, but we are products of our environments and socialization,
> and of racist media and stereotypes.  I was stunned to find myself afraid,
> yes AFRAID, of a 4-year old African American boy who was a participant at
> the non-profit where I taught art.  This is a non-profit that serves ONLY
> African  American boys.  I am ashamed to admit this, of course, but as my
> boss (an African American woman) at the program said when I told her what I
> had thought, with much embarrassment, "Even Black people are afraid of
> Black people."  Neither one of us believed or wanted to be programmed with
> these kind of thoughts, but there we were, two lefty, anti-racist, do
> gooder liberals, one white, one black, with all the same baggage as anyone
> else in America.
>
>
>
> "Even if, in our slow thinking, we work to avoid discrimination, it can
> easily creep into our fast thinking. Our snap judgments rely on all the
> associations we have — from fictional television shows to news reports.
> They use stereotypes, both the accurate and the inaccurate, both those we
> would want to use and ones we find repulsive."
>
> http://www.
> nytimes.com/2015/01/04/upshot/the-measuring-sticks-of-racial-bias-.html?_r=0
>
>
>
> When I moved to Riverdale two years ago, I had just arrived home when
> police came through my neighborhood with weapons drawn in search of a
> suspect who had presumably stolen a motorbike and crashed it. He was a
> young, black male.  There are several young, black males in my
> neighborhood, and I would think very carefully about risking their lives
> for a stolen moped.  Google Tamir Rice and tell me you wouldn't.
>
>
>
> Again, thanks for the dialogue,
>
>
>
> Alison Spain
>
> Tuckerman St.
>
>
>
>
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 07:17:11 -0400
> From: "Bruce Wernek" <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
> To: "'Heather Cronk'" <heather.cronk at gmail.com>, "'Sarah Wayland'"
>         <sarah.wayland at gmail.com>
> Cc: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] car break-in
> Message-ID: <012601d104df$8ad04c60$a070e520$@verizon.net>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>
>
>
>
> Heather
>
> Flagrantly abuse their power, harass people of color?  I don?t think you
> truly understand what police have to go through each and every day.
>
> Imagine being a member of the police force working a long shit (12 hours)
> in an unsavory area in DC.  One minute your working a domestic, where a
> husband is beating his wife and you are trying not to get into an
> altercation with the drunken husband, a half hour later you get a ?shots
> fired? and find a dead teenager laying in a pool of blood, later dealing
> with a drunken disorderly spitting and screaming at the top of his lungs an
> inch away from your face, next it?s a B and E where a distraught senior
> couples apartment has been completely ransacked and everything of value has
> been stolen.  On the way to the next call, you are diverted to discover an
> infant in a dumpster followed by a fatal head on caused by a drug addled
> driver who just killed a mother with her kids calling for her in the back
> seat.  Imagine working in this environment day after day, week after week,
> year after year.  Think of how this would affect you and what affect it
> would have on your disposition and ?attitude??
>
> Stop parroting the media tripe and think about what these men and woman
> have to go through.  In my opinion, they are patriots fighting a war they
> cannot win.  They are no different than any other veteran of any other
> war.  Protecting me and you from abject chaos often risking and losing
> their lives to do so.  On top of that they are being vilified by folks like
> you and the media.  Sure the police make mistakes, there?s collateral
> damage, and there?s injustice from time to time, but this is war girl.
> These men and woman aren?t playing in a sand box.
>
> I think it?s time to stop vilifying the police and start questioning the
> media.  Their bias is in the stratosphere pretty much across the board.
> The police are not the enemy, they are part of the community akin to your
> neighbors.  That?s the ?attitude? all us should have not the one you
> articulated below.  If you take care of them, they will take care of you.
>
> Bruce
>
>
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