Murderers - An Uncomfortable Truth?

[sp1814]

Every time we read a story about a young black man arrested and convicted of a gang crime (shooting or stabbing), we here people stating that it's a problem specific to ('naturally' more violent) black men.

So...I have a question. With the recent rise in the number of middle aged white men killing prostitutes/blonde women/children (Levi Bellfield and Steve Wright spring to mind) - can I ask why do people think this is happening?

Are these men secretly not white?

Or is the link between race a crime as dopey as the question I've posted here?

[spacechimp]

Serial killers are most likely to be white males.

[jackthehat]

Raggy Roman...............
Please tell me that you are not falling into the trap of assuming that just because there are more black faces on Crimewatch, there is more 'black crime ' ?

Oh....you are ?

My mistake. I'd taken you to be a rational human being......

[jackthehat]

I have no idea why some crimes are high-lighted and others aren't.....................and I suspect you don't, either.

Using your rationale, most crimes are committed by Londoners/southerners......................

[sir.prize]

This of course is a topic which will not produce a definitive correct answer.

We all know there is 'bad' in all races, and indeed there are also so many diffferent crimes.

Serial killers most likely to be white males - here in the UK.

Ask the same question of USA society - would the answer be the same?

And it is always a difficult a touchy subject to discuss racism, but we must remind ourselves, - whatever colour we are or whichever country we live in . . . . crime and particularly terror is not confined to one colour or continent.

These threads should not be vehicles for racism.

But as someone succinctly pointed out on this very site - ''all Muslims are not terrorists, but it seems that most terrorists are Muslim''.

[jackthehat]

Eh ?
I think you'll find that the majority of 'crimes' high-lighted take place in London and/or the south............It is an editorial choice <b<not an overview of the crime-statistics themselves........

I should imagine that there are white faces on the Carribean version of Crimewatch.............why wouldn't there be ?

[spacechimp]

Yes, it is the same in US society.

[jake-the-peg]

Most crimes take place in high population urban areas.

Black population density is highest there.

The high black crime rate is a fact - the error is assuming that it's intrinsic to blacks and not considering that other factors like poverty, and education may be the cause.

Frankly a lot of people are lazy, stupid and easily led.

They like simple answers to complex questions and will just keep hammering the round peg into the square hole of their prejudices

[amsterdammer]

RAGGY ROMAN IS CORRECT!
I to have noted that out of the ten " wanted" on Crimewatch, its usually 50-60% who are of Ethnic origin, so assuming 10% of the population is Ethnic, this represents an unusually high proportion
Having watched Crimewatch Caribbean some years ago, I can tell you no whites were featured ( no I was only kidding!)
PS. Good luck with the Grand Slam RAGGY, Nice to see a resurgence in Welsh Rugby.

[China Doll]

Or is the link between race a crime as dopey as the question I've posted here?

Hello my favourite little bundle of Splat; well your question isn't dopey but the idea that a race and crime link is dopey is erm, well rather dopey.

Taking just your example of young black men convicted for gang related crime. I'm afraid there's no doubt in my mind that the race and the crime are linked here. Not because I think that black men are more violent or anything so ridiculous but because where there is gang related crime there is usually a high level of poverty and some real nasty people who prey on that. It is a sad fact that some of the most impoverished areas near where I live in London have a large black population, (Peckham, Brixton, Camberwell etc...). The crimes aren't committed because the youths in question are black but because they're easy pickings for some much murkier elements of society because they're easy to lead due to poverty and the fact that where there is poverty there is a low expectation of what you can grow to be. If I wanted to target young and easily led men to get their hands dirty I'd go for a nice impoverished area. And nice impoverished areas are usually where the most vulnerable members of society are. Most vulnerable members of society are not white and middle class.

It's the same for the muslim extremists, find a nice set of young men who are sick and tired of being brow beaten by the popular press and who's expectation of life is low and you're good to go.

I think poverty is often a root cause but I think you'd be mad to say that there's no link between race and crime as well.

[helpmetoo]

i dont see how being skint excuses carry out violent crime,

if that was the case then say in the 1600's about 90% of the population would be violent offenders,


perhaps' their expectation in life' is to be the best robber or murderer within their idiotic group

i suspect that behind most of this is a serious lack of morals and intellect,

both features sadly inherited

[China Doll]

helpmetoo I did not say it was an excuse I said it was part of the cause.

[sp1814]

Actually, one (or rather two) of America's most notorious serial killers were black - but they were different from your bog standard (if you can say that) serial killer...remember the snipers in Washington?

They were odd in that they killed outside their own racial profile. They killed indiscriminately.

I believe that there is a link between race and crime, but that is by no means the only link. Other mitigating circumstances are poor schooling, lack of opportunity, poor housing and (a new one) a kind of nihilistic attitude to life.

By the way, re-reading my question...I realise that I spelled 'hear' as 'here'.

Durrrr...

Thank you all for your posts (especially you China - incisive as usual)...I must go now because I've just succumbed to buying another flipping iPod, and I must spend the rest of the evening filling it with rubbish music.

[Booldawg]

Levi Bellfield SOUNDS like a black name. Maybe he grew up with an identify crisis?

[sir.prize]

Signifiant or coincidental that LEVI is an anagram of EVIL

[THECORBYLOON]

Does that mean Levi Strauss was a black German?

Come on now sp1814 you must have seen those programmes where men are made up to look like women and vice versa, white folk are made up to look black and vice versa.

These so-called "white" killers must be black (and no doubt Muslims) since white Christians are the salt of the earth and law-abiding without exception...