Philosophy
The racial (and racist) aspects of policing have come to the forefront of public consciousness, so let’s think critically about them.
First, police kill more white people than black people, and yet black people are considerably more likely to be killed by police than whites. Explain how both of these claims can be true. Which statistic is the most relevant? Explain using the ideas from this chapter.
Second, it’s common for people to try to justify the application of a racist stereotype to an individual by referring to a racial generalization. For example: “Be careful around _____ because they’re black and might steal your stuff.” Give an example of this type of reasoning as it applies to race and policing and explain what fallacy (or fallacies) are at play.