RACISM
Why Racists Love Their Black-on-Black Crime Talking Point
It's a way of disguising their disdain as empathy
Social desirability bias limits the amount of overt racism we hear in our daily lives. Put another way, most racists are careful about what they say because they can lose their job or upset their social standing if they openly express their innermost thoughts. So while loud racists are often put on blast for their offensive rhetoric, racists can actually do the most harm when they keep their toxic beliefs under lock and key. By using discipline, and refraining from explicitly racist language, White people can uphold the racial hierarchy while smelling like a garden of roses. At least, that's their hope.
For instance, when Black people discuss the negative impacts of white supremacy, such as the pervaisive problem of police brutality, closeted racists often bring up the black-on-black crime talking point. It's their way of feigning concern. For instance, political comedian Bill Maher recently suggested in his talk show that people don't discuss Chicago's crime rate enough that "young Black men [are] killing other young Black men." Maher went further, suggesting police kill fewer Black people, and that Black leaders in the civil rights movement are uninterested in their deaths because they aren't…
