Crime statistics don’t reflect race issues

Guest columnist Stephen Hanisch (Dec. 3) contends that African-Americans commit crimes disproportionate to their percentage of the population. He says plenty of statistics support that statement. That may or may not be true. He offers no statistics from any research anywhere to support his argument. He ends with this: “I request a follow-up article that presents a fair and balanced interpretation of how and why African-Americans disproportionately come in contact with law enforcement and are subsequently charged with crimes.”

My question is what would he like such a “fair and balanced” article to cover?

Should such an article address how poverty, inequality in educational opportunities and lack of equality in public school funding, not race, may determine a propensity to criminality? Does he understand how discriminatory mandatory sentencing guidelines affect people of color?

Mr. Hanisch completely discounts how race relations of the past couple of centuries impacts the responses of all institutions in this country, then and now. Racism stems from lack of knowledge and contact with others different from oneself.

In my opinion, this guest columnist personifies this type of ignorance, bias and stereotypical thinking.

Marcia Swift

Cedar Rapids