Thursday, January 19, 2012

Don't Go There

Racist or realistic? Fears Microsoft 'Avoid the Ghetto' app will damage economies of poor communities

It takes some brain damage to make the leap from avoiding high crime areas to "racist" -- but that is the world in which we live today.  I mean, look at some of the quotes from the article:
'I can't imagine that there aren't perpetrators of domestic violence, petty and insignificant drug possession, fraud, theft, and rape in every area.'
Yeah, well neither can I. Tornadoes do occur in California and in all of the lower 48, but there's a reason the area where they occur with the highest frequency is called "Tornado Alley". Is that "stereotyping" the Midwest?
'Can you imagine me not being able to go to Martin Luther King Boulevard. because my GPS says that’s a dangerous crime area? I can’t even imagine that,'
Just because it's a dangerous crime area?!!!! These people have very poor imaginations, apparently. Besides, the app doesn't physically restrain you from doing anything.  You can go anywhere you want to.
'It’s almost like gerrymandering,'she said. 'It’s stereotyping for sure and without a doubt; I can’t emphasize enough, it’s discriminatory.'
Yeah. It discriminates high crime areas from areas with lower crime rates.  For sure and without a doubt.
'What happens in North Dallas certainly ought to be no different than what happens in South Dallas, so we can’t keep on doing this,'
What ought to be and what actually is is why people feel the need for an app like this.

Does the app say "avoid poor people"??? or "avoid black people"?? (and make no mistake, that's what the flap is about). Does it base its warnings on racial demographics, or does it base them on crime statistics?  It doesn't even have a name yet, it's just been dubbed "Avoid the Ghetto" by people on the outside (and probably by those who seem alarmed by it.)

What if it came out under the name "Avoid High Crime Areas", since that's what the app is about?   The ONLY way that could be considered racial is if one assumed that high crime has something to do with race.  And who is it that makes this assumption?

The very people who see an app to help people avoid high crime areas and  immediately call it "racist".

3 comments:

tim said...

So…the FACT that there are indeed high crime areas and the FACT that Blacks make up a very high percentage of the incarcerated is completely irrelevant?

And also, the people most offended by this type of thing live VERY far away from high crime areas. AND, this is most important, they don’t move towards them when they get the chance.

How’s the racists?

White guilt, it’s like a disease.

(Dude, glad to see you're back)

tim said...

Who's the racists?

Doh.

philmon said...

You know, there's a lot of families of many races that live in these areas that want it to stop, too. They can't avoid it, but they would if they could, and they wouldn't blame you for trying to avoid it, either.

You're right. Mostly rich whites and militant race baiters.