St. Louis, MO — Both liberals and conservatives grossly overestimated the number of unarmed black men killed by police in 2019, according to a Skeptic Magazine study.
The study found that overall, “people are uninformed regarding the available data on fatal police shootings” in the United States. It also concluded that those who identified as “liberal” and “very liberal” saw a greater discrepancy in their estimations and the available data.
Specifically, we found that the more people reported being “liberal” or “very liberal” on social and fiscal matters, the greater the discrepancy between the available data and their estimations.
From Skeptic Magazine
The study asked:
How many unarmed Black men were killed by police in 2019?
A staggering 53.5 percent of those that identified as “very liberal” thought at least 1,000 unarmed black men were killed by police in 2019.
The actual number is much lower. Skeptic Magazine estimated between 13 and 27 unarmed black men were killed by police in 2019.
When you combine the percentages of those who identified as “liberal” or “very liberal” who made the correct estimate (38.13 percent), it still falls short of the percentage of “liberal” study-takers who believe over 1,000 unarmed black men were killed (38.79 percent) by police in 2019.
The lack of knowledge of the true data points is not isolated to the liberal wing of politics. More conservatives managed to estimate the correct range of unarmed black men killed by police in 2019, though a majority of “conservative” and “very conservative” study-takers were still incorrect.
The study also asked another telling question. Skeptic Magazine asked:
In 2019 what percentage of people killed by police were Black?
The only group REMOTELY close to the actual number was the “conservative” camp, estimating an average of 37.8 percent. The actual number is closer to 25 percent, according to the Skeptic Magazine report.
Those identifying as “liberal” and “very liberal” both estimated over double the actual percentage. Those identifying as “moderate” and “very conservative” were also way off, both estimating around 45 percent.
Once again, the “conservative” group proved to be the most grounded in reality, overestimating the percentage by less than 13 percent.
What does all this mean?
Considering the prominence of these issues in today’s political and social atmosphere, the fact that the public is this uninformed on the actual data is outright dangerous.
These misconceptions need to be addressed by the media on both sides of the political spectrum.
Multiple Black Lives Matter protests devolved into violent demonstrations against police officers throughout 2020. Rioters threw water bottles, rocks, fireworks, and even Molotov cocktails at police officers.
Protests organized by Antifa and Black Lives Matter groups that messaged on police reform looted and burned businesses in cities across the country.
It is not a stretch to believe people’s lack of knowledge about true statistics is damaging an important conversation around the topic of racial injustice.
While everyone from conservatives to liberals overestimated the percentage of black people killed by police, the 25 percent mark is concerning. Black people make up only 13 percent of the population in the U.S. That is a concerning discrepancy.
That does not mean the discrepancy points to the so-called talking point of “systemic racism” in the U.S. There are multiple factors that feed into this data point, and they all need to be addressed.
Most importantly, politicians, the media, and activist groups such as Black Lives Matter need to set the record straight on these statistics so voters can make informed decisions.
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The problem with a lot of the liberals making any guess about the number of blacks killed by the police is the Representatives and Senators who spout imaginary numbers to the press.
Just go show how liberal media got almost everyone brainwash. I always thought least than 10 a year. I was closer than most but all was resting arrest when it happen or on drug kicking cop ass and cop was in fear for his life and had no chose but to use legal force and less than 2 a year was not justified.
You will never see the liberal media setting any truth straight because the democrats are all out to keep dividing us and using their liberal media to keep their most potent nuclear weapon, the “race” card, to make sure that they do that. They know that united we stand, and divided we fall. They are drunk on greed, and absolute power and absolute control over us and our paychecks. Just look how giddy they are to spend our tax dollars on our enemies. Trillions of dollars are at their disposal, and those dollars come out of our paychecks, but the dems are so greedy and such out of control spenders, that they don’t want our tax dollars to benefit us. They send our money to our enemies who hate us, and invite illegals here so they can give them our money and they will remember that come election day. So, now they are cooking election rules to allow voter fraud and they have big plans for our tax dollars, that’s and power is all they care about. They could not do that unless they have absolute power over the House and the Senate, and the White House, and our paychecks are connected directly to their IRS, and they can raise taxes and give themselves raises at any whim. The democrats are destroying everything that we hold dear.
Liberals over estimate to suit their agenda and implement their stalinist policies.
The mention that 25% is still high because they are only 13% of the population is still a deceptive and B.S. statement because are they not around 60% of prison population even with the fact that they have a much higher percentage of undeserved dismissals of charges.
The question remains how many of these black men who were shot were reported to, or were observed to, have a deadly weapon, and were exhibiting actions which threaten nearby persons, or the officer(s), and were uncooperative and belligerent?
I posed a legitimate question relevant to the discussion, and the moderators blocked it.
It makes me doubt the honesty of your reporting itself ! Could be you are no better than the ‘fake news’ outlets !
That was expected !
You did not disappoint !
Opposing opinions not allowed ! Just like the Liberal Marxists Democrats ! It was not an opposing opinion. Merely exposing a glaring relevant omission.
America’s conservative voice !?!? I posted nothing offensive, just something which was missing in the discussion. There are others. like how many homicides are committed against police? Or even attempted? Enough for a policeman to have reason to fear for his life or the lives of innocent bystanders? How many white suspects are shot by police in similar circumstances? How many white men shoot policemen?
The relevancy of your article lessens when compared to other scenarios.
This isn’t for posting. It is for you, ‘America’s Conservative Voice’ (?)
I doubt I am the only one who sees the flaws in your article.
Amen!!!
the search for the real truth died 4 decades ago, and with each passing decade selling a lie is the norm, following the old adage “tell a lie 4x and the public will believe it is the truth”. This has been the hallmark of the liberal/socialist owned media outlets and other platforms. The are no outlets for the truth, there are no social platforms for the truth. The real truth these days are what ever the media, and social platforms want it to be, the real truth is immediately called a lie, not factual. This is all about control, the long plan of the former democrats now the liberal/socialist party, kicked it in to high gear, with the change for America, obama’s plan still moving forward by his disciples. This dark cloud across American started out small then increased, the Repubs., conservatives let it happen, all in the false spirit of go along to get along, one of the long plan from the far left, time after time goading the real Americans to accept this conditioning of thought. So now what will the real Americans do, what is the timber of their back bone, to date it is jelly. If we are to keep this Republic the real Americans will have to muster up the courage to stand up, raise the spirit of 1776 again, if not be for ever on their knees.
obama is the real problem!