Police and gangs

The experts on TV keep saying that we must get to the real reason for the riots and protest and many seem to think the police are the problem and for sure that is part of the problem. They point out the number of young black men who are killed by police. The data shows that police shootings account for about 1,000 deaths per year and 300 of the victims are young black males. This is 30% of the deaths and black males only comprise 6% of the population. On average 6,000 black men are murdered each year and 5,400 are killed by other black men. This is mostly the result of gangs fighting over drugs. Why are so many young black men involved with drugs? First off 65% of black children are in single parent homes and more than half of these live below the poverty line. These same children have low test scores, high drop out rates and disproportionately high discipline problems and suspensions. When these students become young adults they do not have the skills and/or the necessary self discipline to get and maintain jobs and thus they migrate toward gangs. Perhaps the roots of the problems starts long before the run in with police. As experts concentrate on police behavior they run the risk of neglecting other areas of concern.