Race Baiting or Just Racing?

Notes and Concepts

Statistics can be used mistakenly or deceptively (or both) in such a way that they give us a skewed view of a given phenomenon.

Some data can, on the surface, present an open and shut case for a claim.

In many cases, when we dig deeper, we see that the claims made and narratives shared by mainstream sources are overly simplified or just plain wrong and lead us astray.

Some outlets misrepresent research, and we are challenged to read the research ourselves in order to discover the facts and the truth.

As we continue to read research and look at methodology and results, we get better at interpreting and discussing those results.

This is particularly true when we are able to read multiple research studies on the same of similar subject and compare the studies and resulting discussions.

We tend to be too busy in the demanding world we live in to do much in terms of our own research into complicated subjects.

This supports a continuing trend into the specialization that has marked the growth of civilization.

Just as we rely on trained people to complete specialized tasks for us, such as plumbing, electrical work, and engineering, we also have to farm out a certain amount of intellectual and informational work.

Nonetheless, we are challenged to do enough research ourselves in order to determine whom we can trust.

Otherwise, we are merely swallowing the most popular opinions and “truths” we are being fed.