LogFAQs > #952928549

SquirtleSkwad posted...

Because you're being unnecessarily contrarian with no real stance on race related issues.

i wasn't being "contrarian". I said that the attacker's race has no impact on a hate crime charge (which was based on the race of the attacker), and thus no relevance to the story. I also stated that people make their decisions around what to include based on if the alleged attacker's race is relevant to the circumstances or to the readers' understanding of what happened. The logical conclusion of this stance is that there's no need to say that the attacker is black in this situation, as whether or not it was a hate crime and what the punishment should be is not changed by knowing the race of the attacker.

in terms of your police officer hypothetical, race would matter if the person posting believes that knowing the races of the individuals involved would change your understanding and/or provide useful context. For example, cop shoots unarmed black man for resisting arrest would be a different headline to most people than cop shoots unarmed man for resisting arrest, so it would probably make sense to include. the soundness of the decision to shoot and the possibility of the crime being race-related would surely influence if the killing was justified and/or what punishment is appropriate, if any.

If you think "white cop" or "asian cop" or "black cop" or "gay cismale cop" add to the understanding of the story, then feel free to add that. it is certainly worth considering what it adds, and the writer's intention for adding/excluding the details. but i've stated my logic/criteria. If you feel differently, feel free to share your opinion.