Most of the Police in the U.S. Are Racist | Portland

In this conversation near Portland State University, three participants engage the claim, “Most of the police in the U.S. are racist.” Two of the participants stand on the “Agree” line and the third stands on “Disagree.” One of these participants is Peter’s former student.

The discussion takes various turns throughout, but the persistent difficulty is the absence of data and determining precisely how much and what kind of data would be enough to justify one’s confidence. All participants agree that data is the sticking point, which is why Peter is bewildered when one participant says, “Despite not having the evidence that supports it, I’m pretty confident. I would say I’m a 10 [out of 10].”

This conversation was recorded on May 11, 2022 in Portland, Oregon.