Analytical Essay

Question:

This is a Discussion paper on the article of WSJ Opinion Piece Ferguson Lies and Statistics March 2015. The attached Wall Street Journal opinion piece should be reviewed and analyzed by students to determine the author’s main points and whether you agree or disagree and why. While it was written a year ago, it still has important information that contradicts the “politically correct” version of the events that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri last year which is still maintained as “truth” by much of the media and the Obama Administration to this day. See if you agree or disagree.

Answer:

Review and Analysis of an Article

Bret Stephens, the author of the article of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece Ferguson, Lies and Statistics raises two very critical points in today’s society. The first is that we live in a society that considers corroborating the accounts reported by the media outlets safer than giving the truthful accounts for fear of local vigilantes. The second point that Stephens clearly brings out is that most people and police forces in general tend to act in reference to the past statistics. In this case, he argues that statistics are not always true.

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I agree with Stephens on both accounts mentioned above. Over time, it has been an unspoken rule that if one dares corroborate a different story other than that which the media outlets considers true, they will be secluded, labeled a ‘rat’ or even worse, their opinions would not make a difference as they would be alienated just like in the Darren Wilson case. Similarly, taking an example of how Black Americans in the United States have been portrayed as criminals, one may understand why law enforcers would be quick to assume that a Black American has committed a crime as opposed to a White American or Asian.

The cases of Darren Wilson and Ferguson that Bret Stephens addresses are examples of what happens all over the world. Believing too much in the statistics can be crippling to a society’s ethical fabric and the truth. As such, law enforcers and the general public should understand that statistics lie at times and that mainstream narratives are not always truthful. These stereotypes need to be addressed if the hope of a fair and just society is to be actualized.

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