Imaginary Conversations and Random Thoughts

On The Big Story with John Gibson today, Al Sharpton said something of which I can’t recall the exact wording. Transcript available, maybe, tomorrow. He said one problem Bush has with the African-American community is that they are dying in disproportionate numbers in Bush’s war. I take that back. I can’t promise you he said the words “Bush’s War”. But he was speaking in the sense of the war being something Bush had to defend because if its unfair effect on African Americans. 

But are they really? I guess I’ll have to look up several numbers and see if he’s right. For full disclosure, I should tell you that I wouldn’t be going to all this trouble if I believed him, but I’ll give you the links. I’m only doing the guys by the way. Women, if you feel the need to complain, please go here first.

African Americans as % of U.S. population: 36.4 million (12.9%) of total US population

African American males 18-29 as % of all males 18-29: 3,079,238 (13%) of 23,672,589 (all males 18-29)
(Arbitrary age range to approximate “military-aged” males)

African American males as % of U.S. Army: 18.9%     and U.S. Marines: 11.8%

African Americans as % of military deaths in Iraq: Black: 111 (12.4%) of U.S. Military deaths: 892
(This page lists Coalition, U.S., and Black deaths in Iraq. It does not say African American. I included all of them as U.S. just to give Mr. Sharpton a little help. Click on the “Graphical breakdown of casualties” link.)

African Americans as % of U.S military deaths in Afghanistan (pdf file): 9 (9.1%) of 99 U.S. Army and Marine deaths.

Seems to me that African American deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are actually less than their representation within the total U.S. population and within the population of military aged males.