Well, gee, this wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I guess I should question all of my expectations, eh?
I don't think many people are afraid of admitting that crime in black communities (and in most disenfranchised communities regardless of race) is a problem. I know that is not true for me - it's a very serious problem. Rather they want people to understand the nature of the problem without reacting fearfully. Yes, if a person ends up stranded at night in a crime-ridden district it would be rational for them to be afraid. But you cannot rationally carry this fear around with you everywhere you go - especially if you are using the stereotype of what a 'thug' looks like. I don't know about you, but I have met young men - white, black, hispanic - who 'look' like thugs but are very nice, sweet people. And conversely, I have met young men who look upright and trustworthy who were total scumbags. I know other people have to have observed this...I think we rely on stereotypes even when our own experience tells us otherwise. No doubt it is because of our instincts to separate and compartmentalize like others have said, but I don't think it's a reliable system for operating in the world today and I think it needs to evolve. There's nothing wrong with thinking a little more and reacting a little less.