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The Jew is not a disturber of the peace of any country. Even his enemies will concede that. He is not a loafer, he is not a sot, he is not noisy, he is not a brawler nor a rioter, he is not quarrelsome. In the statistics of crime his presence is conspicuously rare - in all countries. With murder and other crimes of violence he has but little to do: he is a stranger to the hangman. In the police court's daily long roll of 'assaults' and 'drunk and disorderlies' his name seldom appears ...

Samuel Langhorne Clemens#99

CrimePeaceSociologyStereotype

About this quote

What does it mean?
Jews are not troublemakers; they are rarely involved in crime and are generally peaceful citizens.
In plain terms
Jewish people are typically law‑abiding and peaceful.
What can you take from it?
Statistical evidence shows low criminality among Jews.

Where it applies

  • social policy
  • community relations

Putting it to work

  • challenge negative stereotypes
  • use data in public discourse

Questions to consider

  • How reliable are crime statistics by ethnicity?
  • What risks arise from positive stereotyping?

Another view

Generalizations may overlook individual variation.

More from Samuel Langhorne Clemens

  1. I have no special regard for Satan; but, I can at least claim that I have no prejudice against him. It may even be that I lean a little his way, on account of …

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  2. A Jewish beggar is not impossible, perhaps; such a thing may exist, but there are few men that can say they have seen that spectacle.

    Permalink to quote #100
  3. I have no race prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be …

    Permalink to quote #97

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