[hn_throwaway_99]

I don't think it's so much a "misunderstood" statistic as much as a number that people (like the commenter you are replying to) deliberately trot out to use as evidence for their position because they are depending on most people being statistically illiterate.

To be clear, I totally agree with your points, I just think this is more of a case of "lying with statistics" than being a misunderstanding.

[willy_k]

I think in this case Hanlon’s Razor very much applies.

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

[bcrosby95]

When it comes to political statements everything is opposite day.

[willy_k]

No. When it comes to statements by politicians, maybe. But when it comes to what people say in a setting like this thread, being so flippant in discounting people’s earnest-ness is a mistake and gets in the way of actually moving understanding forward.

[sebasv_]

Thank you for brightening my day. Keep on acing the vibe check!

[account42]

Only fools invoke Hanlon's Razor for inherently adversarial situations.

[willy_k]

Only fools reconcile situations where people disagree as “inherently adversarial”. If you’re feeling adversarial more power to ya, but other people, myself included, are here to discuss the world for discussions’ sake.