[istjohn]

You accuse them of making off the cuff conclusions, but the example you cited is basically raw data. And this is not "dangerous stuff." Yes statistics can be used by some people to justify stereotypes, but the correct response is to see people as individuals and not simply in terms of race, sex, culture, class, etc. We do not need to suppress or be exceedingly cautious about data. The impulse to suppress data comes from a belief that some statistic if demonstrated could justify racism or bigotry. But this is not true. Suppose it was a fact that 90% of people over 6 feet tall never wash their hands after using the restroom and this was discovered by researchers. Those inclined to bigotry would conclude that tall people are dirty and should be avoided. More fair-minded folks would refrain from assuming every tall person they meet is one of the 90% who doesn't wash their hands. Instead, they might wonder if there is a reason tall people aren't washing their hands. Maybe bathroom sinks are too low. Bigotry and racism are dangerous, not statistics.