There exists a widespread cultural, black-male-savage commonsense theory of crime, as reflected in a commercial recounting the kidnapping, torture, humiliation, and rape experienced at the hands of a black male named Willie Horton, which is a product of racism and also legitimates racism. Commonsense theories provide an environment for academic criminology. In turn, criminology gives back support for biological commonsense theories. In contrast to the claims of those who emphasize biological origins of behavior, empirical evidence fails to document a specific theoretical position. For the American Civil Liberties Union and other researchers, the arrest and imprisonment rates for black males provide evidence of racism. Both biological commonsense theories and biological criminological theories increase support for the death penalty as a form of "pest control" as rehabilitation is not feasible, and the commonsense black-male-savage commonsense theory increases demands by whites for retribution. The political record is recounted for those who question that the Willie Horton scenario reflects racism rather than a genuine concern for the victims of rape and other sexual assaults. 16 references