Racial Profiling: Necessary or Harmful to Society
As a society that is focused on equality and protective laws, are we failing those who are subjected to racial profiling or are we taking caution in order to protect our country? In order to understand this argument, it is important to first know what racial profiling is. Racial profiling, as defined by the American Civil Liberties Union, is the “discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.” From this definition it can be seen that discrimination, stereotyping, and inequality are all clear characteristics of racial profiling. This vile act of judgement in today’s society …show more content…
From social alienation to police brutality, there are a number of harmful and debilitating obstacles that the black community faces. Crimes committed against a person solely based on appearance or perceived ideals are no different than the crime of racism with a different name. Racial Profiling is simply the politically correct term for racism, and is quite often deemed imaginary by those who have never experienced it. With movements such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement, the minorities are finally finding their voice and speaking out against oppression, but with the good, there always comes the bad. A mural painted in representation of the “Black Lives Matter” movement was vandalized with “the message ‘ALL LIVE MATTER, NO DOUBLE STANDARD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.’” (Lum, par. 4) “All Lives Matter” is a slogan coined by the majority as a way to devalue the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The vandalism of this mural represented not the beginning, but the rising animosity towards the “Black Lives Matter” movement. There are countless other incidents in which the Black community as a whole has been disrespected and threatened whether directly or not. The simple fact that a black driver is “31 percent more likely to be pulled over than white ones” shows the inequality. (Ingram, par. 2) There are many who believe that Racial Profiling is a fancy word made to …show more content…
In fact, 13 percent of Americans strongly approve law enforcement officers stopping pedestrians and motorists based on race, compared to 48 percent who strongly disapprove. (Horowitz, par. 13) It can be seen that the majority of the American population disapproves of racial profiling, but are there any laws specifically banning it? No. There are at least 20 states that do not ban racial profiling specifically, and despite so much opposition to racial profiling, there is little that can realistically be done in order to eliminate racial profiling altogether. (Horowitz, par. 17) Even in regards to the FBI, racial profiling is permitted in certain areas such as airports and borders; evidence also shows that American opposition to racial profiling decreases when it occurs at an airport. (Horowitz, par. 13) This decrease in opposition is due to the fact that we think in terms of our safety and benefit. Sociology professor Rod Graham puts it into perspective quite well; he says, “If done correctly, agencies can spend less money casting a wider net, and instead focus their resources more efficiently.” (par.1) If taxpayer dollars can be saved in resources to use more efficient me, why not use racial profiling as a means to identify crime? First and most importantly, it is wrong; secondly, it
As a society that is focused on equality and protective laws, are we failing those who are subjected to racial profiling or are we taking caution in order to protect our country? In order to understand this argument, it is important to first know what racial profiling is. Racial profiling, as defined by the American Civil Liberties Union, is the “discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.” From this definition it can be seen that discrimination, stereotyping, and inequality are all clear characteristics of racial profiling. This vile act of judgement in today’s society …show more content…
From social alienation to police brutality, there are a number of harmful and debilitating obstacles that the black community faces. Crimes committed against a person solely based on appearance or perceived ideals are no different than the crime of racism with a different name. Racial Profiling is simply the politically correct term for racism, and is quite often deemed imaginary by those who have never experienced it. With movements such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement, the minorities are finally finding their voice and speaking out against oppression, but with the good, there always comes the bad. A mural painted in representation of the “Black Lives Matter” movement was vandalized with “the message ‘ALL LIVE MATTER, NO DOUBLE STANDARD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.’” (Lum, par. 4) “All Lives Matter” is a slogan coined by the majority as a way to devalue the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The vandalism of this mural represented not the beginning, but the rising animosity towards the “Black Lives Matter” movement. There are countless other incidents in which the Black community as a whole has been disrespected and threatened whether directly or not. The simple fact that a black driver is “31 percent more likely to be pulled over than white ones” shows the inequality. (Ingram, par. 2) There are many who believe that Racial Profiling is a fancy word made to …show more content…
In fact, 13 percent of Americans strongly approve law enforcement officers stopping pedestrians and motorists based on race, compared to 48 percent who strongly disapprove. (Horowitz, par. 13) It can be seen that the majority of the American population disapproves of racial profiling, but are there any laws specifically banning it? No. There are at least 20 states that do not ban racial profiling specifically, and despite so much opposition to racial profiling, there is little that can realistically be done in order to eliminate racial profiling altogether. (Horowitz, par. 17) Even in regards to the FBI, racial profiling is permitted in certain areas such as airports and borders; evidence also shows that American opposition to racial profiling decreases when it occurs at an airport. (Horowitz, par. 13) This decrease in opposition is due to the fact that we think in terms of our safety and benefit. Sociology professor Rod Graham puts it into perspective quite well; he says, “If done correctly, agencies can spend less money casting a wider net, and instead focus their resources more efficiently.” (par.1) If taxpayer dollars can be saved in resources to use more efficient me, why not use racial profiling as a means to identify crime? First and most importantly, it is wrong; secondly, it