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Racial profiling was prominent in the past, in today, and very likely in the future. Racial profiling is assuming one’s character, personality, and behavior based off past experiences with that person’s race. For example, “I saw on the news blacks like to steal, so I know every black person has bad character and likes to steal.” It is not always said like this or even said at all, sometimes implied by a person’s actions. An action this person would do is looking at every African American as a criminal and holding her purse extra close around them.
Racial profiling has laws supporting it, supreme courts swayed by it, commoners support of it, peoples fear based off it, and much more. It is a continuous problem that can be reversed with reforms in laws, providing good education for low income communities, and a change in peoples mindset. Racial profiling can be a very prominent aspect of a minority’s life.
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“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”
I for one have experienced it. Going out of town to Austin in a predominantly white area, I was usually the odd one out. Since this was the case, eyes on me is what I felt half the time I went out, and no I wasn’t wearing some furry costume. In one particular store I was being watched more closely than usual. Because it was an expensive store, they were guessing why an African American thirteen-year-old would be shopping there, key point to them, I wouldn’t. I felt uncomfortable, but I did not let It run me away.
Sadly, not all people have the will power to not let it deter them. However, they shouldn’t have to build up that willpower in the first place. It needs to be eradicated and never resurface again, but this is not a perfect world.
Although most understand the negativities of racial profiling, we still allow laws to be setin place that promote and support it. For example, Arizona’s Law SB 1070, states that police officers have the right to stop and check for identification of immigrants upon the suspicion of them being illegal. Now in what way could a person be identified of their legal status by looks, they can’t. This law clearly promotes racial profiling because its goal is catching illegal immigrants through suspicion of their looks. The government will argue that they have specifically told police officers not to go by looks, but what other way is there to catch illegal immigrants? You can’t. This law has since been recanted and changed, but the fact that it even made its way into being in effect clearly shows that there is a flaw in the government that supports racial profiling. Even if it is ignorance. Though this law came to be, police officers have been racial profiling way before. Racial Profiling has been around for many years. The history of it is quite frightening, simply because of the outcomes it has caused. Racial profiling is very much due to the ignorance of people that believe one race is worse than another. For example, Mexican immigrants, they come to America for better lives, outrun the drugs and cartel, and build better futures for their children. Sadly, this is not what not just the Caucasian, but other races not see too. When one sees a Mexican roaming around what’s instantly thought is, illegal. He/she cannot find a job because they are not supposed to be here. What if the are legal, and the program to get them in this country drained them of all money? The program gave them access to America’s freedom but not the guidance. This is one example of how past knowledge of a race have tainted people’s views of them. Although racial profiling is terrible, the reasoning for people using it is not entirely their fault for having those views on that race.
For example, African Americans being viewed as criminals, this view does not come without its reasons. The actions of some in a race can create a bad image for everyone else. An African American on the news being convicted of armed robbery every other day will tend to change and influence people’s views on them. This is where racial profiling is born. Everyone has their fears, and their fears are usually based off either lack of knowledge, or past knowledge. Racial profiling is usually the result of the latter. This reason for racial profiling existing is something that must be worked on by the victims’ race. African Americans need to do better in terms of behavior. Not every person of this race is not a contributing factor, but the ones who are need to have enough self-respect to do better. They need to show the beauty of being an African American, not just the gun carrying, thug living, drug dealing side. There’s so much more to them, but because of the negative publicity they get consistently, that’s all people see and base their opinions from them. It is not their fault entirely, but it is just reality. What they can do is not group the entire races intentions together, because they are not. This shift in mindset will take time and reflection that many are not willing to go through, but hopefully with time people’s minds will start to shift.
For this shift in mindset to take place though, there needs to be significant change. Many of the crimes committed by African American are because of their financial situation and lack of solid education. Some of them are in low income communities where the schools are anything but good. The education is bad, and they don’t have any clear guidance. So, they take to the streets to make a living and keep their head above water. The reason for this being stated is because this can be a solution or at least reduce racial profiling significantly. If minorities are given better opportunities then they will make better decisions when it comes to making money and providing for themselves. This help that they need is not easy to provide but is absolutely needed.
It would take a significant amount of money, resources, and people who want to see a change. Sadly, people are selfish with money and resources as well as the people wanting to see a change being at a drought. Caucasians are not necessarily holding the minorities down, but they are not reaching out their hand to help either. U.S. v. Brignoni- Ponce, a case that involved the convictions of Felix Humberto Brignoni-Ponce and his two passengers for entering the country illegally. The officers that made the arrest stated that their only reason for pursuing this vehicle was because of the ethnicity of the men, Mexican. Of course, the defendant pursued the fourth amendment which protects a person from unreasonable search and seizures. (oyez.org) Thankfully the charges were dropped because of this violation, but the fact that it still happened speaks volumes. Police officers have a great deal of power to be able to control situations, but can be misused. As seen in this court case, the police officers used the race of these individuals as a reason for arresting them.
Situations like this occur very often, sometimes even resulting in the death of someone. The fourth amendment may protect the victim in court, but when outside the court they have no protection. Victims must suffer through the numerous arrest made on their kin due to there race, and have no power because it can be life or death. If the individuals stood up for themselves when arrested under suspicion of being illegal, they may not be here today. That is how much power the police have, and with that power they can do with as THEY see fit, which is sometimes not always lawful. Racial profiling is a national problem, even though the United States says it has entered a post-racial era. It happens every day, in cities and towns across the country, when law enforcement and private security approach people of color for humiliating and often frightening arrests, interrogations and searches without evidence of criminal activity and based on perceived race, ethnicity, national origin , or religion. Racial profiling is clearly illegal and violates the core promises of the US constitution of equal protection under the law to everyone and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. Equally important, racial profiling is not effective. It alienates communities of law enforcement, impedes police efforts, and ensures that law enforcement loses credibility and trust among the people they have vowed to protect.
Fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. (André Munro) The shooting has uncovered deep divisions among Americans over race issues. According to Washington post, “Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old, was profiled and presumed guilty by Mr. Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman,” and this is not all. Mr. Zimmerman not only racial profiles Mr. Martin, but went out of his way to catch Mr. Martin, going against the police’s recommendation that he not follow the child. It goes even further, it triggered the altercation in this situation, al happening because Mr. Martin was black and wearing a hoodie. Mr. Martin did not make it to the age of 18 simply because Mr. Zimmerman has something against African Americans and likes to racially profile them. This is one of the extreme cases of racial profiling that led into the lost of a young life. This one case is a clear reason why racial profiling needs to end, and fast. Who knows how many more must be discriminated against because of the tone of their skin, killed, or falsely arrested for people to realize racial profiling is harrowing.
There are policies that can be created to reduce frequent use of racial profiling that have been put in place, but not all policemen abide by these guidelines. It is not enough for a policy to define racial profiling as only when ethnicity is the only factor for an officer arresting someone. These definitions are incorrect, if the officer can can find another reason not related to race for the stop, the officer can claim that he did not make the stop solely based on, their ethnicity. Instead of prohibiting profiling, these flawed definitions provide coverage to officers to justify stops based on a person’s race. The only exception to the rule that race and ethnicity should not play a role in an officer's decision is when the race is part of a description of a suspect. That description should also be part of other things such as, height, weight, and age. This policy should make it clear that race and ethnicity should only be used with other physical characteristics to link someone to a suspicious description. This will not completely end racial profiling in policing, but it will help to reduce the problem. According to Southern Poverty Law Center, “an effective racial profiling policy incorporates procedures to eliminate the influence of improper bias.” This is important because with the policies created today, many have long p holes that policemen use in order to avoid consequences of using racial profiling. This procedure would be a major help in weeding out the racial profilers from the ones that have genuine reasons for an arrest. Having the officer state why he/she are arresting someone as soon as possible will limit their time to come up with a fake reason. This procedure will also help against police officers from detaining someone longer than necessary to issue a citation on the person being arrested. They should also require officers to fully complete forms that register searches, arrests and use of violence. Forms used to register pedestrian stops must have specific facts that support a suspicion or cause for the stop. If these procedures are not completed by the officer regularly, then a vigorous consequence should be placed on the officer. If the officer is continuously abiding by the procedure then he should be suspended indefinitely or even fired, because these situations can be life or death. Proof of racial profiling existence in todays age is very clear in this recent epidemic, the corona virus. According to World Health Organization, “The new coronavirus cannot be transmitted through goods manufactured in China or any country reporting COVID-19 cases,” yet people in America are refusing to buy items made in china. This is one instance where lack of research and ignorance is leading to people of the country China are losing money to feed their families. This is not the only way the Chinese people are being affected by the virus, but also people’s perception of them is also being tainted. Chinese restaurants are losing business, and even Chinese people that walk down the street are being looked at like walking diseases.
How does the treatment to Chinese people during this epidemic relate to racial profiling? Well even before this epidemic occurred, the racial slur for Chinese people would be dog eater, cat eaters, etc. People of the Chinese country are being treated with disrespect simply because of a disease that has been blown out of proportion on social media. Though this is a very specific example, this type of occurrence has no difference from a black man shown stealing and people acting different with their belongings because of one incident. The end of racial profiling is nowhere near coming, but that does not mean that it cannot be fought today, tomorrow, next week, and next year. Racial profiling had led to the destruction of many lives, simply because of one’s opinion and views of a race, it needs to be stopped.
Citations:
Racial Profiling In Law Enforcement. (2024, Feb 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/racial-profiling-in-law-enforcement-essay
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