Essay on Racial Profiling

Submitted By David-Ripley
Words: 1938
Pages: 8

Racial Profiling
Franklin D. Ripley
Post University

Abstract History is filled with examples of people that have differentiated between themselves and others that are different in any which way. This abhorrent discrimination between two human beings has not become a relic of the past; rather it still persists in our modern society in some form or the other. From Blacks to Hispanics to Arabs to Chinese to Native Americans, everyone is subjected to racial profiling, even white people. Though Whites are profiled a lot of times by the area in which they live and not the color of their skin.
Racial Profiling

When law enforcement personnel go about his or her job, he or she may use many techniques to decrease the suspect pool. One of the most controversial techniques police officers use is racial profiling. In present day society many people believe racial profiling causes distrust of law enforcement. This includes a distrust of the policies and procedures used to enforce the laws. The most common use of racial profiling is in traffic stops, but this is one area racial profiling should not be practiced by law enforcement. Most of the data collected for purposes of racial profiling reporting is based on traffic stops. One drawback to racial profiling is that it discourages people of color from traveling or working in neighborhoods that are prominently a different race, especially at night. The states effort to address racial profiling by police (stopping someone solely because of race/ethnicity) is a textbook example of why people become cynical about the law enforcement and government personnel. Prior to 9/11 racial profiling was referred to as ‘driving while black’. Now the practice can be more accurately described as driving, flying, walking, shopping, worshiping, or staying at home while black, brown, red, yellow, or even of middle eastern appearance. Therefore, police officers using racial profiling as a factor in traffic stops should not be allowed. There are numerous variables in racial profiling that normally end up making it an obviously flawed system.

The United States of America is no stranger to incidents where racial profiling incidents are recorded widely, and it is not just regulated to poor neighborhoods and other similarly shady areas. Rather, it has become a permanent feature in the corporate world, Government and other similar places where these sorts of differentiations would be least expected.

One race that has been constantly repressed is the African American community. Their ancestors were brought to America to serve as slaves, in times when slavery was still tolerated. To this day, many people in America still consider them as alien to their land. This of course leads to a host of problems across America that shows up when African Americans across the country are questioned about their fortunes.

This sort of discrimination is often encouraged by many people that have a lot of authority and power in making and implementing laws. Their argument is that discriminating and acting against the Black community is a viable way of making sure that crime is kept in check.

Distinguishing between color, creed, religion and race should be resigned to history. How many wars have we fought? How many lives cut short due to this hate and fear? We of all societies should be able to recognize that this kind of discrimination leaves us no better than wild animals, always afraid of what they don’t understand and ready to attack without any understanding of situation, circumstance or consequence.

The debates encircling racial profiling can be abbreviated into two essential issues. The first one is that is this racial profiling carried out extensively by law enforcement agencies in America? And the second issue is that, is the practice favorable? A number of people believe that the utilization of racial profiling is useful and advantageous to the law enforcement officers. A number of