<p>What is your opinion on racial profiling? Do you think it should be pursued, possibly because it could deter crime and terrorism, and statistics show that minorities are generally more likely to commit a crime than whites? Do you think that because it is a clear violation of civil liberties and is not politically correct, the method should be prohibited? What are your pros/cons? I think I have typed enough questions.</p>
<p>Wrong. I stand with Amnesty International on this one. Here are some stories, since I really don't feel like typing it all out... Keep in mind while these are only a few stories, many more instances of the negative effects of racial profiling are still occuring...</p>
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<p>...Racial profiling occurs in almost every context of peoples lives: </p>
<p>While driving: A young African-American schoolteacher reports being routinely pulled over in his suburban neighborhood in San Carlos, California, where only five other African-American families live. Native Americans in Oklahoma report being routinely stopped by police because of the tribal tags displayed on their cars. In Texas, a Muslim student of South Asian ancestry is pulled over and asked by police if he is carrying any dead bodies or bombs.
While walking: In Seattle,Washington, a group of Asian-American youths are detained on a street corner by police for 45 minutes on an allegation of jaywalking. While a sergeant ultimately ordered the officer in question to release them, the young people say they saw whites repeatedly crossing the same street in an illegal manner without being stopped. </p>
<p>While traveling through airports: An eight-year-old Muslim boy from Tulsa, Oklahoma was reportedly separated from his family while airport security officials searched him and dismantled his Boy Scout pinewood derby car. He is now routinely stopped and searched at airports. </p>
<p>While shopping: In New York City, an African- American woman shopping for holiday presents was stopped by security at a major department store. She showed the guards her receipts. Nonetheless, she was taken to a holding cell in the building where every other suspect she saw was a person of color. She was subjected to threats and a body search. She was allowed to leave without being charged three hours later, but was not allowed to take her purchases. </p>
<p>While at home: A Latino family in a Chicago suburb was reportedly awoken at 4:50 a.m. on the day after Fathers Day by nine building inspectors and police officers who prohibited the family from getting dressed or moving about. The authorities reportedly proceeded to search the entire house to find evidence of overcrowding. Enforcement of the zoning ordinance, which was used to justify the search, was reportedly targeted at the rapidly-growing Latino population. </p>
<p>While traveling to and from places of worship: A Muslim imam from the Dallas area reports being stopped and arrested by police upon leaving a mosque after an outreach event. Officers stopped him, searched his vehicle, arrested him for expired vehicle tags, and confiscated his computer.
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<p><a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/racial_profiling/sevenfacts.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.amnestyusa.org/racial_profiling/sevenfacts.html</a>
This page also has some great examples of how and why it's not helping as much as it is supposed to help.</p>
<p>Many Republicans and Democrats alike have wanted to stop racial profiling in the United States. Bush himself stated that he would try to end it... but I don't think he has gotten very far with it.. maybe it was just a political maneuver, who knows.. but the point is, he still said it.</p>
<p>I think those examples are just blatant examples of racism. When a certain "profile" is more likely to do something dangerous than others, would you then think, especially during this time of a national security crisis, profiling could help monitor/prevent bad things from happening.</p>
<p>If you don't like racial profiling, what about simple profiling? Would you be willing to detain people of (Here's that word again) profile? For example, if the police have been told by a victim that the suspect is an Hispanic male with long hair, are the police justified to investigate all Hispanic males with long hair that live around the community?</p>
<p>Behavior profiling is justified. Racial profiling isn't. People commonly cite statistics about how racial profiling works because minorities are more likely to commit crimes, but these stats are skewed. If the police are looking for more minority criminals, they'll inevitably find them.</p>
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If you don't like racial profiling, what about simple profiling? Would you be willing to detain people of (Here's that word again) profile? For example, if the police have been told by a victim that the suspect is an Hispanic male with long hair, are the police justified to investigate all Hispanic males with long hair that live around the community?
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I think I'm missing your delineation here of what is and what is not racial profiling. Investigating all Hispanic males with long hair is racial profiling and is unjustified, unless something other than appearance links them to the crime.</p>
<p>If X groups group causes most of the violent crime, target them. </p>
<p>Belleville, Illinois cops use to racial profile, then the NAACP and liberal fruits came down and protested the place. Cops were fired and the city got really dark and now is a horrible place. Thank you liberals.</p>
<p>Racial profiling is flat out racism.
But the sad truth is that doing it will prob benefit society in terms of crime.</p>
<p>When the black community manages to fix itself in the area of crime, and 1 in every 5 black men aged 18-34 isn't in some sort of jail/prison, I'll consider thinking it is bad.</p>
<p>If 20 people fitting a certain description committ the same crime 20 times, it is just human freaking nature to profile the 21st person who fits that description.</p>
<p>Racial profiling defeats any progress that's been made. It only engourages racist tendancies.</p>
<p>sydney_bristow87: If a black man assaults me, should police be stopping black, white, Hispanic, and Indian men in the area?</p>
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If a black man assaults me, should police be stopping black, white, Hispanic, and Indian men in the area?
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<p>In that situation, no. I know what you're going to say, so let me say it for you: That's racial profiling.</p>
<p>However, in that situation, fine. Race is a characteristic of the assaulter, as is height, eye color, gender, clothing, etc, and will help the police to catch him. </p>
<p>What I'm saying is, if one person of X race commits a crime, is it fair to assume that all of the people of race X are likely to commit the same crime?</p>
<p>Not necessarily, but there are statistics showing that 1 of 5 black men aged 18-34 are in some phase of the correctional system.</p>
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Not necessarily, but there are statistics showing that 1 of 5 black men aged 18-34 are in some phase of the correctional system.
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<p>What about the 4 out of 5 who are not in some phase of the correctional system? Maybe we should just throw them all in jail, since you know, that fifth guy went a little crazy. Take, you know, a pre-emptive strike.</p>
<p>You're not looking at the 1 in 5 statistic comparatively. I'm not sure what the figures for other demographics are, but that says that about 20% of African Americans are "bad," and the percentage for whites is likely a lot smaller. In fact, the similar statistic for the Hispanic population is probably even more than 20%. So, while not a majority of minorities are criminals (I use this word loosely.), the majority of the entire population that are criminals is from the minority demographics.</p>
<p>If you look for crime within certain races, you will find it. Every race commits crimes.. you just have to look for it.</p>
<p>Those examples I posted above are perfect examples of people going out of their way looking for crime based on racial profiling.. any group you speficially target will "show" more with crime.</p>
<p>I think you're wrong. It's 1 in 3, not 1 in 5. White people are 1 and 10 I believe. Look up Race and Crime.</p>
<p>Statistics aside, it would seem that racial profiling only makes the situation worse - say you're from race X. Race X is always suspected of doing whatever crime, and therefore, people of races other than race X are hostile towards race X. This makes it harder for members of race X to be decent, normal people, what with everyone accusing them of crime. Out of anger, they go out and commit crimes. This is seen as a justification that race X is bad, and the cycle goes on.</p>
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Out of anger, they go out and commit crimes.
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<p>Can't control themselves so they deserved to be profiled. I'm mad at liberals, should I go out and start killing them because I'm angry? Mestizo (Mexicans) were seen as lazy but they are far from lazy now-a-days, they overcame that (they are a hard working people). Why can't Blacks over come crime/violence? I guess the White man just keeps putting the Black man down?</p>
<p>I think Carlos Mencia said it best (and Im paraphrasing) "Race is a giant game of tag..... its only a matter of "whos it" Its very sad but very true. The reality of the situation is that as of the present moment in time Middle Eastern people or any one of Middle Eastern desent are in a sense "it". It is a constant game in this country that is ATTEMPTED to be justified but you can never really condone something that is just flat out, point blank, wrong!</p>
<p>Malcolm Gladwell wrote an article for the New Yorker about why profiling doesn't really work that well and its flaws, but in relation with pit bull bans. It's a great article. </p>