Racial Profiling: Racism with a Badge
Racism is an apparent and serious problem that plagues America today, but has it’s roots dug deep into the minds of the police and other figures of authority? Racial profiling is the act of suspecting or targeting a person of a certain race based on a stereotype about their race. Racial profiling is not necessary because it targets minorities and strains the relationship with the people and the police.
Racial profiling is unnecessary because it specifically targets minorities. In a study shown in Ferguson, blacks made up 87% of the searches but only “made up about 65% of the population.”(Madrigal) The police deliberately target the black population even though the article stated that they found very little contraband on the blacks they stopped and searched. The amount of searches should be proportional to the population of that race. A race that makes up 65 out of 100 people should not be searched 87 out of a 100 times. What was surprising was that the police “more likely to find contraband on the white people they stopped and searched than on the black ones.”(Madrigal). If anything, the police should stop and search more whites considering they have had higher amounts of contraband found on whites compared to blacks. Not only does racial profiling target minorities it also strains the relationship between the people and the police.
Another reason why racial profiling is unnecessary is because it does more bad than good in regards to police and citizen relations. On November 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot immediately on sight by police driving by. Tamir was described as a “Black male, maybe 20, black revolver, black handgun by him.” by a witness who saw the boy carrying a replica pistol (Dewan and Oppel). What was surprising was that the police did not even stop and question the boy and just shot him on the spot. This sparked outrage and anger from the public as well as grief and sadness for Rice’s family. The death of Tamir Rice further widened the rift between the people of Cleveland and their supposed protectors. Another case of public dissent after an act of racial profiling occurred after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. As a sign of protest against the police rioters “Set ablaze several businesses and a row of cars at a car dealership.” (Basu). The relationship of the people and police were strained enough to cause civil unrest amongst the citizens Ferguson. This act of racial profiling and the shooting that took place afterwards proves that racial profiling is unhealthy for society as a whole and not only causes the death and destruction of lives but also spreads mistrust and caution among the people in regards to the police.
Racial profiling has caused problems for both the police and the people. It targets minorities and causes a rift between the people and the police. Despite the best efforts of the people, racial profiling is something that is still an issue today. It provides society with an unhealthy environment in which racism disguises itself with a badge and gun. Many have suffered from the hands of racial profiling and many more have lost their lives for being a different race. The color of a man’s skin does not define him, what defines a man is his actions. The police today seems to have forgotten this when they search a man based on his skin and not based on his actions. Just because one man commits a crime does not mean others of the same race will have a tendency to do wrong. It is the duty of the police to safeguard the people against crime and destruction, they were established in order to protect the rights and lives of americans regardless of race. To commit the act of racial profiling is to go against the ideas of equality and all of the values the foundation of this republic was built upon.
Works Cited
Basu, Moni. "Fires, Chaos Erupt in Ferguson after Grand Jury Doesn't Indict in Michael Brown Case."
CNN. CNN, 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Dewan, Shaila, and Richard A. Oppel. "In Tamir Rice Case, Many Errors by Cleveland Police, Then a
Fatal One." The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Madrigal, Alexis C. "How Much Racial Profiling Happens in Ferguson?" The Atlantic. Haley Romer, 15
Aug. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Racism is an apparent and serious problem that plagues America today, but has it’s roots dug deep into the minds of the police and other figures of authority? Racial profiling is the act of suspecting or targeting a person of a certain race based on a stereotype about their race. Racial profiling is not necessary because it targets minorities and strains the relationship with the people and the police.
Racial profiling is unnecessary because it specifically targets minorities. In a study shown in Ferguson, blacks made up 87% of the searches but only “made up about 65% of the population.”(Madrigal) The police deliberately target the black population even though the article stated that they found very little contraband on the blacks they stopped and searched. The amount of searches should be proportional to the population of that race. A race that makes up 65 out of 100 people should not be searched 87 out of a 100 times. What was surprising was that the police “more likely to find contraband on the white people they stopped and searched than on the black ones.”(Madrigal). If anything, the police should stop and search more whites considering they have had higher amounts of contraband found on whites compared to blacks. Not only does racial profiling target minorities it also strains the relationship between the people and the police.
Another reason why racial profiling is unnecessary is because it does more bad than good in regards to police and citizen relations. On November 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot immediately on sight by police driving by. Tamir was described as a “Black male, maybe 20, black revolver, black handgun by him.” by a witness who saw the boy carrying a replica pistol (Dewan and Oppel). What was surprising was that the police did not even stop and question the boy and just shot him on the spot. This sparked outrage and anger from the public as well as grief and sadness for Rice’s family. The death of Tamir Rice further widened the rift between the people of Cleveland and their supposed protectors. Another case of public dissent after an act of racial profiling occurred after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. As a sign of protest against the police rioters “Set ablaze several businesses and a row of cars at a car dealership.” (Basu). The relationship of the people and police were strained enough to cause civil unrest amongst the citizens Ferguson. This act of racial profiling and the shooting that took place afterwards proves that racial profiling is unhealthy for society as a whole and not only causes the death and destruction of lives but also spreads mistrust and caution among the people in regards to the police.
Racial profiling has caused problems for both the police and the people. It targets minorities and causes a rift between the people and the police. Despite the best efforts of the people, racial profiling is something that is still an issue today. It provides society with an unhealthy environment in which racism disguises itself with a badge and gun. Many have suffered from the hands of racial profiling and many more have lost their lives for being a different race. The color of a man’s skin does not define him, what defines a man is his actions. The police today seems to have forgotten this when they search a man based on his skin and not based on his actions. Just because one man commits a crime does not mean others of the same race will have a tendency to do wrong. It is the duty of the police to safeguard the people against crime and destruction, they were established in order to protect the rights and lives of americans regardless of race. To commit the act of racial profiling is to go against the ideas of equality and all of the values the foundation of this republic was built upon.
Works Cited
Basu, Moni. "Fires, Chaos Erupt in Ferguson after Grand Jury Doesn't Indict in Michael Brown Case."
CNN. CNN, 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Dewan, Shaila, and Richard A. Oppel. "In Tamir Rice Case, Many Errors by Cleveland Police, Then a
Fatal One." The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Madrigal, Alexis C. "How Much Racial Profiling Happens in Ferguson?" The Atlantic. Haley Romer, 15
Aug. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.