The Pros And Cons Of Racial Profiling

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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” Speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He proclaimed his vision of a United States where black and whites were treated as equals. The citizens of the United States have elected a black president, but the nation still has a long way to go. Racial profiling is a problem that affects many minority groups. I felt inclined to explore this issue because I personally experienced the negative effects of racial profiling. I never want my child to go through the humiliation of being followed when shopping and being accused of shoplifting. Racial profiling creates distrust between law enforcement and minority communities. It is essential that Congress pass the End Racial…show more content…
According to Contributor to the Huffington Post James A. Kowalski racial profiling can be defined as a controversial and illegal discriminatory practice in which individuals are targeted for suspicion of crime based on ethnicity, race, or religion rather than on evidence-based suspicious behavior (Kowalski). According to Merriam Webster dictionary ones morals can be defined as concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior. Racial Profiling is an illegal practice therefore society has accepted that racial profiling is morally wrong. Racial profiling stems from stereotypes. In modern day America Muslims are often labeled as terrorist, Hispanics are labeled as illegal immigrants, and blacks are labeled as “gang members” or drug dealers (Racial profiling). These stereotypes contribute to the increase in racial profiling among certain minority groups. Kowalski argues that “racial profiling does more damage than good and is an ineffective means of controlling crime and terrorism “(Kowalski). The main problem with racial profiling is that people are “comfortable using this generalization”...and profiles based on group traits that underlie racial profiling (Kowalski). In order to reduce racial profiling it is necessary to change the way the public thinks about racial…show more content…
America is known for being the melting pot of all different nationalities yet racial profiling disproportionately affects people of color in the United States. The American Civil Union argues that “such discrimination alienates communities from law enforcement and hinders community policing efforts ,and causes law enforcement to lose credibility and trust among the people they were sworn to protect and serve”(Kowalski). Racial Profiling creates distrust between law enforcement and communities of government. It is vital for law enforcement to have a good relationship with the community in order to perform the job more efficiently. New York City is known for being a target for acts of terrorism. The associated press has reported that the New York has associated the entire Muslim community as possible suspects for terrorism. American Muslims have been known to “frequently...alert law enforcement to potential [terrorist] threats” (Kowalski). Kowalski claim basically emphasizes the point that if communities don't trust the police they will not go to the police they will not go to the police to help

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