Arguments Against Racial Profiling

Racial profiling is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act. There used to be a time when color did matter, it was the way people of the time identified each other. Abraham Lincoln sought out to change everyone’s perception; giving the blacks the same freedom as his white brother in. little did people realize that the progressive society would retain some of the old mental shackles of negative stereotypes well into the 21st century. While time and again we are told that we live in a free and fair country where all citizens are treated equally, events often remind us that all is not fair and square in this country where even
police officers who are supposed to protect and serve violate legal processes just because the man or woman may have dark skin. In the United States black and drivers are more likely to have there cars stopped and searched then white drivers. Data also suggest that the probability of finding contraband in excess of high threshold is higher for black motorists, implying bias against white drivers. In fact, many blacks feel that the police often devise ways to mistreat them as a people just for there entertainment. In this respect the happenings in the US is not very distant from the grave violations of human rights in other countries that discriminate people on the basis of their race. Even though there is a difference in the magnitude to which the crimes are viewed, the essence behind these crimes remains the same. People believe that race should never be considered for any police action, and never be considered the primary or motivating factor for suspicion. It is therefore quite upsetting to note that even after so many years the seeds of hatred and racism are harbored by many who feel that the white race is superior over the blacks in many ways.