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Causes Of Racial Profiling

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Causes Of Racial Profiling
Racial Profiling: Who is really to blame?
Over the years, the lines have been blurred between warranted suspicions and racial profiling. Police profile innocent people every day in airports, during traffic stops, and in minority neighborhoods. It is easy for them to see a black guy in a minority neighborhood with baggy pants, a hoodie, and a bulge in his pocket and perceive him as a thug, gangster, or criminal. The problem is that there is not anyone policing the police to ensure they are during their jobs without prejudice or bias toward anyone. There also is no justice for the innocent victims who have to endure these unwarranted suspicions daily.
Although some officers deny it, racial profiling is still used as a tool to identify suspected
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The Washington Post gathered evidence from a 2011 report which shows that, “African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately likely to be stopped and searched by police, even though they’re less likely to be found possessing contraband or committing a criminal act.” Natarajan, a journalist, with the Washington Post reported that, “In nearly nine out of ten searches, police find nothing.” If this is the case then why do officers’ continuously profile based on race or ethnic backgrounds. The stereotypes that linger with those racial groups seem to follow them no matter where or who they are. If a black boy is wearing a hoodie and jeans in a majority white neighborhood and a white boy is wear the same thing, then who is seen as a threat. Based on the statistics provided previously we can determine it will most likely be the black boy, but not because he is guilty of a crime but because he is …show more content…
Racial profiling not only scars adults it also scars the children who see these incidents as well. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), “Mistrust can be engendered by personal experiences, witnessing an incident of profiling, knowing someone who has experienced profiling or simply due to the widespread perception that profiling exists in society.” The children also develop that same distrust over time, which leads to little to no respect for authority figures such as law enforcement. The psychological and emotional effects of racial profiling can cause a great amount of damage according to OHRC. Human dignity is something that most people hold to a high regard. When victims are profiled they sometimes feel humiliated and angry that they are selected based on something that is out of their control. These victims are essentially scarred possibly for life, and they may never view law enforcement officers the same

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