Racial Profiling In Law Enforcement Essay
Racial profiling within law enforcement has been around for such a long time, leading many to wonder why it has persisted. Part of the reason is that there has been a lack of action by Congress surrounding this issue. Early in 2001, the End Racial Profiling Act was introduced to Congress, which stated “no law enforcement agent or law enforcement agency shall engage in racial profiling.” (The Leadership Conference, 2011) It failed after the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States, due to a fear that ending racial profiling would hurt counterterrorism efforts. The bill was later reintroduced in 2010, but also died as Congress adjourned late in the year. Legislative shortcomings like this are doing minority communities no favors.
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According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2016), racial profiling can cause “people [to] accept the negative stereotypes… [and] come to see themselves as inferior.” By projecting stereotypes when racial profiling, law enforcement is reinforcing terrible assumptions about these minorities. This can have terrible mental, emotional, and psychological effects, only leading to further hurt and pain. The effects can also be financial or physical. Property may be damaged, the person searched may be fined, or the person may be injured. This practice does not protect those in minority communities, it violates their human …show more content…
history. From the Indian Reservations to the Civil Rights Era to the bounty placed on the heads of runaway slaves, racial profiling has always been a part of American culture. This is a part of the problem of minorities respecting authority in many police encounters. This, in turn, has terrible psychological consequences for minorities and divides the country even more. Racial profiling is obviously wrong in so many ways and even goes as far as to violate the Constitution. Simply outlawing this practice will make it clear what the law is, and thus, will go a long way in establishing equality and helping those who are often the most
According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2016), racial profiling can cause “people [to] accept the negative stereotypes… [and] come to see themselves as inferior.” By projecting stereotypes when racial profiling, law enforcement is reinforcing terrible assumptions about these minorities. This can have terrible mental, emotional, and psychological effects, only leading to further hurt and pain. The effects can also be financial or physical. Property may be damaged, the person searched may be fined, or the person may be injured. This practice does not protect those in minority communities, it violates their human …show more content…
history. From the Indian Reservations to the Civil Rights Era to the bounty placed on the heads of runaway slaves, racial profiling has always been a part of American culture. This is a part of the problem of minorities respecting authority in many police encounters. This, in turn, has terrible psychological consequences for minorities and divides the country even more. Racial profiling is obviously wrong in so many ways and even goes as far as to violate the Constitution. Simply outlawing this practice will make it clear what the law is, and thus, will go a long way in establishing equality and helping those who are often the most