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HayleyPaolella
Mrs.Stegner
ERWCPeriod0
16October2015
RacialProfiling:FactorMyth?
Thepoliceofficerwatchedtheyoungmanwiththedreadlocks,hoodedsweatshirtand
lowslungpants.

Theyoungblackmanslouchedalongtheinnercitystreetoblivioustothecops
watchfulgaze.

Asthemanreachedforhiscellphone,thepoliceofficerassumedhisactions
involvedagun.Thentheofficer,raciallyprofilingtheman,tookaction,shoutedforhimtoput
hishandsup,andarrestedhim.Asintheaboveincident,whenpeoplefirstlookatsomeone,it's
humannaturetorecognizeandassociatecertainbehaviorswithappearance.Peoplefromall
culturesandracesfacejudgmentfromeachotherbasedontheirpersonalhabits,clothingchoices
andskincolor.Alltooofteninnocentpeopleareraciallyprofiled,butsometimesit'sfora
legitimatereasons.However,associatingallmembersfromanyparticularracewithacceptable
and/orunacceptablebehaviorlackssoundjudgement.

Consequently,racialprofilingiswrong
becauseitunfairlytargetscertainminoritygroupsandaffectsmanyinnocentlives.
Racialprofilingiswrongandunnecessarybecauselawenforcementunfairlytargets
certainminoritygroups.Recentlymoreawarenessregardingthisissuehascometolight

[like]
thestopandfrisktacticthattheNewYorkpoliceforceemployedagainstyoungblacks(The
Targeting).
Policeofficershavehigherpowerthanaveragecitizensbutthatdoesnotgivethem
therighttoprimarilystopandfriskAfricanAmericans.Theverytermstopandfrisk
indicatesthatthepolicedonothavetohavecauseoravalidreasonandcanmerelytarget

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individualsbasedonwhomtheybelievemaybeguiltyofacrime.Inaddition,UnitedStates
AttorneyGeneral,EricHolder,recentlyassertedthat[a]sAttorneyGeneral,[he]ha[s]
repeatedlymadeclearthatprofilingbylawenforcementisnotonlywrong,itisprofoundly
misguidedandineffectivebecauseitwastespreciousresources,andunderminesthepublic
trust(DOJ).

TheAttorneyGeneralwhoisthetoplawofficialinournationfeelsthatracial
profilingwillnotonlycostcitiesmoneybutalsoangeritscitizens.Angeringcitizenswillcause
themtomistrustlawenforcementandthinkofthepoliceastheirenemynottoprotectandserve.
Ifhebelievesthatthesystemisunfairandprofoundlymisguidedthentherestofthecountry
needstorealizethatthesystemshouldbeeliminated.
Anotherreasonracialprofilingiswrongandshouldbeeliminatedisbecauseitaffects
manyinnocentlives.Forexample,attitudesofmanycompaniesacrosstheU.S.haveaffected
innocentlivesbyassociatingsomeminoritygroupswithunprofitableandfailingbusiness,as
indicatedbyAllofasudden,theyletmego,fornootherreasonthanIdidn't'fittheprofile'they
wantedatthestore,"saidastatementbyplaintiffWillieBetts,whowasacookataSouthBoston
McDonald'suntilhewasfiredlastMay."Ihadnoideawhattheymeantbytherightprofile,until
Isaweveryoneelsethattheyfired,aswell"
(
Horovitz
).WillieBettswasfiredbecausehedidn't
fittheprofileofwhatthemanagerslookedforintheiremployeesbut,oddlyenoughthe
managersfiredeveryAfricanAmericanworkingfortherestaurant..Itshouldbeagoalof
businessmanagerstotreateachemployeeequallyregardlessoftheirethnicbackgroundandnot
firethemforbeingamemberofaparticularrace.Themanagersshouldbefiredforracial
profilingtheiremployeesbecausetheirdemeanoraffectedinnocentlives.

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Everyindividualleadsadifferentlifewithdifferentvalues.Theycanlook
AfricanAmerican,Caucasian,Asianorotherraces.Policeofficersshouldnotbasewhetherthey
arelawbreakersonthecoloroftheirskin,

TheJusticeDepartmentstatistics,basedonthe
PolicePublicContactSurvey
,showthat"relativelymoreblackdrivers(12.8%)thanwhite
(9.8%)andHispanic(10.4%)driverswerepulledoverinatrafficstopduringtheirmostrecent
contactwithpolice"(Cox).Peoplewillquestionwhetherthepoliceofficerispullingovera
minorityforavalidreasonoriftheycommittinganactualcrime.Policeofficersracially
profilingminoritiesissinglehandedlyfeebleandunreasonable.
Innocentlivesandcertainminoritygroupsmaybeaffectedbyracialprofilingwhichin
manycasesismisconstrued.Peoplejudgeeachotherbasedontheactionsofsomebutnotallina
particularminorityorculturalgroup.Lawenforcementandbusinessmanagersmaybeguiltyof
racialprofilingadistinctgroupsolelybecauseofappearance.Hopefullyinnearfutureweasa
culturecanlearntoseeindividualsforwhotheyareandnotevaluatethemdistinctlyontheir
culturalbackground.

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WorksCited

Cox,JohnWoodrow.YouReallyCanGetPulledoverforDrivingWhileBlack,Federal
StatisticsShow.
WashingtonPost
.TheWashingtonPost,9September2014.Web.15
Oct.2015
DOJtoAnnounceNewLimitsonRacialProfiling.
ABCNews
.ABCNews
Network,Web.15Oct.2015.
Horovitz,Bruce.McDonald'sWorkersSueoverRacialDiscrimination.
USAToday
.Gannett,
22January2015.Web.15Oct.2015.
TheTargetingOfYoungBlacksByLawEnforcement:BenJealousinConversationWith
JamelleBouie.
TheAmericanProspect
.2014.Web.15Oct.2015.