Abhijit Naskar once said, “Sentiments that glorify humanity know no racial distinction.” Racial profiling is a demeaning action that targets individuals for suspicion of crime, based on their skin tone, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. Racial profiling does not help reduce crime. This act tends to be ineffective and degrading, as well as a violation of civil rights. Another reason is that it causes people to lose trust in authority.
This act is ineffective and degrading as well as a violation of civil rights because it judges those of a different race or skin tone and places them under a category of criminals when it is completely unjustified. The article “Shopping while black and the risk of profiling” states “My class status as a white woman changed when my black infant son was with me. As a black friend put it at the time ‘the conclusion is that you slept with a black man,” (Rekha Basu.) This text demonstrates that just because you are seen with a person or color or if you are a person of color, your place in society is automatically downgraded. The article “Shopping while black and The Risk Of Profiling” also states “ There were the professional African-American men who spoke of being followed around stores. One of them was Tim-Tutt, the award winning Hanawalt Elementary School teacher of 27 years. He said he was ordered to empty out his pockets and unzip his jacket at a drug store when shopping late one night. Finding nothing the manager apologized.” (Rekha Basu.) This text demonstrates how some people are chose to humiliate and embarrass others just because of their race. They chose to assume that because of their skin tone that they are committing a crime or doing the wrong thing. The text “Starbucks Just the Latest Accused of Racial Profiling” states “ Another video surfaced monday of an African American man in the Los Angeles area attempting to show that he was denied use of a,locked bathroom while a white customer was allowed to use it.” (Snider and Meyer.) This text demonstrates that the establishment simply did not allow the man to use the restroom because of his race, whilst they let the caucasian man use the restroom with no difficulties.
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This act also causes people to lose trust in authority because when authority targets specific races or minorities it makes them lose their credibility as well as destroys relationships between communities. The article “Racial profiling has destroyed public trust in police” states “ A study of the Los Angeles police department showed that minority communities that had been unfairly targeted in the past continue to experience greater mistrust and fear of police officers.” (Ranjana Natarajan.) This demonstrates that those who were a victim of racial profiling conducted by certain authority such as police officers, they lost trust in them. The article “Racial Profiling has Destroyed Public Trust in Police” also states “ Profiling determines public safety and strains police community trust. When law enforcement officers target residents based on race , religion, or national origin rather than behavior, crime fighting is less effective and community distrust grows” (Ranjana Natarajan.) This demonstrates that profiling certain racial groups strains the relationships between communities and authority. The article “Racial Profiling” states “It alienates communities from law enforcements, hinders community policing efforts, and causes law enforcement to lose credibility and trust among the people they are sworn to protect and serve.” (ACLU.)
Some may argue that Racial profiling is effective because it helps to reduce crime. However, studies show that most of the time victims that are targeted to be profiled are proven innocent and are wrongly convicted. The article “10 Black Washington U. Students Stopped by Clayton Police, Falsely Accused of Leaving IHOP Without Paying” its states “Several of the students produced receipts to show that they had payed. However, our students were still forcefully told that they were suspects amd ad to walk the three blocks back along Brentwood Boulevard, with now six police cars in tow to make sure they complied-- a humiliating experience. When they arrived at the restaurant, te manager quickly confirmed that they were not suspects. The officers dismissed them without any apology.” (Doug Moore.) This text demonstrates how quickly those officers assumed that those young men were stealing based off their race, but clearly they were innocent. Therefore racial profiling is not as effective as some people may think.
As you can see Racial Profiling is clearly a recurring issue not only in the US but world wide. This act degrades and violates the rights of citizens as well as causes distrust among the relationships of authority and many residents. This clearly shows that racial profiling should not be used to help reduce crime , it only has a negative affect on people and causes more issues than solutions. In conclusion we as a people should work more as a people to not judge those based on their physical aspects but rather get to know them as a person first and use actual facts rather than what you assume.