Racial Profiling Is An Action Or Practice?

“Sitting on the hard-wooden bench, I watch each white person clear immigration in seconds and I’m filled with hopelessness” (Ahmad 38). In the short story, ‘I Belong Here’, the author Amin Ahmad tells of the unfair treatment he experiences while at a British airport. Ahmad was born in Calcutta, India. He now resides with his Caucasian fiancé in Boston, Massachusetts. This essay was published by The Sun Magazine in January 2010 and reprint by Utne Reader May-June 2010. His documented experience exposes, “splendor and heartache of being human” (38). The warrants Ahmad uses to support his claims are not directly stated but more implied. He incorporates various descriptions and scenarios that correlates with his argument. For instance, he compares the two passports at the beginning of the essay. This comparison hints to the reader that he will soon encounter judgement based on appearance. Ahmad then proceeds to the next scenario. He is placed into a categorized with others like him and receiving the same treatment. Finally, he uses his fiancé as an example of what many people do while witnessing unfair treatment; attempt to minimize the situation. His claim is apparent. Inequality is a significant issue mainly targeting those of diverse backgrounds, ethnicity, and race.

Over the last twenty years the issue of racial profiling has become extremely combative with regards to law enforcement practices. A common misconception begins as some people are unaware of what racial profiling actually is. Racial profiling typically deals with incarceration, miss education, and to certain extent slavery. The topic of slavery is relevant in the conversation of racial profiling because like slavery, African Americans have suffered just due their own identity. Profiling is essentially the selection of an individual and categorizing them due to a specific racial group. The ever growing issue of racial profiling has become more evident to the public with the increasing number of instances that have been reported regarding

One of the most frequent cases of racial profiling would have to take place in our nation’s airports. The airport security teams have a tendency of targeting those whose ethnic background is not of Caucasian descent. In recent years, you cannot even take a trip with your family without running the risk of having an obtrusive body scan or being patted down by a complete stranger if they are wary of your nationality. All while Little Johnny and Suzy Smith are welcome to continue on with their trip

Judging people because of their race has always been a problem in society. A lot of people have to face the consequences of others being raciest and unfair in many ways. Racial profiling can be a problem caused by the environment that people grew up in, which is causing lack of jobs because they get associated with crime and others having insecurities about themselves. There are many other consequences that occur every day because of racial profiling that many people don’t acknowledge.

What is racial profiling? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defines racial profiling as “the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin” (2005). Do not confuse racial profiling with criminal profiling; criminal profiling is usually practiced by police in which they use a group of characteristics that are associated with crime to target individuals (ACLU, 2005). Examples of racial profiling include using ones race to target specific drivers for traffic violations and pedestrians for illegal contraband; another prime example is the targeting of Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians since 9/11 in

Does racial profiling exist here in the United States? The answer to that question is yes. First of all what is racial profiling? Racial profiling is an illegal method the police you to top a person or person on the bases of their race. Racial profiling happen to blacks and Hispanics more then it does to the Caucasians.

Racial discrimination as gone on for decades in many diverse ways. One sole practice is through racial profiling. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. And law enforcement has been using it consciously and unconsciously for several years. Racial profiling is untrustworthy because it discriminates people of the minority, especially African Americans.

Racism exists in our American justice system… many years later. Many assume that racial profiling is a problem that just arose recently, due to multiple infamous incidents where “justice” was served to innocent victims. Most people have this assumption because the extremes of racial profiling has been making national headlines. When in fact racial profiling has been around and in use since the 1700s. By definition racial profiling is the use of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or national origin by law enforcement agents as a factor in deciding whom to investigate, arrest or detain absent evidence of a specific crime or criminal behavior. In other terms it is using racism and stereotypes to assume the worst of people. Racial profiling is executed by law enforcements by multiple tactics, such as a stop and frisk , vehicle or bag search search, a pat down, etc based on the police having a reasonable suspicion that the individual is going to commit or has already committed a crime whether it is a felony or misdemeanor. Racial profiling has destroyed our trust in police officers due to the fact that the law enforcements can use this to their advantage by using discrimination to interrogate citizens or immigrants, whom are by a large percentage African American or a minority. According to the U.S Bureau of Justice Statistics, African American males have a one-in-three chance of going to jail in their lifetime, a rate more than six times higher than whites (Knafo,2013). This statistic however is not based on crime rates yet based on illegal drug offenses. Although most african americans are incarcerated due to drug crimes it is a proven statistic that African Americans are ten times more likely to be arrested for drug crimes than the rate of white men.

Since the attacks of 9/11, Muslim communities have been “targeted” by methods such as racial profiling, according to the Toronto Star (1). In America, the FBI have detained over 400 Muslim-Americans to bring them in for questioning. Although the claims of Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller say that these detainments have nothing to do with religion and ethnic background, many say this is, in fact, racial profiling. Some believe that it is appropriate, some believe it is not appropriate. How is it not appropriate? It is not appropriate because, one, it is a form of discrimination, if directed at one culture; two, not all people of Arabic descent agree with the beliefs of the common Islamic terrorist; and three, by

Racial profiling is the act of using somebody race as a key factor in deciding their character. Racial profiling has been one the leading cause of major incidents in today’s time. It’s been in the U.S. Criminal System for decades and now is reaching its peak. With people not feeling like they are being fairly treated, this society has turned into turmoil. Racial profiling can be minimized by educating the community concerning stereotypes in regards to ethnicity, national origin, and religion.

Racial profiling is morally wrong and should come to an end, at least for the progress of future generations. All humans are created equally and are entitled to be treated equally by the government, irrespective of characteristics like skin color, faith and ethnicity. This is the core principle of American democracy, and racial profiling defies that belief. The government should take up new policies and target terrorists, not immigrants. If every airport screener believed every terrorist was going to be Middle Eastern, they would not look as hard at people of other ethnicities. Once again a criminal goes free. Personally I think a good solution to this would be to screen everyone properly regardless of race or ethnic group. Everyone should be properly screened and scrutinized if found acting suspicious. I hope for action in the future and that my message reaches those affected and college students who

Racial Profiling has been used by law enforcement officials from early 60’s during the civil rights movement. The term “racial profiling” which was introduced to criticize abusive police practices against people of different race, ethnicity or national origin. One must assess how to understand the practice, and how to keep it distinct from other issues. Racial profiling is defined as “any police-initiated action that relies on the race, ethnicity, or national origin, rather than the behavior of an individual or information that leads the police to a particular individual who has been identified as being, or having been, engaged in criminal activity.” (Ramirez 5).

The Federal Department of Transportation discovered that in the days, weeks and months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that the airlines had naturally begun scrutinizing passengers who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. All of the attackers of 9/11 were Saudi Arabian and Muslim men. Racial profiling also played a significant role in the case of American Airlines from Paris. Passengers on board of the plane, unburdened by the rules and regulations of the Federal Department of Transportation, knew that the Muslim man nervously rocking in his seat was up to no good. Without hesitation, several passengers knocked him to the floor and tackled Richard Reid seconds before he detonated a bomb located in his shoe, potentially killing all of the passengers on board. Judging someone based off their ethnicity is just something people will do no matter what and as a result of racial profiling, terrorism could be stopped.

After the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, a Gallop Poll showed that 58% of Americans supported more stringent security checks for all Arabs before they were allowed to board a commercial airline. (Johnson, et al., 2011) One year later a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 59% of Americans supported “allowing airport personnel to do extra checks on passengers who appear to be of Middle-Eastern descent” (Johnson, p. 425). This support for racial profiling has remained relatively stable, as evidenced by the Gallup Polls conducted in 2005 and 2006 showing 53% of Americans approved of extra security measures for airline passengers of Arabian descent. (Johnson) These polls reveal that even today the willingness of Americans to accept these types of practices in the guise of adding additional protection and security.

     With “The War On Terrorism” in full swing, Airport officials should take a look at the intense footage shown on C-SPAN and CNN and decide that now more than ever it’s time to work smarter, not harder. What several call racial profiling, Airport Officials in other countries call being careful. “Treating an elderly woman the same as a young Muslim male is the same as the Police looking for a tall teenaged criminal, but randomly searching a short, middle-aged woman.” says Bill Thompson of an international Airport in London. For fear of being sued, Airports across the country refuse to buckle down and simply use an alternative method of weeding out potential terrorists. Performing background checks on non-American citizens who purchase tickets in cash and are from middle-eastern countries could put many at ease. There is nothing wrong with asking someone who, what, when, where, and why they are in America, but aren’t a citizen. Racial profiling is wrong when people of a specific