Racial Profiling for Security: Accepting Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement
Mary A. Swanagan
Kaplan University
CM104
Dr. Thornton
July 24th, 2011
Racial Profiling for Security: Accepting Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Racial profiling refers to 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 ("Racial profiling: definition," 2005). While racial profiling is most commonly committed against ethnic minorities, many instances of racial profiling occur in reaction to specific crimes, making any racial or cultural group subject to more intensive scrutiny by the authorities. Although, racial profiling is dangerous because it allows criminals to go undetected and can lead to innocent victims being singled out because of the color of their skin, the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a reminder that accolades get you only so far in society when you are a black man. Over a century before the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., racial profiling contributed to the assassination of our 25th president, William McKinley who died on Sept. 14, 1901. Security was searching for a dark skinned man and let the lighter skinned man go without detection.
Even though his stature as a Professor at prominent university afforded him protection against the more severe actions of law enforcement, Henry Louis Gates’, arrest proves that nationally racial profiling is still a problem between law enforcement and minorities, mainly African Americans, so it is vital to the black communities to take the arrest of Henry Louis Gates with great significance to be aware that racial profiling will not be acceptable in our society (Clark, Vernon 2010).
On July 16th, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested while standing outside on the porch of his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts for disorderly... [continues]
Mary A. Swanagan
Kaplan University
CM104
Dr. Thornton
July 24th, 2011
Racial Profiling for Security: Accepting Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Racial profiling refers to 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 ("Racial profiling: definition," 2005). While racial profiling is most commonly committed against ethnic minorities, many instances of racial profiling occur in reaction to specific crimes, making any racial or cultural group subject to more intensive scrutiny by the authorities. Although, racial profiling is dangerous because it allows criminals to go undetected and can lead to innocent victims being singled out because of the color of their skin, the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a reminder that accolades get you only so far in society when you are a black man. Over a century before the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., racial profiling contributed to the assassination of our 25th president, William McKinley who died on Sept. 14, 1901. Security was searching for a dark skinned man and let the lighter skinned man go without detection.
Even though his stature as a Professor at prominent university afforded him protection against the more severe actions of law enforcement, Henry Louis Gates’, arrest proves that nationally racial profiling is still a problem between law enforcement and minorities, mainly African Americans, so it is vital to the black communities to take the arrest of Henry Louis Gates with great significance to be aware that racial profiling will not be acceptable in our society (Clark, Vernon 2010).
On July 16th, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested while standing outside on the porch of his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts for disorderly... [continues]
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