Racial profiling is move applied by law enforcement agencies that involves discriminately associating a particular category people with criminal activities due to their social distinctions based on their ethnicity and race. It is imbedded in the p...Read More
~Posted on
Feb 2018
Racial profiling is move applied by law enforcement
agencies that involves discriminately associating a particular category people with
criminal activities due to their social distinctions based on their ethnicity
and race. It is imbedded in the procedure applied by the police within
government institutions in carrying out routine checks (Hellman, 23). Racial
profiling is used by law enforcers deployed to track down criminal activities
on roads, airports, organizations among other. For instance, when carrying out
checks the police are keener in scrutinizing people from African and Latino
origins due to the stereotypical perception that paints them as criminal
suspects. Unfortunately, many from these marginalized social groups have suffered
unlawful discrimination, and incarcerations and deaths as a result.
I argue based on a social perspective and condemn all
acts of racial profiling by the state. That is a creation of stereotypes meant
to breed hatred, social stratification, and contempt among members of the
society. It is simply unlawful.
Racial profiling is illusive and morally distressing to
both individuals and groups (Hellman, 56). Furthermore, it is an extension of
historical ills such as slavery, oppression and the ideology of white
supremacy. Racial profiling is a selfish move in the quest for absolute power
propagated through oppression, usury, and corruption. Unfortunately, the plight
is selective, targeting the Blacks, Hispania’s, Asians, and Caribbean people
who are considered as lesser races. These groups face discrimination when it
comes to assessing of social amenities, political positions, and economic positions
equitably.
There is no better side to this social injustice, which
is a double lose situation for both the victim and the propagator. For the
victims, it inculcates the vice of hatred and thirst for revenge resulting from
being shunned and isolated by the masses. The propagator, on the other hand,
taps into the vice of corruption and is subject to a selfishness curse that
will trickle down to his generations. In support, Goffman writings state, “…
Racial profiling results in victimization, and misguided attitudes on personal
and professional abilities of others, it limits the thinker’s thoughts to fixed
discriminative judgement”(Hellman, 27). Thus, the concept is retarded and illogical.
Data collection and surveys are among the primary
methods used to classify and appreciate the existing social differences among
individuals in the society. They are indeed useful in state developmental
agendas such as budgeting, improving health, carrying out analysis on births,
deaths, immigration among others. Nonetheless, data collection may be subject
to bias, and manipulation from the media, corrupt individuals, and may be used
to orchestrate the ills of racial profiling (Hellman, 163). Hellman emphasizes
on the Equal Protection Clause that serves to protect the society against such
misguided and discriminative classification of people (178). Discriminative classification rather racial
profiling has only caused our society pain, agony, stigmatization of its
members and division. A stand against racial profiling is a stand for unity and
equity.
I conclude by stressing by
displeasure against racial profiling by the state as supported by Hellman’s through
writings. I deem it an injustice which goes against our constitution and the
human rights that require equal and fair treatment of all citizens regardless
of race. It is a barbaric, unethical, stereotypical, and selfish thought that
should be banished from the democratic society. Instead, we should embrace
equity through fair treatment of all individuals despite social differences.