The Issue Of Racial Profiling In The United States
When we are children we are taught not to judge a book by its cover, for most of us this is easier said than done. Racial profiling is something that affects millions of people in the United States alone. Seemingly innocent people are being targeted solely by the color of their skin and their nationality. Whether racial profiling somebody is appropriate or not is a topic widely discussed by individuals everywhere. The question is however, is it right to judge somebody just because they look different then you? I think not.
As a nation we grow up watching television shows and movies that instigate people of another race are bad or tend to get into more trouble. Whether it is an African- American man who is completing a drug deal in the newest blockbuster flick, Mexicans forming a new drug cartel, or a Muslim plotting another terror attack on the latest action television episode. Of course I do not agree with the actions taken by the individuals who took thousands of lives in the horrible act of terror in New York City on September 11, 2001. These events shook our nation to the core and instilled fear in many nobody will forget where they were the day the twin towers fell and innocent people lost their lives. Even though it was a dark day in America it does not give us permission to treat everyone who is of Muslim descent, or any race for that matter like a criminal. The fact that a person or group decides to commit a crime does not mean that all people will be coming the same.
The media can sway people’s attitudes towards a certain direction depending on the circumstances. Racial Profiling is a very sensitive topic every individual can relate to. It is known as the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether an individual is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or illegal act. For example, the media has “essentialized” the meaning of terrorism destroying the sweet religion of Islam. The word essentializing means to combine complex terms into a single thought or image making it simpler. Due to racial profiling we regard terrorists as any type of brown male. It is the society we live in and hence we have no choice to deal with it. What exactly does the term racial profiling meaning?
One could say that it is the consideration of race in criminal investigations. “For example, the popular term “DWB”, means that black people are more scrutinized and thought of when driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is also a state of imagery that comes to mind when thinking of a crime; one tends to think of African Americans as the cause of most crimes. It is very unfair for them but that is the society we live in. Even though many “Black People” do live in the ghettos, it is unjust to tie them with most crimes such as gang wars, drive by shootings and thefts. The media contributes to 90 percent of these stereotypes. Like in the inner city African Americans are criticized for their actions, while the Latin Americans are blamed for most drug.
