Racial Profiling by Police Essay -- Race Racism Prejudice Essays

Racial profiling has become a severe obstacle in the U.S. today though most Americans know very little of this vital issue. Every day, people are being pulled over, harassed, and even killed for being of a certain race. There are new laws that politicians are trying to pass that promote racial discrimination. Racial profiling is immoral and does not increase public safety. Incarceration rates are a definite proof that racial discrimination occurs. â€Å"Incarceration rates in the United States have risen sharply since 1980†, stated Filip Spagnoli, â€Å"the racial distribution of inmates in the U.S. is highly negative for black Americans. Whereas they only make up 12% of the total U.S. population, they represent more than 40% of inmates† Black Americans are one of the many races that are accused of many crimes that they are innocent of and being imprisoned for them. Addy Bareiss, a five-year volunteer and worker at the ACLU of Arizona affirmed, â€Å"A 2008 report by the ACLU of Louisiana found that people of color were arrested at higher rates than their representation in the population in every town, city and parish examined† Imprisonment of innocent people has to come to a stop. When officers are focusing mainly on a certain group they overlook criminals of other races who deserve to be in prison. She also stated, â€Å"b lack and Hispanic residents were stopped, frisked, searched, and arrested by Los Angeles Police Department officers far more frequently than white residents, and that these disparities were not justified by local crime rates or by any other legitimate policing rationale evident from LAPD’s extensive data† (Bareiss, Addy). Stereotypes play a significant part of racial profiling. When officers see a black or Hispanic man... ...on=1.0>. "Jose Serrano." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. 30 November. 2010. Kennedy, Randall. "Racial Profiling Should Be Abolished." Current Controversies: Racism. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Raymond S Kellis High School. 29 Nov. 2010 . "Motivated Quotes." Brainy Quote. Xplore, Inc., BrainyQuote, 2001 - 2010. Web. 5 Dec 2010. . "The First 10 Amendments to the." n. pag. Web. 2 Dec 2010. . Spagnoli, Filip. http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/stats-on-human-rights/statistics-on-freedom/statistics-on-prisoner-population-rates/