Racial Profiling and Criminal Activity Persuasive Essay by scribbler

Racial Profiling and Criminal Activity
Discusses the issue of racial profiling, and why it should not be used to locate criminal activity.
# 152021 | 984 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2012 | US
Published on Nov 11, 2012 in African-American Studies (Racism) , Hot Topics (Terror and 9/11)


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Description:

This paper provides a definition and brief overview of racial profiling in the United States, and attempts to show that it not only violates human rights, but it also is often racist in the name of justice, and it is morally and ethically wrong because it assumes that certain ethnic minorities commit a majority of crimes in this country.

From the Paper:

"There are two types of racial profiling that law enforcement and security forces generally engage in. The first is preventative profiling. This is when an officer stops an individual or group simply because they look "suspicious" and they are black or another ethnic minority. There is no other basis for stopping them, and no crime has been committed. This may be the most ethically and morally challenging area of racial profiling, because it is so blatant. These people "might" be interested in committing a crime just because of their color. That is morally wrong, and it is easy to see how it could be construed as racist, as well. The other form of profiling is post-crime profiling, as this paper has already discussed, and it too is based on racism and it is morally and ethically unjustifiable.
"There are many who believe that racial profiling is profoundly wrong and cannot continue in our society. Another author frankly states, "Racial profiling cannot be a normal part of police practice in a society still struggling with racism, although under very special conditions and with special regulation and compensation in place, it might be justified as an extraordinary police measure" (Lever). Groups like the ACLU fight racial profiling, and the United Nations (UN) has endorsed their fight against racial profiling around the world. Politicians, many activists, and many law enforcement agencies speak out against the practice, and it is time that it is outlawed and banished in our country."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Bah, Abu B. "Racial Profiling and the War on Terror: Changing Trends and Perspectives." Ethnic Studies Review 29.1 (2006): 76+.
  • Editors. "The Persistence of Racial and Ethnic Profiling in the United States." ACLU. 2009. 27 March 2010. <http://www.aclu.org/human-rights_racial-justice/persistence-racial-and-ethnic-profiling-united-states>.
  • Koehler, Robert. "Petit Apartheid and the 'TB' Syndrome: Police Racial Profiling of Chicana/o Youths in San Jose, California." Ethnic Studies Review 30.1/2 (2007): 1+.
  • Lever, Annabelle. "What's Wrong with Racial Profiling? Another Look at the Problem." Criminal Justice Ethics 26.1 (2007): 20+.
  • Risse, Mathias. "Racial Profiling: A Reply to Two Critics." Criminal Justice Ethics 26.1 (2007): 4+.

Cite this Persuasive Essay:

APA Format

Racial Profiling and Criminal Activity (2012, November 11) Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/racial-profiling-and-criminal-activity-152021/

MLA Format

"Racial Profiling and Criminal Activity" 11 November 2012. Web. 28 November. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/racial-profiling-and-criminal-activity-152021/>

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