Racial Profiling - Can we stop the madness!!
Posted: Saturday, May 01, 2010
by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Chaperon Consulting, LLC
Pastor Martin Niemoller said they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up." I am not Hispanic so I'm OK because my skin is black not brown. In a sense I guess I should feel relieved that the scapegoat-du-jour here in Arizona is the "illegal", but it is very unpleasant to witness. It reminds me of south Florida in the late 1980's. Isn't it time that we stand up and say enough is enough!!
Racial profiling is the tactic of stopping someone because of the color of his or her skin and a fleeting suspicion that the person is engaging in criminal behavior. This practice can be conducted with routine traffic stops, or can be completely random based on the car that is driven, the number of people in the car and the race of the driver and passengers. The practice of racial profiling may seem more prevalent in today's society, but in reality has been a part of American culture since the days of slavery.
Getting past the politically correct terminology and putting it bluntly, racial profiling is simply racism in the name of security. Profiling people via ethnicity-based stereotypes and generalizations is the same as being a racist and judging someone on their color. I, for one, am sick of walking into a convenience store and being quietly watched as I walk up and down the aisles. I used to think that the convenience store clerk was looking at my gorgeous legs, until one day I heard him say, watch this black woman while I go the man's room. What the jerk did not realized is that I go to the store everyday at 5:45 pm Monday through Wednesday to buy this chocolate bar that I am addicted to. It is a piece of chocolate I should not have been eating during that time, because 15 minutes after I eat it, I had to go to my kickboxing class. I never claimed to be a sane person when it comes to fitness. His comment helped me; I stopped wasting my money in his store.
We read and hear a lot about the pros and cons of racial profiling these days. Many Americans believe that after the horrors of September 11, 2001, ANY means may be used to stop further murdering and suffering of innocent people by Islamic jihadists. And then there are those who believe that using race, religion, or other singular means to distinguish particular persons from others is wrong, and/or prohibited by the Constitution, no matter the reasons. The federal government has allowed minimal profiling in the recent past, but says now that the practice is prohibited.
Racial profiling has been around for quite a long time, no doubt since the times when slavery was legal. In the "melting pot" of America, however, racism has become more than just a black and white issue. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, many people have begun to realize that the problem is bigger than they thought, myself included.
A friend of mine has been detained at airport security checkpoints numerous times since Sept. 11, including three times during one trip in early 2002. Only because in numerous times she was the only black woman in a small airport lobby. I often wondered why that happened. Is it because her skin is brown and she has black hair, why should it automatically be assumed that she is much more likely to be an international terrorist? Prior to Sept. 11, she had never been detained at a security checkpoint in her life.
Racial profiling, racism, and other forms of prejudice all stem from a fear of the unknown. The only way to combat prejudice is to face it head on. Every person in the world lives in their own unique little sphere of existence, and very few of us make the effort to venture outside of it. I implore everyone to explore the unknown. Get to know a black man, a white girl, someone from the Middle East, someone from China, an Indian, and a Hispanic person. Leave your little cave behind and see the world through the eyes of others -- you might be surprised at what you will see and learn. Believe me we are not all that bad!! After all we have the same number of body parts ,if you do not count my extra toe.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)I love it!! Great job Rose-Marie
It's a masterpiece. Comment by one and only Kelly
Your experience in the store is shocking, Rose-Marie.I agree with you about fear of the unknown being the problem. I think it's our reactions to situations and people that cause problems, not the situations or the people themselves. If we deal with our fear we open ourselves up to solutions we never dreamed could be possible, which are win-win.Our lives are better for it.Thanks for another great article on this subject.
Good article Rose Marie, we do have to get out and socialize with people whom are different than we are. Get to know our fellow man before we judge.
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