Stop and Search

Because the treatment of any individual on the basis of a stereotype is a display of prejudice. Whereas prejudice could be either positive or negative, racism is generally negative.

Prejudice and racism aside, isn't it logical to target resources towards the community committing more crime in a given area?

You are very likely going to find more "criminals" in said community because you are looking for them there. Those engaged in criminal activities from other groups are going to get a pass. So criminals from the white community are less likely to be caught, because resources are not focused on their activities--reinforcing the stereotype. It's the equivalent of saying he must be guilty or he wouldn't be on trial.

Individual rights are not a probability game. If you have no reason to suspect me of a crime, let me go about my business. Saying "well, two percent of criminals have brown eyes while one one percent of blue eyed people, so we are going to routinely stop all brown eyed people puts an unfair burden on just one group for no other reason than the color of eyes they were born with. If you want to intrude on people's rights for the sake of security, you have to do it equally.

'Sides it gets into hair-splitting. Do you detain all brown-skinned people? Gee, then folks from Southeast Asia are in your sights. Or people who've tanned at the beach and have curly hair. After all, we're going by pigment here, not probable cause and not even a background check on a name.

It's not just the colour of peoples' skin that gets them stopped by the police, it's the area they're in, how they dress and how they carry themselves. As for background checks - they need to be stopped by the police before that can be carried out.

But we could look at this another way - black communities all seem to have the same problems of poverty and crime. Is this due to racism on the part of the host countries, or is it a reflection of the issues present in the countries they originate from?

I think you are missing the point a bit. Police don't have a program of detecting someone's race or even their level of criminality.

They use their intuition. They look at someone and their gut tells them whether this person is likely to be a threat or not.

Oh good lord. Why don't we just round up all the undesirables and ship 'em back to where they came from? There, I said it. Saves you from wracking your brain for more palatable phrasing and typing all those words.

No - it's that if they are basing their decision re a threat level on skin color, then it's absurd. It is hairsplitting.

I don't doubt that the police do a difficult, dangerous job every day. And I understand that a lot of decisions are snap ones. You could not pay me enough to do the job.

But when the focus is on race (and yes, clothing) and not on more concrete issues such as behaviors, then it's misplaced. Go after everyone who looks like they're carrying illegally. Sure, go for it. But not based on skin tone.

I think most officers are not making a conscious decision about skin color. Ask them, they will tell you they use their gut or their intuition.

I don't think it is hairsplitting. I think it an important distinction and a part of the discussion. This is why when you consider a police officer who stops more black people than white people as racist, they will disagree... in their mind they are just using their abilities as a police officer.

There is a difference between conscious racism and subconscious racism. The results may not be different... but this difference is important for the discussion and for any solutions.

No American should have their rights trampled on because of someone's gut. Too many people have died making and defending the rights we have for them to be trampled over like that. That is why Stop & Frisk is a terrible thing.

That's one reason, why many women are descriminated against in the work force.

The Police are "street wise". They have to be, or the perverts roaming our streets and public bath rooms would never be caught.

If Docs, who work in hospital ERs, that have a large black patient population to care for, carry a gun for protection, would this be called racisim?

If you're not street-wise and you don't carry some sort of protection to defend yourself with, you better pray that a street-wise cop is near by.

I've only known smart, decent Cops, who're street-wise from my life growing up in Chicago. I have nothing bad to say about these Cops, nor will I ever!

Miller Quote:



Ask the Docs to work in these hospitals!

[b]Miller Quote:[/b]



Ask the Docs who work in these hospitals!