Driving While Black
http://Mediafilter.org/guest/Pages/June.11.1999.20.14.43
38.180.53.17
http://Mediafilter.org/guest/Pages/June.11.1999.20.14.43
38.180.53.17
In the same week that President Clinton called racial
profiling "morally indefensible," the American Civil Liberties
Union today launched a special website
(www.aclu.org/profiling/index.html?g101)to Arrest the
Racism by ending discriminatory traffic stops on our
nation's highways.
The new website features several interactive elements
to focus public attention on the practice of racial profiling.
They include:
- A complaint form to allow minority drivers to report the
details of improper traffic stops by the police to the ACLU.
- Real audio of the ACLU Public Service Announcement that
is being played by radio stations across the country.
- A downloadable wallet-size card that provides advice to
anyone stopped by the police. The "bustcard" is available in
PDF format for easy downloading and printing.
- Faxable letters to Congress in support of federal legislation
to help end racial profiling.
- Details of the ACLUs recommendations to Clinton and
Attorney General Janet Reno focusing on racial profiling
practices, funding and police training.
- Ability to join the ACLU online to help Arrest the Racism!
The web collection marks the latest of the ACLU's recent
efforts to end the "crime" commonly known to African Americans
as "Driving While Black" or, for other people of color, "Driving
While Brown."
Just last week, the ACLU issued a new report on the problem --
Driving While Black: Racial Profiling On Our Nation's Highways --
that cited statistics gathered by the ACLU in the course of
legal challenges in several states, and media stories from
around the nation in making the case that skin color is being
used as a substitute for evidence and a ground for suspicion.
The new ACLU report can also be found on the special web site.
"This is not about rogue police officers, it's about a rogue
policy," says Ira Glasser, Executive Director of the ACLU.
"And we say to our leaders in law enforcement: don't mend it,
end it."
A leading advocate for ending racism and protecting due
process under the law, the ACLU is a nationwide, non-partisan
organization dedicated to defending and preserving the Bill of
Rights for all individuals through litigation, legislation and
public education. Headquartered in New York City, the ACLU
has 53 staffed affiliates in major cities, more than 300 chapters
nationwide, and a legislative office in Washington. The bulk of
its $35 million annual budget is raised by contributions from
members -- 275,000 strong -- and gifts and grants from other
individuals and foundations. The ACLU does not accept
government funds.
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It is probably worth noting it is not just "white cops" illegally stoping people of color, it often is anyone who does not fit the high school graduate(cop) idea of the upstanding citizen that is wanted in the community. I used to get harassed cause my friends were people of color when I was a kid until the cop asked who my dad was, a govt. attorney; but I was harassed for about two years in high school mainly by a hispanic cop, who waited for me to get out of high school to stop me, he broke the tail light of my 442 olds, and did a felony car stop, pulling his gun out and putting it to my head, saying someone reported a car fitting this description was stolen; but my car was quite unique, there was only one other in the city driven my an old retired man. I was given a ticket for the expensive tail light he broke with his baton when he stopped me and ordered me about. I was stopped everyday, by as many as three different officers (I didnt tell them my dad was an attorney); but it was perhaps cause I painted my motorcycle, so it looked like a fast bike, it almost went 40mph; but they gave me tickets for doing over 60mph, again it also could be I had longer hair then them and did not conform to the looks. But the cops are easy for the public to watch come to work and go home. In some cities, the police say things like you can report police misconduct; but you may be sued by them. Yet the officers do get sued in court and the cities lose money settling out of court cases, since a typical lawsuit costs about $70,000 to just go through the procedures, the cities settle out of court. Perhaps, these car stops, could be brought up through the courts, since like in my case, they need to have "probable cause"(report of stolen auto or broken tail light) to stop you, they can always say the individual fits the profile of "wanted dangerous suspects that they carry around, height, weight, ethnicity, etc." It could be that if the officers who do this kind of thing were listed publicy through out the states, that they could be identified and if the pattern is shown, they might at least get court negative sanctions and create some press awareness about the unfriendly city which should be boycotted, bypassed by others who feel bigot based car stops only help create ideas of retaliation like following the officers to their place of sleep and play. Is there a web site that lists these unlawful car stops, with the officers names, cities? It is allowed to report the truth, even though of course the depts would try to prevent it. Some cities even had departments who refused to consider complaints against officers, since it could ruin an officers carear if they were accussed of misconduct, rape, harassment, etc. Have you considered talking at some of the countries police academies?
it disappoints me to know that even in this country, the country of freedom, it's known to have racist people. yes it's true that there are nice people here and they are what makes the world go round. but it hurts to know that this is still preceeding.
I believe there is "racial profiling" but more often it is racial "excuses". It's the most often used excuse in the book; "he just stopped me 'cause I'm black."
Stop making excuses for your poor driving. The "because I am black" excuse is PITIFUL!
The people who get stopped get stopped for a reason , there is no racial profiling, it is because the person (who happens to be driving) doesnt signal, has a broken or non functioning tail light, missing a front plate (calif), license plate light out, broken windshield,headlight out, I could go on. It is the liberal crybabys which have championed this ridiculous cause, I invite any of these aclu liberal worms or minority crybabys out for a ride-along, maybe after a 10 hr swing shift they will see the real reasons officers make traffic stops. DONT BELIEVE THE D.W.B HYPE THE A.C.L.U IS TRYING TO SHOVE DOWN YOUR THROATS IN ORDER TO RAISE MONEY.
Profiling is making a decision based on your human observations,past experiences and training.Everyone and I mean everyone makes generalizations about people of different races,religions ect.Alot of times they are not true but as hard as it is to admit often times they are.Your experience is the only thing you can go by sometimes.It acts as your little voice that says someting is not right with this guys story and I have seen this before. Sometimes when you are talking to someone and you know they are being deceptive you cant even articulate how you knew because the signals are so subtle however when it all plays out you were 100 % right.Often times criminals are not original and act out crimes just like they were told by another criminal to do and that makes the pattern easy to spot. My point being is you will never get rid of profiling until the source of your information has been corrected.I am a white law enforcement Officer who has been acused of like alot of other white Officers of keeping the brother down for simply doing my job. I am what is known as " The Man ". I have no ill feelings towards any race or religion. However I have observed that a higher percentage of certain races have certain behaviors that seem to be more consistent.Some times people say that the only reason why they were arrested is because they are of a certain race when more often then not I have overlooked minor things when dealing with people of color that I would not have let slide with a white person.This is done because a race related allegation is taken very, very seriously in law enforcement even if it is proven to be totally fabricated and used as a last resort in hopes of staying out of trouble not much if anything will be done about the false accusation made out of malice. Where I work it is very Taboo to even bring up the subject of race and any comments about race said tongue and cheek can stiffle or end your career. That is why this is very hard to write because I am sensitive to all peoples feelings and I dont want to purposely offend anyone however I think we all need to take a more honest look at this issue because it is not just a black and white issue. Furthermore if you are a racist Law Enforcement Officer,Criminal,ACLU Lawyer,judge,jury member or citizen you should change your ways because it will cause you to isolate yourself from alot of great people. Sorry to say good bye but I have to get back to eating doughnuts and sleeping on the job so I have enough energy for my power trips and counting the money I have to deposit in my bank account from other peoples court fines because I think Im short of my quota and if that happens I have to accept more bribes and plant more drugs on people.And we dont want to do that because that stresses me out and makes me arrest people for know apparent reason at all and lie under oath in a court of law during the cover-up. So in closing I would like to say be careful how we generalize people.
as a nyc police officer, over 6 years of service on street patrol, not hiding behind a desk answering phones, out dealing with people I have to say this: There is no profiling, that is just a made up defence the ACLU and Black leaders made up. when we stop cars, its for infractions. whites, blacks, ect everyone commits them. when I stop a black person for an infraction, runing a red light, driving reckless, no signal, they always have an attitude " because IM black " . once that is stated to the officer, its in the officers best interest not to use any courtesy, to cover his own ass. believe me, we give whites tickets all the time, stop being babies and grow up. its time to ammount to something and stop looking for law suits and handouts
You people are so full of shit writing these articles.
Cops shouldn't pull people over just because they're black. They should just shoot the worthless niggers.