RACIAL PROFILING

Racial profiling A recent letter suggested that the concern among many
African-Americans with the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement
in this country is exaggerated, and that attention would be better directed
at such issues as "black on black" crime. If that writer had the experience
that significant numbers of young African-American males regularly face as
they go about their daily existence, he might not be quite so dismissive of
the racial profiling question. By definition, racial profiling involves the
deliberate use of police power or legal force against a particular group
simply because of who they are. Their mere existence represents sufficient
cause for repressive action by agencies of the state. If this matter is a
trivial pursuit, then why does the United States routinely chastise
governments in countries like China for engaging in similar behavior
against segments of their own citizenry? Those who are subjected to racial
profiling suffer an infringement upon the most fundamental civil liberty,
that being the right to go about their personal lives without undue
interference by government. By way of comparison, the overwhelming majority
of mass school shootings in this society are carried out by white males.
Would white parents in this community not consider it an important matter
if their sons being white male teen-agers was in and of itself sufficient
cause for law enforcement organizations to consistently follow, stop and
detain them? I suspect so. As an African-American male as well as the
father of three sons, racial profiling is an important matter because those
of us who are affected by it suffer arbitrary intrusions into our lives by
government that others do not face for reasons that are entirely beyond our
control. Arguing about exactly how much racial profiling goes on misses the
point entirely. The very fact that the condition exists at all is the
relevant consideration. Working to attain the quality of freedom that our
ancestors fought and died to achieve requires the African-American
community to fight this affront to liberty and equality while we also
address whatever other problems might impede our collective progress. The
writer should be assured that it is possible for African-Americans to
address more than one objective at a time. Our continued existence in this
country and the progress made despite what might be seen as insurmountable
obstacles is ample testimony to that fact.

Jacob E. Butler

Sumter