I am here writing to you, editor, because I feel there is a topic that needs to be addressed. I am sure you are aware of the Michael Brown incident in Ferguson, M., and Travyon Martin in Sanford, Fla. My issue I see that needs some light to be shed on is racial profiling. I truly believe that racial profiling still exists heavily in society today and of more recent times there have been more incidents involving this injustice.
Racial profiling as most know it today is, when law enforcement targets and questions someone for their origin, race, or ethnicity. As we have seen, this happened in Sanford, Florida with Travyon Martin and most recently Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
I personally believed and according to some of the evidence that has been presented that the murderers’ shootings were not justified and that racial profiling occurred without a doubt.
In the Trayvon Martin case, the young man was only approached because he had on a hoodie and “seemed suspicious.” Does anyone have the right to deem someone “suspicious” because of a certain type of clothing they wear? Apparently George Zimmerman thought he had the right to judge the innocent 18-year-old based off his clothing.
Same goes for Michael Brown. He was just casually walking on a neighborhood street, and law enforcement took it upon themselves to continually threaten him and his friend to get off the street. It seems as if Darren Wilson was not giving up harassing these young men until they obeyed HIS demands. I am certain Darren Wilson could have been elsewhere patrolling, but decided to harass two young black men in the midst of a town that is torn between white and blacks.
In the long run, I am just trying to point out that racial profiling is bigger and more controversial than ever before and we as citizens, as a society, needs to make this issue alert to everyone and try to put an end to this form of discrimination. As a society we need to move past indifferences and judgments and come together as a united group of citizens.
Elizabeth Borda, communication studies junior