Quote:
Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
Ohh, that is bad thinking there Sis. Because you fit a profile is no reason to be stopped, inconvenience or harassed. Only in a police state or under Nazi rule is that ever justified. One should only be stopped, searched, and inconvenienced when there is an imminent threat or a crime against someone has been committed in the vicinity. I don't care how many 6 ft 200LB Black males committ crimes. The 75% that don't need'nt be inconvenienced. Is every 30 something white investment broker having their homes ransacked, personal computers absconded, property repossesed because they fit the profile of a mutual fund scammer? Is every suburban teen who cruises the inner city to buy drugs and take back to the 'burbs profiled, stopped, and searched? Hell no!!! As Kimmie said, this does not justify criminal activty, but until everyone is treated similar, we, ourselves cannot put the boot on our own necks. Not only would we be seeing ourselves as our enemies do (I won't say oppressors, because any oppression is self imposed), but we would be complicit in their demonization of us. Stop me when I do something, not because my appearance dictates it. Shoot, I've been stopped on the Jersey Turnpike 9 times!!! Never a ticket, not once. Just for being Black in a late model, expensive car. White middle aged women are the most prolific shoplifters, but they don't get followed around the store and if caught, rarely serve time. We must be careful in applying that broad brush. It often leads to self-hate and the self fulfilling prophecy of if I'm going to be viewed and treated as a criminal, I might as well be one.
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Yes you're right about painting the broad brush....but are u saying that the incidents where people are unjustly stopped outnumber the people that are justly stopped? And as far as police work..many times a profile is what begins an investigation.. I'm just saying that many times its not just a case of brothas being in the wrong place at the wrong time...a lot of times they are caught up in doing something they shouldn't be... I'm not saying arrest all brothas that fit the profile...but at the same time..I'm not going to act like ALL brothas are innocent and are just being harassed...
I hope no one really thinks there is a way to do things without anyone ever being inconvenienced, unjustly stopped, or made to feel uncomfortable...there is no such perfect institution..especially when it is being carried out by imperfect humans.
Ladygreek...its always easy to point out the extreme situations and say that the whole system is jacked up....just as some do with pledging when someone dies and uses that as a reason to say pledging is evil....How many times on the news do you hear when WHITE policeman do treat BLACK suspects equally and with respect...not often because that's not newsworthy... Don't get caught up in the spin!
But my question to everyone is what solutions do you all have?