The Racial Profiling Mindset

Some of the best minds in America have debated for the last week, whether racial profiling played a role in the confrontation between Professor Henry Gates and the Cambridge Police Department.

Although not blatantly obvious, racial profiling did play a part in the incident.

Both men displayed a preconceived attitude toward the other as they confronted one another.

Mr. Gates had a perception that he was being treated differently than he would have been if he was white. The officer, from all accounts on various news outlets such as CNN, appeared to have a preconceived attitude in his treatment of Professor Gates which could have been based upon any number of factors.

• The Profiler and the Profiled

The mindset of the profiler has it's origins in hearsay and over-projected generalization based on one or a few previous occurrences and is anticipatory in nature.

Without having any previous contact with the one being profiled he has made an assessment concerning the profiled's behavior before he has demonstrated any.

Oftentimes this is an imagined attribute that he gives to the one being profiled based upon previous experience or knowledge.

The attitude of the profiled is developed over time based upon several incidents of personal encounters and hearsay from others who have had similar experiences.

Before he is approached he has a preconceived notion of how he is going to be treated and many times, has already determined how he is going to react when approached no matter what is actually said or done.

His attitude is largely based on the fact that the person that he is dealing with is Caucasian. Without having any previous contact with the other individual, he has predetermined in his mind what his treatment and reaction to that treatment is going to be.

The attitude of the profiler and the profiled are dangerous in that, they both have already role-played in their minds what the situation will be like and determined the outcome before any or very little, actual interaction has occurred.

This "projection into the future" can cause a situation that could have been handled peaceably to escalate to volatility before any personal contact has been made.

It is obvious, at least to me, that racial profiling played a part in the incident involving Professor Gates and the police officer with the Cambridge Police Department.

Both Mr. Gates and the officer in question, exhibited many of the markers described above.

It should be noted that, racial profiling can be directed white to minority or minority to white, because in its simplest definition it is the prejudicial attitude toward another race or class of people.

Professor Gates and the policeman should have and could have handled the situation better but they allowed their individual preconceived projections to intervene in their interaction.

This incident points out the need for all Americans to examine their attitudes and feelings concerning members of other races or classes of people and make a determination effort to treat all people with the respect and fairness that they deserve.

• Conclusion

Racial profiling begins and ends with the profiler.

Good police work should be based on facts. Although policemen are allowed to use their "instincts" to a certain degree, they cannot allow their instincts to take the place of good judgment and reality.

Too many minority males and females are unnecessarily harassed because they appear to fit a particular criminal profile.

Although criminal profiling is based on an individual police officer's assessment of a situation, he has to use sound judgment based on facts not hunches or a prejudicial attitude toward a particular group of people.

Citizens of America are entitled to freedoms and rights which should not be violated on the whim of any policeman who has overstepped the bounds of reasonable judgment.

A young man of color, driving a nice new car does not automatically spell drug dealer nor does a minority being seen in a predominately white neighborhood mean rapist or thief.

Racial profiling has no place in American society.

We are all one people living in one great country and we should learn to live together without prejudicial attitudes toward one another.

For too long, racially motivated prejudices have plagued America.

It is time to rid our nation of this awful stain, once and for all, now that we have entered the 21^st century.

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