Racial Profiling is Morally Wrong (Essay Sample)

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Racial Profiling is Morally Wrong
Racial profiling relates to the law enforcement exercise of ensuring that law enforcement personnel substitute an ethnicity, race, national origin or religion for probable cause in establishing whether to continue with enforcement. Through this definition and by nature, racial profiling reveals itself as an issue of ethics at its center. Simply put, good judgment is associated with the right to act or decide to follow one’s judgment. In essence, racial profiling relates to the unlawful practice employed by law enforcement officials based on color, race or ethnic backgrounds as a reason to suspect or apprehend an individual. Any person has the right to reach her or his own judgment. However, when an individual’s principles and core beliefs become unethical or immoral, the judgment is distorted.
As hinted above, racial profiling is founded on the unacceptable assumption that a particular ethnicity or race engages in wrongdoing more than other ethnicities or races. Expectedly, the practice has aggravated racism in American society as some ethnicities or races feel they are targeted by others including the government (Risse & Zeckhauser 42). In fact, it can contribute to the abuse and or harassment of racial minorities among our society. Fundamentally, therefore, the practice shreds the very fabric of our ideals. It becomes a product of immoral and unethical ideals plus beliefs in action. As mentioned earlier, the practice of racial profiling holds that certain ethnicities or races are more prone to criminal behavior and violence. This is wrong considering that criminals are a minority of any given population. As such, they are also a minority of any given ethnicity or race.
It is a bare fact that most people, black or white, do not go stealing, smuggling drugs, assaulting and possessing illegal weapons. Therefore, even if a racial group is more prone to commit felony –even felonies in all kinds – than other ethnic or racial sets, most individuals of that set are unlikely to engage in felony (Risse & Zeckhauser 57). There may be considerable controversies regarding the level to which arrest rate reveal the actual occurrence of felonies – and reveal unfairness against racial minorities, young men or the poor – but crime is certainly committed by a minority of any set or subset within it. All in all, such evidence shows that racial profiling is not only wrong but also that it fails to serve the ideals of our society.
In addition, one does not need to suppose the law enforcement personnel are prone to racism to deduce that the practice of racial profiling is unethical. There exists no good reason for pitting law enforcement personnel against racial minorities - and vice-versa- in instances that entail racial profiling. Nevertheless, racial profiling generates a real danger or death or injury for persons from certain ethnic or racial groups because the practice sends a message that such people are so unsafe than normal principles of procedural justice (for instance warrants for arrests) do not apply (Zack 30). Thus, one does not have to infer that law enforcement officers are particularly racist to worry that the practice generates serious risks for some persons.
One merely has to assume that law enforcement personnel, like other citizens, are likely to become more anxious plus more prone to use force if they presume that they are dealing with individuals who are highly prone to violence. Considering such nations as the United States where law enforcement personnel are armed and probably expect wrongdoers from certain racial groups to be armed, the problem becomes acute. On the whole, racial profiling is not only unjustified but also wrong as it ultimately exacerbates any problems of racism among the police, and in our society at large (Zack 46). It is safe to state that it destabilizes the ideals of any modern society in which justice is crucial for people to accept one another plus co-exist peacefully.
Indeed, virtually all humans suppose criminal justice professionals to carry themselves around in a professional manner devoid of expressing personal agendas and or views. And considering that law enforcement is a highly- regarded profession, ethical conduct is of paramount significance. This explains that these professionals ought to adhere to the strict code of ethics as well as their code of conduct. Among other things, the code of ethics explains that any law enforcement personnel’s fundamental duty revolves around protecting the innocent against cheating, the weak against intimidation and or oppression, as well as the peaceful against disorder or violence (Crank & Caldero 216). In addition, they need to respect all constitutional rights including justice, liberty and equality. It is evident that the practice of racial profiling does not fit in police’s code of ethics or conduct. No person in her or his right frame of mind would claim that oppression is right. Any officer, authorizing the department or government conducting this practice, therefore, engages in immoral, unethical as well as unconstitutional behavior. All in all, racial profiling has no positives as far as wellness of a society is concerned.
Again, we do not require being indifferent to the victim of felonies to realize that the practice of racial profiling is fundamentally wrong as far as ethics is concerned. Most criminal activities are intra-racial, and not inter-racial. For instance, in the United States, young males from minority groups are ...