Racial Profiling in the War on Drugs: Common Sense or Institutional Racism?

Running Head : RACIAL PROFILING

Racial Profiling in the War on Drugs : Common Sense or Institutional Racism

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Introduction

There is no doubt that racial profiling is evident in the law enforcement agencies and criminal justice systems in the United States For example , an individual from a minority race or ethnic community is more likely to be stopped on the highway while driving not because he is a crime suspect but because of his race . These incidences have become a major cause of

antagonism between the law enforcement agents and the targeted societies . The root of this racial profiling is believed to have been the counter-drugs attempts in 1980s where the minority races especially African -Americans and Latino Americans were targeted by anti drug laws

However , it is important to note that this racial profiling in the war on drugs is not only found in the United States but also in other parts of the world . In many countries around the world , individuals from the minority races have been falsely accused and incarcerated in the name of war on drugs . Moreover , anti drugs laws around the world have been found to target mainly psychoactive substances that are more common among the minority races while drugs that are common among the dominant races remain legal . Drug problems affecting the dominant races are also treated as health problems while similar problems in the minority races are handled by the criminal justice systems

This paper discusses why racial profiling in...