From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Tue May 22 2001 - 16:57:21 MDT
I usually live in Florida (although I have been staying in Oklahoma City for
the last few months).
Florida cops still use racial profiling to randomly stop and search cars on
I-95. People are still fighting this, and the cops are still fighting to
continue this strategy. They argue that since most drug dealers are
non-white, that cops should be targeting non-whites for random searches.
(And yes, we have random roadblocks and searches without warrants, but don't
ask me how this is legal.)
We also have a lot of English-language bigotry here. People are still
trying to pass laws making it illegal to teach people in their native
language, do business in their native language or even to allow cops or
government workers to perform investigations in languages other than
English. Some have even suggested that cops should be instructed to shoot
people who don't obey their commands, and if it turns out that they don't
speak English, it is their own fault.
We also still have racial shootings, drive-bys, and yes, even a few reports
of crosses burned on people's front lawns every year. I agree that racism
is not as much of a problem as it once was, but there is no doubt in my mind
that it still exists.
-- Harvey Newstrom <http://HarveyNewstrom.com> <http://Newstaff.com>
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