By Damion Boycott
Racial profiling in the state of New Jersey has existed since, at least, 1989. New Jersey has had a systemic policy of Police Racial Profiling of African Americans and Latinos. Cars driven by Blacks and Latinos have been more inclined to be stopped and searched by New Jersey police. Data shows that Blacks and Latinos make up 13% of New Jersey state motorists. However, Blacks and Latinos make up more than 80% of motorists stopped by State Troopers. it's evident that a Police policy of racial profiling exists in New Jersey as well as New York. Official records show that even Police training manuals encourage racial profiling. Unfair Police racial profiling is part of the fabric of the culture of Policing.
The NYPD is facing criticism for it's secret surveillance of Muslims in the entire New York Tri-State area. The NYPD surveillance was exposed in articles published by The Associated Press. The Associated Presses' investigative journalism uncovered the fact that The NYPD has monitored Muslim Mosques in New York City and infiltrated Muslim student organizations at Universities in upstate New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. All of this was done in the name of fighting terrorism, however it is a clear case of racial profiling.
Based on recent history, we know that The NYPD doesn't need an excuse to racially profile African Americans. Based on history from the early 19th century, the ruling class in America never needed an excuse to discriminate against African people. Right after The Civil War laws known as The Black Codes were enacted to limit the human rights of African people, and control the activities of these newly freed former slaves.
Today another group of non-whites, Arab Muslims, are having their human rights violated. Since September 11th, 2001 Muslims in America have become the latest target of racial profiling as a method of combating terrorism. How many Americans die annually as a result of terrorism? In the average year the number is zero. Therefore terrorism is not a real threat. However, since at least 2007, The NYPD has found it necessary to investigate Muslims in the entire north eastern part of the country. This surveillance and infiltration lead to a secret report which profiled Muslim institutions like Mosques, Muslim schools as well as Muslim owned businesses. This NYPDs' surveillance of Muslims was undertaken despite the fact that there was no evidence of any terror plotting or terror activity in the north east.
One of the most significant parts of the story dates back to August of 2011, when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg denied that the NYPD launched an investigation based on race and religion- where no crime was committed. Mayor Bloomberg said "we don't stop to think about the religion, we stop to think about the threat". Under questioning from The City Council, The New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly made similar remarks. Their is plenty of proof that shows that The NYPD focused on religion and ethnicity which amounts to profiling.
Islam has become the enemy in America. This should be a hint to The Nation Of Gods And Earths and The Moorish Science Community who both use the term Islam to refer to their "culture". It is completely unnecessary for either of these two groups to name their culture Islam. They should pattern their culture after the tradition of original people. There are even some members of The Nation Of Gods Earths that have gone so far as to legally change their names to Islamic names. This could be problematic in a country that now frowns on anything that remotely sounds affiliated to the religion of Islam. At some point the Nation Of Gods And Earths and The Moors could very well be considered terrorist organizations
Racial profiling puts entire communities under siege. It seems racial profiling is always condoned when people of color are being profiled. When Timothy McVeigh blew up a Federal building in Oklahoma in 1995, no one suggested that white males with Irish last names and military backgrounds be profiled. All of the High School shootings across the nation have be carried out by white males. Most serial killers have been white males. Anytime an American president was shot or assassinated, it was at the hands of white men. The idea of racially profiling white men is never considered. However, when it comes to people of color racial profiling is always the order of the day.