Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
I don't think people mean "racist", in that Zimmerman has malice towards black people, but rather that he profiles him based on race. A lot of people do this and don't even realize they are being racist.
Personally, I think he was profiling Martin, but his clothes (and what they implied about his social status), as well as his age played a bigger role than race.
I remember a time when I was 18, I was driving home late at night in my old beater and returning a movie at the after hours dropoff at the store. A cop car pulled up behind me so I couldn't leave and he confronted me about why I was there. I guarantee you that if I was a 40 year old driving a nice car, there would have been no confrontation. I think the same type of profiling was happening here.
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I had that experience a few times as well at a younger age. Probably my close-set eyes and low criminal forehead.
As Detective Sorino indicated in his testimony under questioning by the defence, it is not illegal to suspect someone of criminal activities.
All of us make judgements about people all day, every day, people you know or perfect strangers.
It is not illegal for a common citizen to think: "There's a black guy in a hoodie. He MIGHT be up to no good. I'm phoning the cops."
It is illegal for a law enforcement professional to think and act upon that same sentence.
Racial profiling is the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement (e.g. make a traffic stop or arrest). The practice is controversial and is illegal in many jurisdictions. It should not be confused with offender profiling, which is an genuine investigative tool.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_profiling
That's why there was some emphasis before the trial on whether or not Zimmerman really was a self-appointed volunteer watch captain or acting in an official capacity on behalf of the condo association. One thing is different than the other. The condo board settled for $1.5 million with the Martin family to avoid finding out the truth one way or another in court.
The prosecution did not come anywhere close to establishing that Zimmerman racially profiled Martin. It is quite obvious Zimmerman engaged in "offender profiling" which is legitimate even if he was acting in an official capacity.
You're getting into government thought control if you're trying to tell common citizens it's illegal to form negative opinions about people they encounter on a day to day basis. Every one of us engages every day in the normal activity of sizing people up and forming first impressions/opinions about them.
We can probably all agree law enforcement professionals have a duty to be more disciplined in this regard, for one thing because of the power the state entrusts them with, and racial profiling legislation is there for that reason.
Cowperson