by Kasey Sailer

Created on: September 25, 2010   Last Updated: October 13, 2010

          In June 2003, The US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued “Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies” stating that:           

          "Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the President has emphasized that federal law enforcement personnel must use every legitimate tool to prevent future attacks, protect our Nation's borders, and deter those who would cause devastating harm to our Nation and its people.... Given the incalculably high stakes involved in such investigations, however, Federal law enforcement officers who are protecting national security or preventing catastrophic events (as well as airport security screeners) may consider race, ethnicity, and other relevant factors to the extent permitted by our laws and the Constitution. Similarly, because enforcement of the laws protecting the Nation's borders may necessarily involve a consideration of a person's alienage in certain circumstances, the use of race or ethnicity in such circumstances is properly governed by existing statutory and constitutional standards."

            I know many will argue that this only applies to terrorists, but race or ethnicity have statistically been linked to certain types of crimes.  This isn’t saying that they are pre-genetically disposed to crime, but that their status in society is a contributing factor.  Many minorities are stuck in the dregs of our society and that lifestyle is a breeding ground for crime.  Whether it be drugs, gangs, assault, or murder, not everyone in these situations are able to climb the monetary ladder the honest way.

            For an example, let’s look at some homicidal statistics; of the more than 600 murders committed in Los Angeles in 2002, blacks and Latinos committed about 90 percent, with each group responsible for about 45 percent. 

            When police officers decide whether to order an occupant from a vehicle or conduct a search, they rely on information that may be coincidental to skin color, but they are not dependent on it. 

            This

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