Washingtonians took a stand for constitutional rights by outlawing racial profiling nearly a decade ago. Law enforcement must rely on good police work, not racial, ethnic, or religious bias, to initiate investigations or apprehend persons of interest. The agencies constantly monitor for bias and train officers on racial, religious, and cultural sensitivity. As Washingtonians, we enjoy a forward-thinking approach to the preservation of constitutional rights and the equal application of the law.
On the other hand, other states have passed laws that enforce a biased form of police work that contradicts crime statistics. More non-Hispanic whites are involved in crimes, but more minorities are investigated by law enforcement. Racial profiling isn’t just a violation of rights, it’s a waste of resources.
But there is a solution. Congress has before it the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 — co-sponsored by our own state’s congressmen Rick Larsen, Jim McDermott, and Adam Smith — which proposes to enforce the protection of constitutional rights. We must insist that the guarantee of equal protection under the law that we enjoy in our state is applied everywhere.
We must insist that our representatives and senators advocate for this legislation.
After all, we are not just Washingtonians, but Americans as well.
Christina Anderson
VANCOUVER
