Today skin color makes you a suspect in America. It makes you more likely to be stopped, more likely to be searched, and more likely to be arrested and imprisoned.

Tens of thousands of innocent motorists on highways across the country are victims of racial profiling. And these discriminatory police stops have reached epidemic proportions in recent years - fueled by the "War on Drugs" that has given police a pretext to target people who they think fit a "drug courier" or "gang member" profile.

We must put an end to the practice of racial profiling.

For example: September/October 1998

"Racial Profiling" in News Reporting

"Racial profiling--the discriminatory practice by police of treating blackness (or brownness) as an indication of possible criminality--has lately been the focus of frequent legal or legislative action, resulting in a significant amount of coverage in

38. At any time did the police find any drugs or weapons? Please circle: YES or NO

49. Was this the only time that you were stopped by police on the basis of race? Please circle: YES NO

"Jonny Gammage was pulled over while driving his cousin's Jaguar at 2 A.M. on October 12. As Gammage pulled over a total of five Brentwood police cars arrived on the scene. One of the officers said that Gammage ran three red lights before stopping after the officer flashed his lights at him. The officer ordered Gammage out of the car and saw him grab something that was reportedly a weapon, but in reality was just a cellular phone. The officer knocked the phone out of Gammage's hand and a scuffle followed. The other officers beat Gammage with a flashlight, a collapsible baton and a blackjack as one put his foot on Gammage's neck. Jonny Gammage died, handcuffed, ankles bound, facedown on the pavement shortly after the incident began. He was unarmed".

30. If so, did you give consent for the police to search your car? Please circle: YES NO

16. Date and approximate hour of stop: 17. In what city or county were you stopped?

10. Were you the driver of the vehicle stopped by police? Please circle: YES NO

"Collie Brown was driving from Albany to Bethlehem, with his young daughter asleep in the car, when he noticed that his headlights were dimming. He stopped the car and got out to see what was causing the problem. A Bethlehem police car pulled up behind him with it's lights flashing, and the officer asked if he needed any help. When Brown replied that he did not need any assistance, the officer told him to get behind the car and proceeded to handcuff him. The officer informed Brown that the car had been reported as stolen, which was true. Brown had reported the car stolen many months earlier after it had been hot-wired in front of his home in Albany. The Albany police had recovered the car a week after it was reported stolen. At no point was Brown ever asked for his registration or diver's license prior to being handcuffed in order to prove that the car did indeed belong to him. The officer eventually retrieved Brown's wallet from the car and discovered that the car did belong !

54. Would you be willing to testify in court about your experiences with the police? Please circle: YES NO

Some common words found in the essay are:
Agency DEA, Police Department, Jonny Gammage, Larrel Riggs, TRAFFIC STOP, Santa Monica, Albany Bethlehem, York Times, PLEASE NOTE, Hand Racial, please circle, please circle yes, circle yes, racial profiling, originally published, san diego, police search, police officer, stopped police, race ethnicity, basis race, police please circle, basis race please, stopped police basis, police basis race,
Approximate Word count = 2600
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)