In his 2011 book The Rights of the People, David Shipler describes North East Washington, DC, just a few blocks from the Supreme Court, as “another country.” It deserves that name, in his view, because young black men in its poor neighborhoods are routinely subjected to policing that the rest of the city—and nation—would reject as utterly foreign. As he rides along with officers from the DC police gun unit, Shipler watches them subject young black men to aggressive stop-and-frisk searches with little or no suspicion—and marvels that so many young men have come to expect this demeaning treatment as a normal part of their daily lives.If North East DC is another country, the poor neighborhoods of New York City are another world, where stop-and-frisk policing has risen to unprecedented levels. From 1990 to 1995 the NYPD subjected about 40,000 people a year to these searches. In 2011 that number skyrocketed to more than 684,000. According to a New York Civil Liberties Union report, blacks and Latinos bear the brunt; together they make up 52 percent of the city’s population but 87 percent of those stopped and frisked.In theory stop-and-frisks, like arrests, are regulated by the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that police must have objective evidence providing “reasonable suspicion” of criminal activity before they can forcibly stop a citizen, and they must have an independent basis for fearing the person is armed before they frisk him. That standard is lower than probable cause but more than a hunch: it requires objective, individualized suspicion—not racial stereotyping.
will we ever really know how many people have been profiled and in keeping with the constitution evidence or probable cause is less then genuine and another one bites the dust. i have first hand knowledge of the unconstitutional detainment of tens of thousands of citizens. during the 68' riots in DC after Dr. kings assassination, i saw on tv at work the covering of the riot we were let off early to get home before curfews and more unrest.
i got off the bus the front window of a liquor store was broken out, people coming out with alcohol, don't know why i was less then a year back home from Vietnam and honorably discharged and had a job, hind sight i was a dumb ass. i went in got a few bottles of quality alcohol, went home drank while watching the reports on tv, after getting considerably crapfaced i went back out toward Union Station, another liquor store, this time 4 teens were there i looked at them they looked at me we all looked at a bench outside the store and without speaking picked it up and threw it through the window, alarms went off they ran i stood there i'm sure wobbling.
i was arrested and took in next day standing in line with many mostly curfew violations i heard them talking, then a detective came through and enquired as to charge on one person the other guy says" burglary they all get burglary" next day i was released because "my paperwork was lost" don't know about anyone else. i was guilty of destruction of property never entered store as many there were just out after curfew, admitting this was in '68, but has it gotten worse and more embolden by those who feel their reign of terror is coming to a close and their base suffers with Stockholm Syndrome and carry out what those who govern can't but with their blessing albeit silent but still a blink and a nod.
we are heading toward a complete break down of the moral, legal and political fabric of this country, now more inclined by some to openly threatening other's with the corrupted 2nd amendment rewritten as it's ok anytime to carry or keep a fire arm because of the ethic guy who lives down the street. no longer for a strong militia to protect the country except in the minds of supremist and politicians with their "HELTER SKELTER" IDEOLOGY
ask yourself if these rights as the "forefathers" intended, why are there so many amendments and who do they favor
