Racial Politics- When politicians utilize race to forward an agenda

Basic information
● White Supremacy > where White individuals enjoy a structural advantage/
privilege over other ethnic groups, both as a collective and an individual level . It
is the belief that white people are superior to those of people of other racial
backgrounds, meaning that they are entitled to political, economic and social rule
of those who are not white.
● Southern Strategy
> The tactic of the Republican party to utilize race in order to appeal to white voters
within the South because most African American voters aligned with the Democratic
party.. This method was most prominently used by Senator Goldwater, Richard Nixon
and Ronald Reagan.
> Republican Gov. Scott Walker making use of the Southern Strategy for the 2016
elections
- he is promoting an anti- union law that would ban the requirement of employers
to pay fees for the services unions provide to workers under the guise of “free
choice”
- voter ID law 2011- Makes it more difficult for African Americans and Latinos to
vote because they will lack access to the state- issued voter IDs that are only
available for those who fulfill the residency requirements which were made
longer.
● Gerrymandering > It is the manipulation of congressional boundaries in order to
gain a political advantage for a party. Usually, a legislative body redraws its own
lines to favor incumbent individuals who wish to be re-elected or their parties.
(redistricting)
● Affirmative Action- policies that help disadvantaged groups or minorities that are
discriminated against, usually in the fields of education and employment.
● Racial Profiling & Police Brutality
>Racial Profiling- When law enforcers decide that an individual is a suspect for a crime
based on race. It often leads to cases of Police Brutality
Examples:
> Police Brutality- when excessive force- physical, verbal attacks or psychological
intimidation, is used by a police officer.

Examples:
- Trayvon Martin- a 17 year- old shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood
watch volunteer, while walking at night in a Florida neighborhood where crime
was prominent. Zimmerman claims it was done for self- defense( see: Stand
your Ground Law).
 - Ferguson- Michael Brown allegedly stole from a convenience store and was
stopped by officer Darren Wilson, followed by an altercation between the two.
Wilson fired 12 rounds, and Brown sustained at least six wounds.
- Walter Scott- North Charleston police officer, Michael Slager, fired 8 times at a
fleeing and unarmed Walter Scott who was shot 4 times in the back.
- Baltimore- Freddie Gray was pinned to the ground for possessing an illegal
switchblade( which later was found to be legal) . He was handcuffed, shackled at
his feet, not restrained by a seatbelt and his pleas for medical help were
ignored.
● Immigration
- Obama’s approach of giving temporary relief from deportation to about 4 million
immigrants in the country illegally, along with permits allowing them to work legally in
the U.S.
- Hillary Clinton: The Latino decisions poll found that 85 % of Latino voters said they
were likely to vote for her if she committed to renewing Obama's executive actions on
immigration in 2017, including extending legal work permits to undocumented
immigrants who have U.S. citizen children.
● Voting Rights Act - was created to ensure the 14th and 15th amendment voting
rights were met. It prohibits racial discrimination in voting.Section 2 and Section
5, specifically prohibit jurisdictions from drawing electoral districts that dilute the
votes of protected minorities.

Debate topic areas/motions that may arise with this issue

Affirmative Action
Arguments For:
1. Corrects the birth lottery
Groups that are heavily discriminated such as women and ethnic
minorities are at a disadvantage when seeking opportunities- in school and in the work
place. African Americans and other racial minorities in particular have suffered through
years of structural oppression, such as slavery, segregation in schools and unequal
treatment that has resulted in their current social status- often unemployed and living in
areas that have high crime rates. WIthout the enforcement of this policy, it would be
difficult for these individuals to escape this cycle that discriminates against them, keeps
them poor and limits their ability to rise up to social ladder.
2. Representation
The stigma against racial minorities often exists due to a lack of
individuals that disprove the negative stereotypes that dictate they cannot succeed.
Providing these minorities the opportunity to go to college or get hired as businessmen
instead of janitors is the stepping stone for them to overcome the barriers that
previously held them back.
Once more and more individuals from racial minorities are able to
succeed, they will be able to reduce the stigma that dictates that they are useless
leeches in society. More than that, these individuals may serve as realistic goals for
others within those racial minorities. It send the message that they, too are likely to
succeed.
3. Integration

Within colleges, the workplace, or even communities, the existence of

stereotype or even hatred for racial minorities can be lessened or even eradicated once
the two groups are able to interact. Because of a shared experience/struggle (working
on projects) or mutual concerns ( the development of a community), the majority will be
able to empathize with individuals from the minority and see them as people rather than
remain apathetic to their plight. Even if they will not want to interact at the beginning,
they will need to at some point, to benefit themselves as well. “Organic Change” or
eventual acceptance may occur in the future, but hoping and waiting for change will
simply allow racial tensions to continue to divide society and cause minorities to suffer.
Arguments Against:
1. Upholding Meritocracy
In order to reach quotas set by affirmative action, quality will have to be
sacrificed at some point. Meaning that, to accommodate 50 Latinos or Asians into a
college, the said college may have to sacrifice 50 more deserving White individuals.
^Why is this likely? Schools and companies are often merit bases/ profit oriented, so
those that meet qualifications would have been accepted either way. The fact that more
White individuals were accepted does not automatically mean discrimination took place-
in fact, Affirmative action is a form of reverse discrimination that punishes individuals
that are from the majority for being born into that majority as well.
2. Generates Resentment for the minority group
Because the the more privileged individuals in society feel like they are
wronged and discriminated , they are more likely to resent individuals from the minority
rather than become inclined to accept them.
Harm: Loss of Allies: The resentment that these individuals feel towards the minority
group makes it unlikely for them to want to interact, let alone, help those from the racial
minority. In the school and even workplace setting, it means you will not have
colleagues that want or are willing to aid you in your project. Instead of creating a
culture of acceptance, a culture of hatred is the effect.

3. Belittles achievements
If affirmative action allows for its beneficiaries to succeed, then society,
especially those whose minds this policy aims to correct, will simply peg the success of
affirmative action rather than on the hard work and skill of the individual. Not only is this
policy unable to disprove the stereotypes against racial minorities, it worsens it as well
by sending the message that racial minorities are only able to succeed because of
handouts by the state and not because they are capable.

Police Brutality

>Creating a more diverse police force

For:
1. Representation
In a multiculturalist society, it is not fair that the police force is dominated by white
men rather than having police officers from different races. Having A Latino or African
American cop sends a message that they too, uphold the law. It also reflects the
diversity within these communities and allows for minority groups or those often
discriminated against to feel more secure.
2. Preventing cases of Police Brutality
Police Brutality is often times caused by the mentality of White officers that a
Black individual is more likely to commit a crime than a White man. When you have
another African American individual within the police force, it is less likely for them to
stop and frisk you or brand you as a criminal based on your skin color because he/she
understands that these stereotypes are often untrue. Also, when White, African
American, Latino and Asian individuals work together as a unit, they are able to
empathize with one another or see that race does not determine one’s character. It
allows for stereotypes to be disproves, leading to a less discriminatory view of society
and less discriminatory practices.
Against:
1. Compromising the Police Force
The lack of other racial groups in a police force is not a result of discrimination,
more likely it is simply due to the lack of applicants or qualified applicants from other
racial groups. Trying to counteract discrimination should not happen in the field of law
enforcement, it should happen through campaign or in other fields whose main
responsibility is to ensure the security of society.
2. Causing racial divides within the law enforcement unit
Attributing police brutality to race, saying that only a person of your race can
understand you, will not discriminate against you is counter productive. It simply re-
entrenches the already existing tensions between races.
Harms: It lessens the credibility of the police. Latinos are not likely to trust white cops
and vice- versa because of the logic used with enforcing this policy- that only those of
your race will and can protect you.

> Installing Surveillance Cameras into the caps of Police officers

For:
1. Evidence- In cases where police misconduct allegedly occurred and where there
are no other witnesses aside from the victim, the footage allows courts to
determine or disprove guilt.
2. Self- Monitoring- The panopticon effect is when an individual knows he is being
watched, thus corrects his behavior to avoid punishment. This makes the police
less likely to act on biases, to think actions though and less likely to commit
misconducts under the threat of being caught
Against:
1. Evidence- These footages can easily be manipulated. In instances where they
are, it is not likely for courts to further question the credibility of the evidence,
given that it is assumed to be the most accurate and credible one, thus hindering
justice.
2. Risk aversion- Police officers must think on their feet, act quickly to prevent a
crime or arrest a criminal. When they become too risk averse, it compromises
their performance as police officers- they are less likely to pursue or even shoot a
dangerous man for fear of being accused of committing a misconduct.

Racial Profiling
Arguments For:
1. Justification:
Racial Profiling is not discriminatory, in fact the basis for it comes from facts ,
statistics and patterns.Statistically, the individuals in terrorist organizations and areas of
high crime rates have a very strong tie to certain racial statistics. It is reasonable to
assume that a certain type of individual is more likely to commit these crimes. Racial
profiling isn’t utilized to discriminate against a person, but rather to prevent crimes from
occuring and to ensure the security of society.

*The US Department of Justice's (USDOJ) Civil Rights Division, in June 2003, 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."

2. Necessity
By using these statistics as a starting point, it becomes more easier for law
enforcement officials to narrow down the potential criminals. Racial profiling is more
efficient in identifying the likely perpetrator of a crime.

Arguments Against:
1. Unjust
The use of racial profiling as a tool to enforce the law simply legitimizes
racism by reinforcing stereotypes ( All Latinos are drug dealers, All African
Americans are criminals, All Middle Easterners are terrorists). This method
unfairly attacks innocent individuals based on their race. The justice system is
supposed to treat people fairly and equally. Racial profiling, places guilt on
individuals based on their physical attributes and burdens them to prove their
innocence rather than the law proving them guilty.

2. Causes greater tensions amongst races

When discrimination is legitimized, it allows individuals to
rationalize that they are right in being racist.
Harms: Racial Profiling often leads to instances of police brutality.It also
reduces political will for policies that make immigration policies less stringent or
policies that aim to protect the minority.

Other important things we need to know

● Attack Ads: In 1998, Bush ran an an ad against Mike Dukakis, was broadcasted
nationwide to depict Dukakis as soft on crime. Appearing in the ad is the
imprisoned criminal Willie who had, supported by Dukakis, received several
weekend passes from prison, During one of those weekends Horton assaults a
couple, severely raping a woman etc. This ad campaign is thought to greatly
have affected Dukakis defeat in the presidential election to come
 ● Advisory Commission on Race ( created by Clinton)-One America in the 21st
Century: The President's Initiative on Race. A commision that aimed to close
the opportunity gaps among the races.
● Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action
● Fisher v. University of Texas
● End Racial Profiling Act 2015- would ban law enforcement from making use of
ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation as reasons for stopping an individual and
subjecting him to further investigation. This legislation would require training for
officers to report to the government the race, religion and other characteristics of
people subjected to on traffic stops, body searches, interviews and other police
scrutiny and it would provide reports based on the statistics annually.Police
departments found to engage in racial profiling could lose federal funding.

5. Sources and additional readings

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/us_rep_payne_whose_uncles_law_banned
_racial_profil.html

http://nlcatp.org/5-essential-pros-and-cons-of-racial-profiling/

http://aclu.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000698
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32400497
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-
after-police-shooting.html?_r=0
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/walter-scott-shooting
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/01/us/freddie-gray-baltimore-death/
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/12/08/diversifying-boston-police-
department/ihocTYcaBWXP2N2lLItLqO/story.html