Racial Profiling Essays - Offender Profiling, Race And Crime

Racial Profiling Essays - Offender Profiling, Race And Crime Racial Profiling The topic of racial profiling amongst minority individuals in the state of New Jersey has been a heated issue for the past several years. This department has been charged with numerous allegations of racism and is the main focus for racial based events in police departments nationwide. Although racial profiling amongst police officers in the state of New Jersey has been a major issue for many years, it has not been until recently that action has been taken in order to investigate the alleged profiling that has occurred. Hence, until recently, African American drivers on the New Jersey turnpike stood a much greater chance than white drivers being stopped by the state police for a random drug search.(Cohen) However, racial profiling is not only holding victims of minority simply on the road, but also minority-based officers within the department are being victimized as well. Moreover, the issue of racial profiling has been raised in the courts and will continue to be analyzed. On April 21, 1999 Governor Christie Todd Whitman spoke at a press conference in Newark, NJ. She stated that, - 1 - evidence of racial profiling is not something the state had any reason to anticipate.(Whitman) In contrast, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey stated, officials have been fighting this issue for more than five years. (ACLU) Moreover, Based on statistical evidence presented to the courts in 1994 and 1995, they found in a 1996 decision that a policy of racial profiling was in operation on the New Jersey Turnpike(Diamond). Moreover, the state has consistently disputed the courts' findings, yet up until one week before the state's appeal was to be argued in court, the state had dropped all charges of its appeal. In evidence, reports presented at trial in the case of State vs. Soto, it revealed that although African Americans comprised only 13.5% of drivers and 15% of the vehicles speeding along the stretch of the turnpike in South Jersey, they comprised 46.2% of the people stopped by the State Police. (Diamond) Furthermore, State vs. Soto was the case in which broke the ice when addressing the problem of racial profiling in New Jersey. After the case of State vs. Soto was ended in the courts, the U.S. Justice Department led allegations against the New Jersey State Police. In order to rectify the - 2 - situation, reports stated, the State Police do not consider race ethnicity or national origin in deciding who is stopped.(Cohen) Thus, in lieu of the accusations forced upon the state police the department, they were ordered to implement racial hiring quotas imposed by the U.S. Department of Justice. However when addressing this issue it was stated by Carson Dunbar, Superintendent of Policing in New Jersey that, many of the minority applicants still failed the easier application requirements. Furthermore, due to the rigorous accusations, officials implemented rules that required minority officers. However, they claim that they were unable to reach their quota due to their lack of qualified minority applicants. Hence, the statistical breakdown of the applicants in 1999 was as follows, out of 5,023 candidates, 57% were white, 18% black, 15% Hispanic and 3 % Asian.(Diamond) However, out of the 105 recruits that were selected for training , 85% were white, 10% Hispanic, 4% black, and 1% Asian.(Diamond) Consequently, under the terms of the legal agreement set forth by the Department of Justice, the state police were mandated to recruit at least 22% black candidates and 11% Hispanic. As figures above - 3 - state, even if combined black and Hispanic recruits, the number would still not amount to 22%. Thus, although legal documents are created, they are respectively not being implemented. Besides implementing new quota regulations on hiring, Christie Todd Whitman made the decision to replace 58 year old white Superintendent Williams with black FBI Agent Carson Dunbar Jr. who became the first minority to lead the states predominately white 2,700 member trooper force. Many still debate that the only reason Williams was replaced was to take the issue of racial profiling out of the limelight. Furthermore, about 4 months after firing Williams, Whitman echoed comments in a New York Times Magazine article that quoted her saying, troopers can use race as one of several factors

Symbols of the Greek God Apollo

Symbols of the Greek God Apollo Apollo is the Greek God of the sun, light, music, truth, healing, poetry, and prophesy, and one of the most well-known gods in Greek mythology. Known as the ideal of youth and athleticism, Apollo is the son of the Zeus and Leto; and his twin sister, Artemis, is the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Like many of the Greek Gods, Apollo has many symbols. These symbols were usually associated with the great accomplishments those deities made or pertained to the domains over which they ruled. Symbols of  Apollo   Bow and arrowsThe lyreThe ravenRays of light radiating from his headBranch of laurelWreath What Apollos Symbols Mean Apollos silver bow and arrow represent his defeat of the monster Python (or Phython). Python was a serpent who lived near Delphi, considered the center of the earth. In a frenzy of jealousy over Zeus infidelity with Leda, Hera sent Python to chase Leto away: at the time, Leto was pregnant with the twins Apollo and Artemis, and their birth was delayed. When Apollo was grown, he shot the Python with arrows and took over Delphi as his own shrine. The bow and arrow symbol is also a reference to Apollo as the god of plagues who shot plague arrows at the enemy during the Trojan war. DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI / Getty Images The lyre- which is perhaps his most well-known symbol- signifies that Apollo is the god of music. In ancient myths, the god Hermes created the lyre and gave it to Apollo in exchange for the rod of health- or for the cows that the mischievous Hermes had stolen from Apollo. Apollos lyre has the power to turn items- like stones- into musical instruments. De Agostini / G. Nimatallah / Getty Images The raven is a symbol of Apollos anger. Once all ravens were white birds or so goes the myth, but after delivering bad news to the god he scorched the wings of the raven so that all ravens going forward were black. The bad news brought by the bird was that of the infidelity of his lover Coronis who, pregnant with Asclepius, fell in love and slept with Ischys. When the raven told Apollo of the affair, he became enraged that the bird had not pecked out Ischys eyes, and the poor raven was an early example of the messenger being shot. Tomisti / Wikimedia Commons  / CC BY-SA 3.0 Apollo God of the Sun The rays of light that radiate from Apollos head symbolize that he is the god of the sun. According to the Greek myth, each morning Apollo rides a golden flaming chariot across the sky bringing daylight to the world. In the evening his twin, Artemis, goddess of the moon, rides her own chariot across the sky bringing darkness.  Apollo is symbolized by rays of light. Corbis  / Getty Images The branch of laurels was actually something Apollo wore as a sign of his love for the demigod Daphne. Unfortunately, Daphne was cursed by the Goddess Eros to have a hatred of love and lust. It was an act of revenge against Apollo who claimed he was a better archer than Eros. Eventually, after Daphne grew tired of Apollos chasing she begged her father the river god Peneus for help. He turned Daphne was into a laurel tree to escape the love of Apollo. The laurel wreath that Apollo wears is a symbol of victory and honor, which was used in Greek times to identify the victors in athletic competitions, including the Olympics. Apollos wreath combines the laurel for Daphne, the coronal effect of the suns rays, and the beauty and power of young, beardless, athletic men.