Introduction
Individuals who have never been victims of profiling or who do not know anyone who has suffered the same may know the real effects that profiling brings. Profiling has several direct and real mental, psychological, physical, emotional, and even financial consequences. Studies carried out by scholars demonstrated that there are widespread influences of ethnic profiling within the social structure. The effects are not felt only by the one who directly faces the profiling but also by there are also widespread effects on his neighbors, friends, families, and even classmates, if any. The researches have also demonstrated that the problem of racial profiling has the worst consequences on the children and the youth.
Some of the common problems that are brought about by profiling include compromising the future of several young people due to a feeling of being discriminated against. The situation may lead to losing opportunities to get quality education, development of antisocial behaviors, and criminalization of young people, among others. Profiling also promotes the growth of mistrust in the communal organizations, including the learning systems, boundary and civilizations control, bylaw implementation, and criminal integrity institutions by individuals. It also makes individuals feel alienated or like they are less worthy citizens of a state (Ontario Human Rights Commission par. 1-4).
The profiling problem in the movie Crash
The movie brings out various experiences of different races, among them the Iranian, Hispanic, and African American races. The film highlights several instances of stereotypes about races.
The first demonstration of profiling is shown in a case where a white police officer (Ryan) stops a black couple while driving a car that resembles one that was stolen in an earlier scene. The officer gets the couple out of the car, and in the process of his investigation, the man (Cameron Thayer) is cooperative, but his wife Christine gets into arguments with the cop. The cop ends up molesting the woman in front of her husband, who does not intervene due to feeling helpless just because of his race.
The man fears the consequences that would follow if a black man were charged with assaulting a police officer. The scene exhibits that black men have been given considerations to make on the stereotypes of their ethnic groups every time they are working with those in power.
The other scene that depicts profiling is when Jean’s car is stolen by two black men at gunpoint. As they approach the car and Jean sees the two black men in an area that is dominated by white people, she grabs the arms of her husband due to the fear that she has for black men. She also does not look back at the men again in the belief that looking at them again would make her be seen as racist. She strongly believes that black men must be criminals because there is nothing else that they would be doing in an area dominated by whites. She, however, gets justified since the two men end up carjacking them (Loe par. 7-9).
After their car is stolen, both Jean and her husband go to a locksmith who happens to be of the Hispanic race to change for them the locks. In the process of changing the locks, Jean starts complaining of the Hispanic gang member, and he would sell spare keys to his compatriots (the black men). Jean is demonstrated to be having an opinion that all males of the Hispanic origin must be involved in crime.
A scene is also demonstrated where a Persian shop owner by the name of Farhad argues with a shop owner who refuses to sell him a revolver in the process referring to him as “Osama”, even though Farhad tells him that he is a citizen of America. The gun owner who owns a store even goes ahead and orders Farhad out of his shop. To the owner of the gun store, all individuals of the Arabian race are regarded as dangerous and he is therefore so reluctant to sell him a gun.
A scene is also shown where two black men are seen emerging from a restaurant while complaining about the service that they got there. Anthony complains that they were neglected while the server was giving the white customers coffee refills. Anthony goes ahead and tells his companion, Peter, that they did not get any refills from the server because she had an opinion that blacks do not give tips and so she had no time to waste on them (Rivera 12).
Even though the movie depicts aspects of racism earlier on, the characters are shown to be better individuals later in the movie. They are demonstrated to be able to show love and care.
Conclusion
For a conclusive solution to the profiling problem to be found, the problem of profiling should first be properly understood by all. The people should be educated on all the adverse effects that profiling brings about to the society first. Reforms should then be enforced in all the public institutions to curb out any form of profiling because of one’s race. Oversight must be put for these reforms to ensure that they are implemented. Guidance and counseling should also be provided to those who are already affected by profiling to ensure that they feel a sense of belonging again.
Works Cited
Loe, Daniel. Crash’ A Movie Really About Racism? Web.
Ontario Human Rights Commission. The Effects of Racial Profiling. Web.
Rivera, Whitney. “Addressing the Real Problem of Racial Profiling in Seattle, Washington”. Journal of Race, Gender and Ethnicity, 2.1 (2008): 11-13. Print.