Bob Herbert

In the following viewpoint, Bob Herbert claims that racial profiling—stopping motorists simply on the basis of their race—is unjust because all people have a right to be in public places without being harassed. Herbert argues that racial profiling demoralizes its victims because it undermines their confidence in being treated equally under the law. The vast majority of those stopped by police, he maintains, are nonwhite and innocent. Herbert is a reporter for the New York Times.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What were Rossano Gerald and his son guilty of, in Herbert’s opinion?
2. According to the author, how many people were stopped and frisked by the New York City Police Department in 1997 and 1998?
3. What was the purpose of the Chicago anti-loitering law, according to Herbert"

An anti-loitering law...