Tuesday 27 October 2015

Policing for profit

https://youtu.be/DVxxEzBnKcI

Although the first a Amendment concerns freedom of speech and 'the right to peacefully assemble' it appears that the notion of freedom and liberty very much depends on the form and its interaction with the law. As Eric Foner details 'freedom has become very personalised' and in this personal way freedom can be acquired through ascension in the number of things you own which is in line with the capitalist society most are fortunate enough to live in. 

However, racial profiling in the American justice system appears to victimise those that are for whatever reason less fortunate in their socioeconomic place in society. Despite having the commodities that are essential e.g clothes, violations such as 'sagging pants' are a criminal offence with a $200 bill (on top of however much it cost to buy the pants you are wearing). Police citations such as this and the ongoing legal fees provide revenue for the municipality despite the fact those who receive these fines lose more than money and both parties in this video are clearly puzzled by this injustice. It's hard to imagine that anyone could be sent to prison for not wearing their trousers in a correct fashion or walking in a certain way. 

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