Your Opinion: Are Indians profiled by cops?

Dear Editor:

Recently released raw numbers show that, in Missouri, African-Americans are stopped for traffic violations at a much higher rate than white drivers. I believe that the sense of identity of many African-Americans is dependent upon a comfortable belief that they are victims of ongoing racial injustice. They must continue to believe that racial injustice, often personified by white cops, makes success in life more difficult for them. The alternative would be to admit that each American's fate is created by a mix of such personal factors as natural talents and inclinations, along with ethnic and family values.

So, here I sit in the McDonald's at Walmart. I've read the lead article in my morning paper, and I'm dealing with some familiar feelings about those of my countrymen who swallow raw race numbers whole.

I see some East Indians stroll by. They are very dark-skinned. Their skin is darker than the skin of most African-Americans. So, after a while I begin to wonder if Indians of dark color, who, at a distance, would certainly be mistaken for Africans by a traffic cop, have seen evidence of police bias.

I think that frequent traffic stops have to do with broken tail lights and many other forms of unlawful driving. Indians in the U.S. are very law-abiding. I'll bet they don't get stopped very often. My guess is that African-Americans and their leaders would have no interest in taking an objective look at this question. If you prove me wrong, I will be forever grateful.

Issue-oriented letters to [email protected] are welcome. All letters should be limited to 400 words in length; longer letters may be edited to conform to the specified length. The author's name must appear with the letter, and the name, address and phone number provided for verification. Letters that cannot be verified by telephone will not be published.