College Rant! Was this behaviour justified or not?

[WilsonTung]

http://www.browndailyherald.com/stories.cfm?S=0&ID=6460

I attend Brown University, probably considered the most liberal school in the Ivy League. Last friday, two freshmen got into a scuffle with the University Police over an alleged case of racial profiling. The two freshmen were asked for identification when crossing the main green and refused to identify themselves. They also cursed at the police and walked away. The controversy arose because the two frosh are African American and supposedly fit the profile of HS students who were vandalizing the student center.

The cops called for backup and a small fight ensued. The radical left groups on campus are screaming bloody murder and are basically trying to martyr the two frosh.

On one hand, I think it's morally wrong to bother someone because of their race. However, the cops are paid to defend students, staff, and property. They can't do their job if they can't stop people who fit the descriptions of suspects. The local HS students vandalizing the student center are largely from minority communities.

Screw this. I can't wait to graduate. The PCness here pisses me off sometimes.

What do you guys on ATOT think?

 

[911paramedic]

and refused to identify themselves.

Racial profiling or not, if a peace officer asks for ID you have to provide it.

 

[pyonir]

<< and refused to identify themselves.

Racial profiling or not, if a peace officer asks for ID you have to provide it. >>


precisely.

 

[poopaskoopa]

If a police officer wants to see my ID, he/she will see it.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Last time I checked the police were hired to try and prevent crime or find the offenders. Tough sh!t if you look like a suspect (hell even lenny kravits (sp?) was held because he looked like a guy that robbed a store or something).

 

[Mill]

I thought you didn't have to show ID.

 

[sheselectric]

that's absolutely ridiculous...i can't believe how some people scream bloody racism the first chance they get. and i thought rampant liberalism was only here in LA....

 

[linuxboy]

precisely.

Incorrect. One does not have to show one's ID to a police officer if the police officer walks up in daylight and asks you for it. However, there are usually reasons this will occur. Refusing to show ID will only provide further grounds for suspicion and a reasonable cause for search and seizure. In short, it is usually in one's best self-interest, although not legally required.


Cheers !

 

[SonicOnTheWeb]

Some of this PC stuff gets old. If your told somebody doing something illegal looks like bla, and you see someone looking like bla, then your going to confront bla. What the heck, why cant these cry babies put aside their way too sensitive feelings and look at the way the world really works.

 

[Bignate603]

I thought police could use skin color, just like hair color or other physical characteristics when looking for suspects. If that is one of the attributes they knew they can use it. It's not them taking it out on black people, if the profile said it was a bald guy they could use that and stop and ask bald guys.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Reminds of that Dirty Harry movie. He's chasing this black guy and loses him at one point. He asks this black lady if she saw a short white guy go running by. She replies something like "no, but some black guy went that way" Cool movie.

 

[pyonir]

<< precisely.

Incorrect. One does not have to show one's ID to a police officer if the police officer walks up in daylight and asks you for it. However, there are usually reasons this will occur. Refusing to show ID will only provide further grounds for suspicion and a reasonable cause for search and seizure. In short, it is usually in one's best self-interest, although not legally required.


Cheers ! >>


it may not be legally required to just show id out of the blue. but these two guys were matching descriptions (according to the police) of the vandals. if they are notified of this and asked for id then they have to show id or, like you said, will cause a resonable search and seizure. not all instances is it legally required to show id. maybe i should have elaborated on my response in the first place.

 

[WilsonTung]

What really bothers me is that some people on campus are saying the two frosh were right to curse out the police and fight them. I can see arguing with the police, but not cursing, shoving, and body slamming. I just don't think picking a fight with the cops was the right thing to do. Sometimes I get the feeling that people here are just itching to pick a fight with cops just to prove some stupid point.

 

[XZeroII]

Police cannot just randomly ask to see ID. It's in the bill of rights (I wish I could remember which one). But if they have reason to believe that you may have done something wrong, then you better show it. I don't care what race you are, if you do something wrong, you should get punished.

 

[etech]

Those were University police and the incident happened on University grounds. There may be different rules that apply here.

 

[linuxboy]

maybe i should have elaborated on my response in the first place.

HeHe. It seems I have trouble understanding what you mean. This is the second time. You're right. I was just entering my "legal mode" and had to respond since I didn't think what you said was accurate.

Cheers !

 

[WilsonTung]

<< Those were University police and the incident happened on University grounds. There may be different rules that apply here. >>



The Student Handbook here says that we may be asked to show our Brown ID Cards at any time. This applies to everyone. Matriculating freshmen are required to sign a card verifying that they have read the handbook and agree to the terms and regulations in the handbook. Basically it's a contract - violate it and you may be asked to leave.

 

[pyonir]

<< maybe i should have elaborated on my response in the first place.

HeHe. It seems I have trouble understanding what you mean. This is the second time. You're right. I was just entering my "legal mode" and had to respond since I didn't think what you said was accurate.

Cheers ! >>


lol, it's all good linux. it is hard to interpret correctly over a computer on a message board.

 

[Dragnov]

If it was a black cop, I'm sure they would all stop yelling racial profling....

Even if it was racial profiling, show them yoru freakin ID (as mandated) and file a complaint and deal with it later.

 

[Fandu]

If someone walks up to me out of the blue and demands to see ID, I'd tell em to fusk off too. I don't really care who you are or what uniform your wearing, without cause, you ain't seeing nothing. If they were at least polite about it and explained the situation, then no problem, otherwise, take a hike.

It's also probable that people who are not students could be on campus for a multitude of reasons, in which case no contract was ever signed, thus they could tell the campus police take a hike as well.

If the campus police in this case are anything like ours, they are such useless twits that I'm sure a large portion of the student body would use the situation to insult, put down, etc. Without more details of the exact proceedings it's hard to pass judgement on this case, but if the students were approached and treated as guilty until proven innocent, then I could see the reaction.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Frosh? Yup, that's sounds so Ivy League.

A cop will not see my ID without an explanation and I will not provide it on demand unless they can provide justifiable reason. Even so, one can claim not to have ID since it is not a required item for moving across a public space.

 

[Capn]

"It's also probable that people who are not students could be on campus for a multitude of reasons, in which case no contract was ever signed, thus they could tell the campus police take a hike as well. "

No they can't. Brown is a private university (afaik). So if you tell them to take a hike, they can tell you to take a hike right off their campus.

 

[toant103]

I got a ticket for riding my bike at night w/o a headlight at Virginia Tech. I'm asian.

My friend got a warning for riding a bike at night w/o a headlight. He's white.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Those two punks should be expelled.

 

[Capn]

"I got a ticket for riding my bike at night w/o a headlight at Virginia Tech. I'm asian.

My friend got a warning for riding a bike at night w/o a headlight. He's white."

Was is the same officer? Same area? Same speed? Same time? There are an infinite number of factors that could be at play, boiling it down to purely race is sophomoric.