“It's because I'm black, isn't it?” a phrase that most African Americans say too often. Racial profiling is not something that can be swept under the rug. It shows how the United States governs itself negatively by showing this act in the justice system, socially, and in the community. It is important to make all citizens aware of this practice which represents a great danger to the fundamental principles of our Constitution. (“Blog Series”) In the justice system or law enforcement Lady Justice is used to demonstrate equality. She is blindfolded and holding a scale in her hand. This generally means that he does not judge anyone by their appearance and will be condemned in the same way. Although this is a talisman that most live by, all that glitters is not gold. Profiling within the criminal justice system is often associated with law enforcement. (Bumgamer). Being a police officer means that it is your duty to help and guide the citizens of your country and arrest criminals who try to harm others. It is not your job to describe whether a person is good or not based on the color of their skin. Many people think that stereotyping and racial profiling are the same thing. It's not, stereotypes are a thought and racial profiling is an action. The justice system uses stereotypes only to soften racial profiling. Once convicted, black offenders receive longer sentences than white offenders. (Kerby). Racial profiling has been around for a long time. In 1900, during World War II, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese planes. After the attack all Japanese Americans and Japanese citizens living on or near the West Coast were victimized as a national security threat. Many of these people were… middle of the road… more likely to break the law. If you lived in a government housing project that included a majority of people of one race, obviously the government will be threatened by that community because they outnumber them. Large numbers of people mean more danger in the eyes of a lawman. To be considered a threat to the community, the individual must do something to threaten the community. There is no need to act against a community that suffers no visible harm. While people of color make up about 30% of the U.S. population, they account for 60% of prisoners. (Kerby). In most cases, these people who are put in prison are there for petty crimes, such as: unpaid court fines, fines, and unpaid child support. Although the majority of people of color commit these crimes, so do other races. The only difference is how they are charged and sentenced.