Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 118, the Traffic Stops Statistics Act of 1997, was introduced by the ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers). This bill has bipartisan support and the support of the Department of Justice. H.R. 118 will authorize the Attorney General to conduct a study of the reasons why police make routine traffic stops. Racial profiling is a law enforcement method that uses race, age, dress, vehicle type, and other factors to identify people who police believe are more likely to be involved in crimes. Profiling is often used to stop those suspected of crimes without any indicia of criminal activity. However, there is a growing number of reported incidents and allegations that black American males are being stopped for no reason. They are merely stopped, not given tickets, not given citations. The fourth amendment provides, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." Traffic stops based solely on race are wrong and must not be tolerated. The study will provide for the collection of data that will help determine whether police are using race as the predominant reason to stop motorists of color.”