Racial profiling serves a purpose in the community

To the editor:

I'd like to comment about the letter from an African American lady. Like her, I'm African American. But unlike her, I agree with racial profiling. Racial profiling is not based on hate or bigotry. It's based on profiles constructed from information gathered while performing police work. Profiling has helped many in law enforcement to recognize those typically associated with neo-Nazi groups, terrorist organizations and street gangs. While there have been some abuses of profiling, the system as a whole works quite well.

Profiling occurs every day. If you see young kids wearing skateboarder clothing, you assume they're part of that crowd. If you see a young person wearing surfer clothing and listening to a certain type of music, you link him to the surfer crowd.

I'm 6 feet 8 inches tall and have been fortunate enough to prosper financially. When some people see me driving my car or standing in line at the theater, I'm nearly always asked if I'm a professional basketball player. My answer is, "No, I'm the CEO of a investment company, and I can't make a basket from two feet away."

I live in south Cape Girardeau and have nearly all my life. Racial profiling has helped the people in my neighborhood recognize and report gang members. As a result, gang activity has decreased in this area, and the residents are no longer as afraid as they used to be.

DR. CHANCE McBRIDE

Cape Girardeau