Racial profiling in McHenry County - no more

You will be interested in how racial profiling got stopped at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

You do know what "racial profiling" is, don't you?

It's when a deputy sits on the side of the road and waits for a car with a driver with brown skin to drive by (or with black skin, or oriental looking, or ???) Or he passes such a driver, or is passed by one.

The deputy "runs" the registration (looks up the license plate information on his in-car computer). Of course, that's tricky while he is driven, because it distracts him. Do the squad cars have voice recognition on those Afghanistan war-quality laptops, or does the deputy have to drive and type at the same time?

When the computer informs him that the owner of the car doesn't have a driver's license, on come the lights and siren, and the driver is pulled over.

Of course, at that point the deputy doesn't know whether it is the registered owner who is actually the driver. The driver could be any other male (father, brother, friend, neighbor, co-worker, son...). But sometimes it is the unlicensed owner or another male without a license.

Keep in mind, the deputy didn't see any traffic violation. He just saw a brown face. I think they called that "DWB" (Driving While Brown). Or maybe the deputy followed the driver until he spotted a minor traffic violation; usually, that takes only 1-3 blocks.

But the topic is here about how racial profiling got stopped in McHenry County. I heard it was done with a simple order at roll call. And that order?

"Just mark everybody down as White."

Interestingly enough, the U.S. Census Bureau helped out this year. Question 9 on the short form was, "What is Person 1's race?"

The choices? White; Black, African American or Negro; American Indian or Alaska Native; and numerous other races. NOT Hispanic.

Get this. "Hispanic" was not an option on the 2010 U.S. Census Form. I believe there was language on the longer Census Form used by door-to-door enumerators that directed those part-time Census employees to tell the Hispanic person that "For the purpose of this census, Hispanic is not a race."

Duhhh..... well, you can't racially profile Hispanics if the U.S. Government says Hispanic is not a race, can you?