stop and frisk part 3.

i'm so glad a judge has ruled against stop and frisk. link

i've written about stop and frisk here and here.

even though some people in neighborhoods with high frisk rates support the program, mostly the elderly of all skin colors, it's just unconstitutional to search people without suspicion of wrongdoing. it's been against the law since 1791!

it's in article 4 of the bill of rights:

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

it only adds to the shamefulness  of the supposedly "random" searches that they are almost entirely carried out on young men of color.

like people of any appearance, young black and latino men are more likely to commit crimes when they live in places with bad education, high unemployment, absent fathers and, believe it or not, elevated levels of lead in the environment.  frisking them isn't going to stop those problems.

it's an immoral, illegal backward approach.