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Elissa Itothma�a ' <br />First Place <br />RAMS -- Grade 7 ' <br />Mr. Lauinger ' <br />�--Iuman Rights Essay <br />When I t�vas younger, I thaught everyone was nice. I believed the world was j�.st like <br />Sesame Street; people trea�ed each other in a friendly, considerate way and were �appy to meet <br />and talk to others. T was living in a�'aizytale worid. As I became older ai�d went to schoo�, I <br />learned about racism and stereotyping. Even then, X ihought those wicl�ed t1�it�gs were far away. <br />I was in a prntecti�e bubbie; discri�nination and prejudice anly happened somewhere else, to <br />p�nple I didn't kt�ow. <br />On August 23, 2005, rny sa�ety bulable popped. A fe�r blacks from my l�ouse, a man's <br />car was va.rzdalized. For tk�ree days, notes containing racist remarks about his appearance and <br />ethniciiy were put oza his frazi� daor. Community ieaders spake in fa�or af actions that never had <br />seemed necessary be%re. AlI o£ us were s�aken; how could such shat�eful acts have occurred in <br />a friendly li�tle city like Falcon Heights? <br />Stereoiyping and racial discrimination are important national issues. A few manths ago, <br />New York City police began to search passez�gers on the subway. Officials said tk�e searches <br />were necessary to prevent a te3rroarist attack. Some peaple said the golice should be extra carefii� <br />with riders wha Iook li�e they come from the MiddIe East. Is it a good idea to focus on a single <br />group that is seen as the main t�eznographic for terroarists, nr is it racial profiling`? A man wha is <br />searched on lus way to work in New York just because of his appearance will feel as threater�ed <br />and uanwelcome as my neig�bor did in �'alcon Heights. We would be better off if we <br />concentrated on suspicious bel�avinr, instead of skin colar or the cloth�s someonc wears. <br />The Bill of Rights protects individual �iberties against unfair gavernment action. For <br />example, i�e Fourtll A.�nendn�ent prohibits uz�reasonable seareh�s and seizures. It shouId prevent <br />the New York City police frorn searching or arresting �ubway riders because of their physical <br />1 <br />