Pedestrians of color in cities such as Philadelphia are disproportionately the targets of random searches by police officers. From 2005 to 2009, the number of Philadelphians stopped and frisked by police climbed from 102,319 to 253,333. That's a staggering 148 percent. What's more is that last year 72 percent of those stopped at random by police were African American. As a result, a team of civil rights lawyers have filed a suit in federal court on behalf of eight black and Latino men taking Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey to task for "failing to properly train, supervise and discipline officers who routinely violate civil rights."

The way to crack down on crime isn't to operate as if everyone with dark skin breaks the law. In fact, just 8 percent of those subjected to stop-and-frisks were found to have committed crimes. That means these random searches need to end, no matter the lawsuit's outcome. Let the Philadelphia mayor know that racial minorities shouldn't have to fear being accosted by police every time they step outdoors.