Tagging What does the card say?

Tag Lines (Tags) Also called “Slugs” Tags- labels for “cards” or “evidence” Summary of what the card says MAXIMUM WORDS: -9 Quick reference VERY IMPORTANT IN QUICK NOTE TAKING!! No two tags should be exactly alike! It is what the judge writes down!

Tag- US used surveillance data for overt oppression- history proves At times the government in the US has gone beyond surveillance and intimidation and has used the data gathered as a basis for overt oppression. One of the most blatant examples is the internment of over 100,000 Japanese Americans, most of them American citizens, during WW II. The DOJ used data from the Census Bureau to identify residential areas where there were large concentrations of Japanese Americans, and the army was sent in to round them up. They were taken away from their homes and held in concentration camps for the duration of the war. Governments do need information, including personal information, to govern effectively and to protect the security of their citizens. But citizens also need protection from the overzealous or malicious use of that information, especially by governments that, in this age, have enormous bureaucratic and technological power to gather and use the information.

11 Hints to Effective Tag Writing 1. Don’t try to write a tag based on your initial thoughts of how the card applies. Keep your thoughts open.

2. Use Language of the Card Try to use as much from the card as possible. US used surveillance data for overt oppression- history proves At times the government in the US has gone beyond surveillance and intimidation and has used the data gathered as a basis for overt oppression. One of the most blatant examples is the internment of over 100,000 Japanese Americans, most of them American citizens, during WW II. The DOJ used data from the Census Bureau to identify residential areas where there were large concentrations of Japanese Americans, and the army was sent in to round them up. They were taken away from their homes and held in concentration camps for the duration of the war. Governments do need information, including personal information, to govern effectively and to protect the security of their citizens. But citizens also need protection from the overzealous or malicious use of that information, especially by governments that, in this age, have enormous bureaucratic and technological power to gather and use the information.

3. Avoid symbols. Everyone has a different set of symbols and they are not always easy to translate. Ex. = 

4. Avoid abbreviations (as a general rule) Some are commonly accepted acronyms are ok. Ex. FISA, NSA, FBI Not ok- b/c

5. Use Vivid, colorful, and powerful words- build your vocabulary 5.Use Vivid, colorful, and powerful words- build your vocabulary. It sometimes help to use a thesaurus to find different words that mean the same thing. Ex. Economic downturn causes problems. (devastation, tragedy, extinction)

6. Front load your tags by starting with what you want the judge to write down. No: Last century there was a global temperature increase of 1 degree. YES: 1 degree increase of global temperature last century

7. Practice writing and rewriting your tags 7. Practice writing and rewriting your tags. Tag writing takes time and to get the best tag you will often have to go through several different drafts.

8. Use active voice. Ex. No: no action could results in 57,000 deaths . Yes: 57,000 deaths happen if no action. DO NOT USE: would, will, could, possibly, should- These are passive “be” verbs.

9. Avoid tags that are too short or too long Aim for 5-9 words Too short: Cartels kill people Good: Cartels murder, rape, traffic, and abuse Mexican Citizens.

10. It’s important to be consistent with wording and technology. Handwriting is critical: Nice and neat writing EVERYONE must be able to read it at a fast pace.

11. Don’t power tag Only write what the card says, not an exaggerated interpretation of the evidence. Ex. Removing all informants removes the threat of all terrorism YES- Removing Muslim informants mitigates domestic terrorism.

As these stories suggest, racial profiling is an all too common occurrence, affecting the lives of responsible, productive citizens as they dine, drive, or shop. Not only is this not a victimless crime, but the victims are all around us. They include not just those who are detained, but those who fear being detained and restrict their activities as a consequence of that fear. As the stories illustrate, these interactions hurt and humiliate individuals while doing irreparable damage to relationships between law enforcement and the community. Racial profiling humiliates, restricts, and creates fear in individuals