recently detained at the Canadian border for having wires and an
assortment of stuff that US Customs considered wierd in his luggage.
So they do not rely purely on racial profiling. Which is somewhat
reassuring, especially as the Border Patrol let *me* through a
checkpoint without checking my ID or vehicle registration, even after
I told them I was not American.
I do think there as been a considerable amount of anti-Arab hysteria
post 9/11 and the posted link is an example of it. She was not aware
of this assembling bombs online thing at the time, correct? She was
just concerned that Arab men on the plane were talking to one another.
Oh, the terror, the horror. Anyone who is flying while Arab should
know enough to still down and be grateful he was allowed on the plane,
right?
There *may* be a place for race in law enforcement profiles. I say
this with great trepidation, but...as a former cab driver who was
robbed at gunpoint three times, all three times by black male
teenagers... I have to say that you do have to pay some attention to
the statistical likelihoods when your life is at stake. In the case of
the cabdriver, you don't refuse to carry black males, though... if you
are that afraid you really need a different job, especially in
Washington DC. But a young black male who refuses to state a specific
destination, will not look the driver in the eye, appears to be trying
to hide his face and does not have any money in advance is likely to
be refused service. The same applies to a young white male, actually,
although there the likelihood there is that he will take off running
someplace close to the destination, rather than pull a gun. While this
is no fun either, it isn't life-threatening.
Chances are that when I drove a cab I refused service to some people
who genuinely had no sinister plans. I am really sorry for this, but
unlike some people I have known, I never got shot. Interestingly,
though, the people who were clearly street dealers were amongst the
safest passengers. They probably did have guns, but they had too much
money to be interested in the couple hundred I might have in my
pockets.
But coming back to 9/11... I don't think the United States can afford
to assume that the next terrorist act will be carried out by young men
with brown skin. Yes, al-Qaeda is a Muslim extremist group. But I
think it is already demonstrated that they are capable of recruiting
people who do not look "Arab."
So although it might be somewhat more inconvenient for me I would
really prefer to see security measures that do not take skin color
into account.
Dana
On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 11:44:20 -0400, Monique Boea
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >>
>
>
> All I am saying is that if we are going to profile, we
> damn well better be sure to profile anyone who fits a certain pre-conceived
> notion of "danger".
>
> That is what we have been saying, I think.
>
>
> Along with racial profiling in some cases is justified.
>
> >
>
> Does that mean that we should all get
> nervous if a large group of Asian males gets on a plane in San Francisco and
> talks amongst themselves in a foreign language.
>
> If they start engaging in terrorist acts YES.
>
> > However, for one who is white
> to tell me that I just need to deal with it is bullshit.
>
>
> I'm black. Post-911, we just have to deal with it.
>
>
>
>
> Point is...they just HAPPEN to be middle-eastern. If they were white, we'd
> feel the same way.
>
>
> Serial killers fit a certain profile. Should we not consider this when one
> is on the loose?
> Car jackers fit a certain profile. Should we not consider this when someone
> calls 911 and says their car has been stolen?
> People in america who plot against the gov. usually fit a certain profile.
> Men who abandon their families/shildren fit a certain profile.
>
> etc. etc.________________________________
>
>
>
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