Profiling or Security? Take yer pick

SKM, I just have to say this.
My great-grandfather was born in Germany, in the area that used to be Prussia. The woman he married, my great-grandmother was the first in her family to be born in this country, having emigrated from the same general area of Germany as my grandfather's people were from. All of their children went to a German language school run by the Luthern church until 8th grade. When WWII broke out the speaking of German both in and outside the home was banned by my grandfather. He did not want people to know he and the family were German, he made a point of telling others that they were American's not Germans. He did this because there was, what he felt, a legitimate fear of a backlash against Germans. No, German's and Italian's were not rounded up the way the Japanese were. It is easy to say that is because German's and Italian's were white, they fit in easier than the Japanese did. I would say only to a certain extent is that true. Neither Germany or Italy actively attacked this country, Japan did. If the government had opted to also place German's and Italian's in camps they could have done so quite easily.
When I was a kid I wanted my grandfather to teach me to speak German. He flat refused to do so. He was a kind and gentle man, this is the only time I ever was to see him angry. He pointed at me and told me that I was not a German, I was an American and had no business learning German. He told me the Germans had badly embarrassed themselves in the war and never would any of his family ever speak the language of barbarians again. I was quite taken aback by the vemon in his voice, he had never spoke rough to me. At 38 years old I still recall the shock I felt then, and his use of the word barbarians.
I tell you all this because to illustrate a couple things, at least from my viewpoint. My grandfather felt that the family could not afford to be anything other than an American during the war. Right, wrong or indifferent that was his belief. Later after the war, and finding out the atrocities committed by the German army he did not want his family associated with Germany or any German identity at all. This was such a strong belief that I was never to know where in Germany he was born, only a general region and that from a cousin that did lots of digging into family roots. What questions I asked about family background into Germany was met with stiff silence or a stern rebuke until I simply quite asking. I am not trying to compare this to other's who lost their livlihood, their homes etc... by being interred into camps, but I am attempting to illustrate however, that the war did impact on the behavior of those of German or Italian background. Again I make no judgement of rather it was right or wrong, simply that it was.
That all said I offer this. For as many years as I can remember I have images burned into my brain of men of the middle east yelling and all but rioting in the streets while they burned my country's flag or an effigy of the president. I am old enough to remember the Israeli athletes being shot and thrown off the balcony of their hotel room not only on National TV, at a time when there were only 3 TV channels, but on international TV. I was a junior in high school when the Iranian embassey was taken over, when I was a senior and it was still going on our homecoming theme had to do with getting the hostages home. The images of various beaten and dead people being tossed out of highjacked airplanes, off of a cruise ship. The gapping building in which sleeping marines where murdered in their beds. And with all of these images is the background spector of a man of middle eastern descent with a holier than thou attitude that he feels gives him the right to murder civilians, rarely military people, in the name of "political gains", and even more horrifying, in the name of God. I do not believe that racial profiling is going to make this go away, but neither do I believe that bending over backwards to not offend anyone is very bright either.
I could not help but think of my grandfather the other day while I watched street demonstrations in Paris, Rome, Bahrain, Jorden etc... full of people of Middle Eastern descent protesting Israel, yet their silence against the Palastinines who have used Terror against civilians for at least as long as Israel has existed is deafening. They demand that my country be more evenhanded, yet who demands that their country is more evenhanded? The Europeans believe that Sharon is a war criminal, but Arafat is a freedom fighter? In many ways I think it was sad that my grandfather felt that he had to cut off who he was in terms of his ethnic background, yet I cannot help but feel he had the grace to call what the Germans did by it's real name, barbarism, instead of dressing it up or blaming it on what other's did to the German's. Many American-Arab groups have come out strongly against racial profiling, and maybe I am wrong here, but how many of them have as strongly condemned Arafat and his ilk? Trust is a two way street. And for every Arab-American that talks about the Palastinines "right of return" I say then turn your home and your land back over to the American Indian tribe that called it home first.
One last thing, my grandfather did not refer to himself as a German-American, the thought would have never crossed his mind. If he had lived long enough to have heard the politically correct term I am quite sure I would have heard that gutteral sound of disguist he could make sometimes. And I wouldn't have said he was wrong either.

Ted,

I have a proposal for obtaining peace....KILL EVERY SCUM SUCKING TERRORIST around. When there is no more terrorists there will be no more terrorist attacks. Simple as that....Hey Susy and Tracy...wanna get out our unregistered guns and go "target" shooting?

Dave

Have you all noticed the last few suicide bombers in Israel have been teenage girls? Between them and John Walker I just don't understand how anyone can think profiling for male middle easterners between 17-40 is going to make us safe...

The real problem is that Americans and Canadians are too impatient to get security right. In Israel if you don't show up at the airport a few HOURS early, you aren't getting on the plane. Ever notice how they don't get hijacked? We want to show up 30 minutes before our flight leaves and still get on (I've done it before on an international flight from LA to Soeul and made it on). Racial profiling is just a way for airport security to pretend they are doing everything they can to keep us safe when in actuality they aren't.

First of all, I would like to thank you RNCountry for sharing your family history as well as your point of view. It's refreshing to see an opinion given so eloquently...and without venom. I would like to apologize again for sounding so bitter about racial profiling, as I believe it doesn't belong anywhere; however, bending over backwards so not to offend any particular racial or religious group isn't my argument either. I just simply say that in these trying times, we should be more readily accepting in the necessary random searches at air ports, bus & rail stations.

I'm sorry that your grandfather decided to remove his family from their heritage & culture by choice. It's ashamed what happened then to those people from Germany & Italy that didn't share the majority views of their country...resulting in being ashamed of who they were.

As far as the current problem between Palestinians & Israelis/America is that land was taken from the Palestinians by the British government & the European Jews were given that land right after WWII. There was supposed to have been a settlement that the Israelis would remain in their respective section...but they...over the years have occupied several Palestinians areas against their will. Many Palestinians were outraged by this & sworn to fight until they've got their father's land back. There have been continued fighting between these two states over the course of the years...unfortunately the Israeli athletes being shot and thrown off the balcony of their hotel room were horribly targeted. The reason the US has come under fire is because we supply the Israelis with weapons & military vehicles & the Palestinians were fighting with inferior weapons & military vehicles. The Palestinians are upset with America because we've given the Israelis an unfair advantage over them. The ratio of Israelis dying to the Palestinians is heavily weighted on the Palestinians (civilians & military) being killed off way more than the Israelis. The Palestinians have turned to doing terrorist acts out of frustration & desperation in order to get the attention of those countries that might have influence on the Israelis (I'm definitely not for terrorist acts & am not condoning them). It is perceived by the Palestinians that the Israelis are receiving this favoritism because they resemble white America more than the Palestinians. The truth is that the American Jewish communities have a lot of money & have political clout that they use to support Israel.

Now before anyone shot me, I'm not making any judgment calls on anyone group against the other; I'm just stating the situation as I understand it. I'm not saying anyone country is right or wrong in his or her viewpoint...I just think racial profiling or bending over backwards to keep from offending anyone particular group isn't going to do us any good...that's all. - Moe

...starting the thread wasn't to be one of "White" vs. "Black" Americans...I just gave examples of what happens when racial profiling get out of hand. That's why I said that doing it is dangerous because there would be those few persons who for no other reason but hatred would seek-out these profiled individuals in order to unjustly imprison, injure, or kill them - right Dplear... Susy, no one would be able to read or guess other people's philosophies; no one should be asking this here in America...if we start asking this, then we would be no better than the Communism that our country fought against for so many years. In this country, everyone is suspose to be able to express him or her self without percusition...the first amendment is the right to free speech. And your right, American soldiers do pay a much heftier price...that's why we who volunteer weigh everything in before joining-up (I'm currently in the Army Reserves & this "War" has & is still affecting me everyday); I just don't think that the rest of Americans not in the service should consider using any type of bigotry in order to fight our nation's cause or seek it's safety.

Racial profiling. . .

Sad.

Nothing more to say about the subject.

Yes but looking statistically I would want my tax paying money to be spent profiling would be terrorists and also to be on the look out for the nut case who looks like the man next door! We have to work with what we have got in our world today, every means avaible to suspend, reduce or eradicate those who seem to be bent on harming me or other Americans for just being an American! Or to look at it from a world prospective those who do not practice live and let live!

Peace,
Jami

(Said with it's most basic meaning-Live and Let Live, thats Peace to me!)

ok, this is the way I see it... I'm stopped at an airport check in station because I am petite, dark haired and olive skinned.. the authorities are looking for anyone who fits my description as I may be a terrorist bomber... I WOULD prefer that they stopped ME as they are doing their job, don't let any petite dark haired olive skinned woman on that plane unless you are sure they are not a danger.

OK, that's my weird way of thinking about it, extreme measures call for extreme actions especially after 9/11.