Profiling or Security? Take yer pick

The gospel according to ken:

1:1 SusyK, I saw your post as humorous, and did not think it should have offended anyone as humor. I think we need to laugh more, and take offence less.

2:1 I am all for random searches. They searched me before my last flight. I wasn't carrying anything dangerous. My rights were NOT violated.

3:1 I support drunk driving checkpoints! If you're not under the influence you will be on your way momentarily. If you are under the influence, you shouldn't be out there driving to begin with.

4:1 I've been wrong before. I'll be wrong again. If this offends you, I'm sorry you're offended, but not sorry I spoke my mind.

5:1 As usual, - just my $ .02

ken

I didn't see it as humorus, as I don't see humor when race is used...! The only thing I see in these posts have been divison. I definitely don't see any laughs! I find it distrubing to read, that I or anyone else shouldn't have been offended by what was posted! How can anyone say how, when or in what incidence anyone shouldn't or should be offended???

Must we all think alike now??

My .02 cents worth.

SKM, your right, some people were attacked after 9/11. Yet I look at it this way, there will always be ignorant people in any society. I think it is very important to look at what did not happen. If an incident like 9/11 had taken place in India, the riots and amount of people killed would have been massive. We have all seen it on the news regarding religious riots in India over the years. Not too long ago there was one, over 700 Muslims were murdered in the streets, this included children and infants. One of those killed was a parliment member. Most were set on fire while alive because Hindu, mostly women and children, were killed in a firebombing on a train. The firebombing was blamed on Muslims as the Hindu's on the train were religious pilgrams to a disputed religious site. The whole thing is disgusting.
In Texas last week the man who killed an Indian Sikh after 9/11 was sentenced to the death penalty. How many Hindu's or Muslim's who participated in the riots and who killed babies are likely in India's jails?
In France Muslim youths that are French citizens are actively targeting Jewish children, going after a soccor team just last week. There have been numerous firebombings of synogues (SP) including one that was also burned right after the start of the intifida 18 months ago.
There can be terrible racism in this country, it doesn't take much of a history lesson to know that. However for the most part your neighbor here does not know what religion you are unless you advertise it with external symbols. Nor for the most part do we go around attacking each other for those differences. One can look at the history of nearly any country in the world right now and find more extreme racism and find it more frequently than you can in this country. I don't mean to minimize the racism here, but I think it is assine to self-flagete ourselves without at least being realistic about how we compare to other countries. Japan is so xenophobic that even native Japanese that live overseas are looked at suspiously when they return, sometimes these Japanese never fully fit into their society again because they are treated like outsiders.
Inside myself I truly believe racism is wrong, I teach my children that, part of the reason I confirmed into the Episcopalian church is because of their stance on racism. The priest that was killed down in Selma while Dr. King was attempting to make his historic march was an Episcopal priest trying to register black voters. The church recognizes Dr. King as a Saint, one with his own feast day. That does not mean however that I think it is ok to whitewash the fact that nearly every major terrorist attack that has involved high jacking planes, shooting them out of the sky, bombing them out of the sky or flying them into buildings, has been undertaken by Male Muslim Extremists. It is as if it is something we aren't supposed to acknowledge because if we do than we will be branded racists, a tag that is very difficult to shake once given. That does not mean I am in favor of profiling though, that has been done in this country a couple times. Not only were they massive failures from a security standpoint, but the social fallout took years to repair. I just am trying to make the argument that we should not be afraid to state what is true, and I also think that those that are Arab, Palastinine etc... that have chosen to make this country their home owe their first alligence to this country and not to their prior home, or to those who share a religion. They should be able to stand there and do the same as my grandfather did and say the acts being committed in the name of freedom fighting and religion is barbaric and unacceptable. It offends me to listen to those from the Arab American antidefamation league dismiss suicide bombing as justifible, but Israeli retailation as human rights abuses and war crimes. And I think the truth must always be told, whether it is pretty or not. And the truth is that since I can remember terrorist assaults have nearly always been associated with Middle Eastern Muslim extremists. And personally I can't help but notice that the only equal opportunity for a woman that seems acceptable in this society is to be able to blow herself up. And that could be another extremely sad commentary.

Suzy, I found your original post awesome, as usual. Humorous AND full of facts..bravo. You owe no apology to anyone.



Helen, Wish I had time for you to teach me a bit of history. You are awesome and as usual, OBJECTIVE.

Fergus,
Don't you figure the USA and Canada have a FEW more people passing through their airports on a daily basis than does Israel?? It'd be impossible to throughly search every passenger and not severly cripple our air transportation system in the interim.

Skm,
I feel your pain. I've witnessed racism at it's best. I've watched little white women grab their purses when a black guy enters the elevator. It all sickens me. Guess what, though? I've also witnessed just as many little black ladies clutch their purses when a group of young punks enter elevators, black or white. That doesn't count though, does it? Growing up in the country of Alabama, I've witnessed racism to the point that it truly nauseates me. Racism is such a nice word for what it actually is...HATE. I can not comprehend why anyone would raise a child to hate, but it happens daily. I understand that you've witnessed it from the opposite side from me, but please understand it's a two sided street. My best friend is black and because I'm white, I can't safely enter her 'hood after dark. Isn't that some type racial profiling? I could go on, but I won't. Point is, we're all faced with challenge. That doesn't mean we should simply close our eyes and pretend there isn't a pattern out there.

Do I think ALL middle-easterners are terrorist? Absolutely not! Do I feel uneasy when boarding a plane with a group of middle-eastern decent? Damn straight!

If a person has nothing to hide, then why would they offer any resistance to being searched???? Search every body cavity I have if need be; do whatever necessary to ensure the safety of me, my loved ones and my nation! Offend the hell out of me, that's okay, I'll still be alive tomorrow.

I still think Dave has the best plan

I think this article expresses it the best for me (please, take time to read it....):

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/pr...216319,00.html

I thought that was a very well written article. But still, I just don't understand, why everybody isn't searched? Yes, nurs4kids, I understand we have more people passing through, but we also have a lot more security staff. I think the problem is that we aren't willing to take the TIME to search people. We want to show up at the airport and spend as little time in line as possible. We want that convinience. I don't see anything wrong with making people show up a few hours early for their flights. Israel also has a lot of air marshalls apparently, and I thought North American planes were starting to do the same thing? That would be practical wouldn't it?

I just don't think profiling will keep us safe. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but look at the news in the past few weeks. Teenage girls are blowing themselves up now! John Walker was a white boy from California! It's not just arab looking young men anymore. You can't pick out terrorists from how they look.

Disclaimer here: I am not suggesting we don't search Arab looking people to avoid offense, I just want security to be tightened all around. I think we're kidding ourselves if we think that profiling alone is going to make us safe.