Racial Profiling, how do you feel?
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Racial Profiling, how do you feel?
How do you feel about racial profiling of people from nations that are known to sponser or harbor terrorists? I am for it, (even though it is Ashcroft pushing it and I can't stand him) I think we need to do everything possible to prevent another terrorist attack in this country, even if it means racial profiling.
Reinhold Niebuhr, a pastor in Germany during the Third Reich, said something I try to remember when I start lumping people in groups and thinking it is OK if something happens to "them", because I am not "them". I probably don't remember this exactly, but it goes something like this:
First they came for the Jews, and I said nothing, because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I said nothing, because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I said nothing, because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
Remember, the man who was convicted for blowing up the federal building in Oklahoma would not have fit any racial profile other than WASP. The Unibomber would not have fit any of the racial profiles Ashcroft proposes, nor would the man who was going around the Western part of the country putting bombs in mailboxes.
I haven't seen the movie, The Sum of All Fears, but I recently re-read it. One of the major conspirators in that story was a Native American. Another was a German scientist. Again, neither would fit Ashcroft's proposed profiles.
I don't know the answers, and I don't have any counter proposals. I do know that lumping people into suspect groups leads to things like the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans in WW II, which we now know was unnecessary and reprehensible.
I think profiling, in general, is a solution like those H. L. Mencken described - Every problem has a solution which is quick and easy, and wrong. I think focusing on people by what racial or national group they may fit into is a lazy way of doing police work in general, producing high "catch" rates that usually turn out later to be inaccurate, ineffective, and which target huge numbers of innocent people and very few guilty or potentially guilty ones.
Do I have a counter proposal? No, except that beefing up the staffing of the FBI and CIA would probably help, as would better coordination between these agencies, our other federal investigative agencies, and local and state police forces.
I also think the terrorists and their sponsors can destroy the "American Way of Life" without setting off a single additional bomb, if we let them move us into doing things, out of fear and hate, which are counter to the values promoted by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We can do the terrorists' work ourselves by hacking away at freedoms we have heretofore taken for granted.
this was just sent to me through email.
It's nice to think that the FBI was reluctant to go after reported
terrorists before 9/11 because the agency was afraid of being accused
of the dreaded sin of (gasp) "profiling." Indeed, it seems to have become one of
the major crimes of this brave new world.
To ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics
intent on killing us, airport screeners will not be allowed to profile
people.They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little
kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents
who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old
Congressmen with metal hips and Medal of Honor winning former
Governors. Let's pause a moment and take the following test.
1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were massacred by:
a. Olga Korbut
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenneger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
3. During the 1980s a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
4. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old
American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davie Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
6. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver
was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
7. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
9. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation villain: "Mustapha the
Merciless"
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
10. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked and destroyed and thousands
of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
11. In 2001 the United States began to fight a war in Afghanistan
against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonny and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
Nope, no patterns anywhere to justify profiling!
Russ Smith
russ.smith@all-interiors.com
I have no problem with racial profiling. Muslim extremists killed 3000 Americans on 9/11 and have expressed the desire to kill 3 million. I am tired of political correctness. I am tired of not wanting to offend. Yes, there are other nuts out there, like Timothy McVae, who do not fit into the groups that would be profiled. But each and every hijacker on 9/11 did. I disagree that doing so cuts into our rights and freedoms. We are not profiling Americans. We are profiling groups of foreigners coming from regions known to have large populations who dislike the US. We are simply not extending our freedoms and rights to them blindly.
I, like Melanie, am tired of political correctness, and not wanting to offend. I think that has caused us many problems, and left the door open for many more. And until someone shows me another preventive measure that works, I'd have to say we go ahead with racial profiling.
I am with the others in the group that is tired of the political correctness. Plain and simple, we have lots of VISITORS to our country. As Americans we have rights, and one of those rights is to feel free. It makes me mad that people came over here just to hurt us. I think we should be much stricter with people entering the US. Fingerprint them, photo them, and even track them if need be. I think it needs to be made clear to our visitors, we would like to share our great nation, but they do not have the same rights as we do, but they have one just as good.. THE RIGHT TO LEAVE AND NOT BE HERE. I think as a society, we know racial profilng happens and it just isn't that big of a deal. If we were to have a serial killer in our area, I would hope they would call in every white male in the area and question them. Statistics show that most serial killers are white males. I know there is a fine line in freedom and a just government. But sometimes you have to make some sacrifices.
Kaye, I agree, we should be MUCH stricter with people entering the US. We SHOULD have been doing this all along, IMO. People come here and they seem to just blend in, become unnoticeable and forgotten about, which is the worst thing that could happen. And see where it's gotten us!
I have to tatally agree with Karen on this one. The people that own the house next door to my parents are of a different nationality and they came into this country 4-5 years ago and they were given money to start a business the bought the house but never have to pay taxes on it. They get welfare and their kids have insurance and thw women is now pregnant with her 5th or 6th kid but they neither one work. He ownes a bread business but agian never payes taxes on anything and doesn't have to work hard for anything. He gets a check every month from the state so why work hard when it is all given to you.
If you come into this country then you should have to work and pay for things just like I do and my parents do. No welfare checks because you cannot work because you cannot speak english learn the laungage and then thing about moving here. I hate that if you don't know the language then stay home where you belong.
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