http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/national/story/81262.htmlGee, another Muslim terrorist from within the United States? Pure coincidence.
I agree standards need to be increased at the airports - the problem I see is the NFTA/security is essentially bureaucratized and incompetent. Privatizing this industry may be a good way to ensure more efficient and effective methods, but the problem is that a company would probably face financial ruin if they fucked up.
However, all of this free society, civil rights, and comparisons to totalitarian regimes will mean extremely little when we're being blown to bits on an airplane, or are glowing particles of radioactive sludge from a dirty bomb. It's only a matter of time before it happens again, so long as the current system is in place.
My fundamental problem with racial profiling at airports, or anywhere else for that matter, is that it invites and legitimizes discrimination and prejudice under the masquerade of vigilance. While we must establish and provide safeguards for air travel, standards for safety should be applied, independent of racial considerations.
But when race or country of origin both play a significant role in the likelihood of someone being a terrorist threat, doesn't that merit some sort of consideration? I mean, this isn't racism or xenophobia - we are at war with Islamic terror. The exceedingly vast majority of these people who perpetrate these acts are Arabs. I don't really see any way to rationalize not to scrutinize those passengers who are either originating from foreign countries (particularly rogue nations) related to Islamic terror or those passengers who are of Arab descent.
I don't think that there is any evidence that racial profiling, as opposed to the more objective safety measures, is a strong tool in preventing terrorism on planes.
It's never been tried. Of course there is no evidence for it.
You start putting pressure on these Muslim communities and more inspections on those of Arab descent in the airport, and I guarantee you've made it more difficult for the terrorists to perpetrate their heinous act.
Need more proof?
How about 1 in 4 Muslim in the US
supporting suicide bombers.
Does this worry no one else besides PB and myself?
Those, whom we would entrust with the racial profiling, would also have to scan passengers and visually distinguish passengers. Many Hispanics, Africans, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Indians, and Pakistanis can pass for Arabs. How broad do we make the net.
Some sort of pre-screening may help, particularly with countries of origin, or, for domestic passengers, a revised passport system with more detailed information and background history.
Finally, I found great irony in the line, "Racial profiling is a small price for a free society to pay in a time of crisis." We condemn this type of discriminatory behavior in totalitarian regimes, but when we perceive a crisis, we're willing to discriminate.
As I've said before, Americans need to get off our high horse with moral victories in this war. We need victories in actuality, on the field of battle, not in our hearts and minds. Okay, we didn't piss off CARE today. Great. They just blew up a 747 heading into O'Hare.
I feel so much better now.
I think when it comes right down to it, racial profiling makes us less safe as a free society.
I think that what makes us a less safe free society is basically letting the terrorists play by their own rules, while we proclaim the blanket of free society, which they use to further their abhorrent goal of complete anarchy and murder. I think that the way things are right now is not deterring terrorists in the least.
I think, frankly, they find it particularly humorous that we talk about a free society, which they clearly exploit and use to their advantage, in order to kill more Americans.
Regards,
Double-J
