Racial Profiling

[sairose]

Originally posted by Pike1483
Also, what are some of y'alls suggestions for airline/border safety? Should all searches be random? Should every person be searched (more so than standard metal detectors)? Is it ever considered not racial profiling when an Arab gets searched?

Honestly, I think airline safety is pretty good. But, I think searching everyone would be the only fair AND accurate way. But, honestly, since 9/11 I think airport security is better, so I don't see the need for an improvement.

[xo_kathy]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
And that element is...

My Puerto Rican fiance apparently!

He is pretty dark and has been told by Arabs that he looks Egyptian.

Whenever we fly he always gets stopped, then he hands over his US passport with his Latin name and PR birthplace, and he's quickly let go. It seems pretty obvious they thought he was Arab and once they realize he isn't they don't care. Interestingly, "Kathy Caucasian" me never gets stopped - unless I'm with my fiance! I guess they think he's having me carry his bombs.

We've gotten used to it and laugh about it now, but it is annoying. And as Rudey pointed out, it's inneffective. And I can't imagine what it must be like for people who don't get "waved through" as easily as my fiance.

[Diamond Delta]

I am personally all for profiling, especially at airports. Why are you searching my 95 year old grandmother? Can't remember the last time I saw on TV that a 95 year old lady highjacked an airplane-regardless of race. Oh, wait.......grandma's don't do that!

They profile in Israel and have one of the safest airlines in the world considering they are constantly under the threat of terrorism. Seems like there is proof that is works.

www.boortz.com

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Diamond Delta
They profile in Israel and have one of the safest airlines in the world considering they are constantly under the threat of terrorism. Seems like there is proof that is works.

www.boortz.com

Actually they do the opposite. Israel has many people of many shades and it would be difficult to profile. And when you question every single person thoroughly before they get on a plane, including where they were bar mitzvahed, and include a staff that served in the military/air force along with guards, commercial passenger planes that deter missiles, and enforced cockpit doors you don't exactly have as much difficulty with plane hijackings anymore.

-Rudey

[TheEpitome1920]

Well the topic of this thread is 'racial' profiling. So people here are saying that someone's racial background or appearance that is enough to warrant a search of their person and belongings...

Interesting...and scary...

[Diamond Delta]

Originally posted by Rudey
Actually they do the opposite. Israel has many people of many shades and it would be difficult to profile. And when you question every single person thoroughly before they get on a plane, including where they were bar mitzvahed, and include a staff that served in the military/air force along with guards, commercial passenger planes that deter missiles, and enforced cockpit doors you don't exactly have as much difficulty with plane hijackings anymore.

-Rudey

Notice I did not say only racial profiling. I agree with you, we need to do things more like they do. Look a persons country of origin, are they one way without luggage, reinforce cockpits etc. etc., They need to profile based on what we know about terrorists and terrorism in general. This "random" searching thing is just crap. Leave my grandma alone!

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Diamond Delta
Notice I did not say only racial profiling. I agree with you, we need to do things more like they do. Look a persons country of origin, are they one way without luggage, reinforce cockpits etc. etc., They need to profile based on what we know about terrorists and terrorism in general. This "random" searching thing is just crap. Leave my grandma alone!

Umm again, they don't do profiling. They search you regardless of race, religion, sex. Your grandma could very well carry a bomb. It's the people you least suspect.

-Rudey

[TheEpitome1920]

Originally posted by Rudey
Your grandma could very well carry a bomb. It's the people you least suspect.

-Rudey

Bingo!

[Kevin]

On airplanes and on the borders, I'm not sure what the point is. If terrorists do succeed in pulling off another major attack on the US, I am very doubtful that they will employ the same tactic that they did in the past.

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by ktsnake
On airplanes and on the borders, I'm not sure what the point is. If terrorists do succeed in pulling off another major attack on the US, I am very doubtful that they will employ the same tactic that they did in the past.

Bingo. If you think about it, racial profiling is a reactive measure. It does not really prevent another attack. If you think strategically, if you use profile, the terrorist will know it. They will also know that an Arabic male with an Arabic sounding name will automatically cause people to be suspicious. If you are the terrorist, what do you do? You choose the least likely individual to be profiled and exploit that weakness.

ETA: In warfare, do you use the same tactic over and over again? No, you twick the tactic around to garner the best result. They might use the plane as a weapon again, but this time it might be a different race or something else. To fight terrorism, you must always use your imagination and try to outwit your opponent.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
As much as I hate to say this, always expect problems from the Canadian customs agents.

Co-sign. My (lily) white husband is questioned to within an inch of his life every time he comes back over the border, and he's Canadian. The US guards never give him a second look.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Sistermadly
Co-sign. My (lily) white husband is questioned to within an inch of his life every time he comes back over the border, and he's Canadian. The US guards never give him a second look.

So it's not just Americans that they give a hard time to. We caught hell on our trip to Toronto a couple of years ago. Felt like the inquisition.

[moe.ron]

Interesting, during my days in Buffalo (up to 1999), all the border people would ask is where we are going. usually we either say the strip club or a club. They let us through without another question. then going back into the States, they asked us where we came from and what citizens we were. by that time, most of us are passed out, so the drive said we came back from the clubs and they let us pass through.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally posted by ktsnake
So it's not just Americans that they give a hard time to. We caught hell on our trip to Toronto a couple of years ago. Felt like the inquisition.

Yeah, they have issues. Give them a little bit of power and they think the are sumpreme ruler of all.

I thought I was going to have problems when I showed the U.S agent my picture health card. He said nothing.

The Canadian agent on the way back looked like he was going to shoot my mother on the spot because she had a little difficulty remembering her license plate number.

ETA: With increased border security, I think some agents feel it gives them the right to be complete a$$holes.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi

ETA: With increased border security, I think some agents feel it gives them the right to be complete a$$holes.

How do they find these folks? Kind of makes you wonder if they've got a perfected method of finding officers with self-esteem issues or something? If US Border officers were like the Canadian ones, we wouldn't have near the illegal immigration problem that we do today. (that's not entirely serious).