Racial Profiling

[swissmiss04]

On my way back into the States after my trip to Egypt, I had to be specially searched. They completely took out everything from my carryon and inspected everything. While it was sort of strange, they were totally respectful and polite. Customs and security people are just doing their jobs and (for the most part) aren't trying to be a-holes.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by swissmiss04
On my way back into the States after my trip to Egypt, I had to be specially searched. They completely took out everything from my carryon and inspected everything. While it was sort of strange, they were totally respectful and polite. Customs and security people are just doing their jobs and (for the most part) aren't trying to be a-holes.

Some are nice, some delight in being asses.

That's what we were discussing.

I'm glad you had a good experience with TSA though. I've been pretty happy with them myself. No complaints.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally posted by ktsnake
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).

See I think our customs agenst are the ones that couldn't be real police and are just bitter about it. That, or they used to be club bouncers (you know how club bouncers like to be dicks too).

Of course, I too am not being completely serious, but all the Canadian agents I have encountered have had a rather large stick up their behinds.
Alos, I really don't want to sexually profile anyone, I'm going to have to agree with Taualumna on this one, the female agents are usually the worst.

[swissmiss04]

Originally posted by ktsnake
Some are nice, some delight in being asses.

That's what we were discussing.

I'm glad you had a good experience with TSA though. I've been pretty happy with them myself. No complaints.

Same here. I can't imagine having a job like that. What if you were the agent that let someone get away and then they ended up hijacking a plane or bombing something? That sort of stress would be unbearable. I guess the ones that let their tails hang out are the ones who can't deal w/ it.

Now ticket counter people...that's a whole other ballgame.

[XOMichelle]

Originally posted by Phasad1913
I think if your family members were members of the groups that are racially profiled,their views would be different.

Amen!

To be suspect for a crime because of your ethnic heritage is one of the worst things. And if we embrace the strategy of racial profiling, you never know who is going to profiled next. It might be your family or your friends.
It is an invasion of all of our rights to privacy for people to be suspected for crime when there is no evidence that they did anything.

This reminds me of this quote:

"First they came for the Communists but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews but I was not Jewish so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."
Martin Niemoeller

ETA- the more and more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that we really can't ever protect ourselves from all the terrorists or bad guys out there. There are too many ways to hurt a population or kill a large group of people. We rely on the good faith of our fellow humans to live in peace. While I know precautions are necessary (that's not my arguement at all here), I think we need to take a more proactive role in keeping that good faith alive.

[_Opi_]

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

I've never had a problem with them. But then again , maybe they are just not a problem where I use the border.

[moe.ron]

Here is an excellent article on racial profiling, like Rudey's, uses a mathematical model.

Link to the Article

It's in PDF format.