Racial Profiling or Protecting our Country - Which is More Important?

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Gays, drug users, bad parents, nations with nuclear bombs: these are not groups who have a history of boarding planes and taking out US targets and people.

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That is not quite the point. It is the level of paranioa that the fear of terror can instill. Once you go down the road of racial profiling and subjecting those that fit a profile, to special treatment. Where does it stop?

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....Then another man from the group stood up and took something from his carry-on in the overhead bin. It was about a foot long and was rolled in cloth. He headed toward the back of the cabin with the object. Five minutes later, several more of the Middle Eastern men began using the forward lavatory consecutively. In the back, several of the men stood up and used the back lavatory consecutively as well.

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Apoint about the above. Perhaps it was there time to pray. Muslims wash before prayer. There could be a hundred reasons for the behavior described.

I have entered the United States 3 times as a non-citizen. All Belgian airports flying to the US must have special halls for passengers leaving for the US, where all passengers must be checked and double-checked. Every third passenger (with no distinction of race, age, or whatever) has his entire luggage checked thoroughly (takes over 15 minutes, with detailed questions about anything in your luggage that doesn't look "normal"). People with an expired visum / passport aren't even allowed to board the plane (the reason: the US has gigantic fines for airlines who "drop off" passengers without a visa / passport, comparable to the UK fines for truckers who bring in illegals). Every passenger is very thoroughly questioned (and not just the normal "who packed your luggage?" questions).

At my third entrance, I was almost sent back in New York because the officer thought that me entering the States three times within 6 months was extremely suspicous. If I wouldn't have convinced him, he would have send me back without a doubt, without a question.

Belgium is one of the "good" countries on the US list: we don't even need a visum to enter the US; just a passport. But I can almost guarantee you that never ever a Belgian has entered the US with an expired passport (you wouldn't be allowed to leave in the first place, but if you would immigration - all non-US citizens have to pass immigration - would send you back immediately).

Soooo... where do you draw the line? You are allowed to enter the US without valid documents if you're muslim? And you're not if you're European? Racial profiling, eh...

This is one of those cases where the "good" guys have to pay for the "bad" guys... but the bad guys get away with it.

I do not disagree with what you are saying Negative.
Friends of mine that have visited the states have been subjected to unfriendly treatment. Everyone should be subjected to the same security checks, not to do so is a lack of security.

Exactly. I don't have a problem with me being thoroughly checked. But I do think it is a problem when others don't get thoroughly checked, regardless of their age/race/color/religion.

This is exactly the same as positive discrimination: it's not fair. I am all for everybody having the same rights as I do, but I can not agree with people getting more rights only because of their race/color/religion. Same rights - same obligations.

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=260551

It's not just Muslims that get the preferential trreatment.
America seems to be frightened of its own shadow, when it comes to offending those of a minority.

And in the UK, there is a news story now of how gypsies can flout the law at will.

It never ends:

[edit] possible answer: shoot the lawyers........ :shootem: [/edit]

Yups, that's - imo - the exact same. If police officers have to be afraid of being sued for arresting someone who is breaking the law, then that's pretty sad. If law enforcers have to be afraid of being sued for checking someone's passport, then that's pretty sad.
Law enforcers are there to enforce the law, not to enforce the law on a select few.

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Originally posted here by Negative
I have entered the United States 3 times as a non-citizen. All Belgian airports flying to the US must have special halls for passengers leaving for the US, where all passengers must be checked and double-checked. Every third passenger (with no distinction of race, age, or whatever) has his entire luggage checked thoroughly (takes over 15 minutes, with detailed questions about anything in your luggage that doesn't look "normal"). People with an expired visum / passport aren't even allowed to board the plane (the reason: the US has gigantic fines for airlines who "drop off" passengers without a visa / passport, comparable to the UK fines for truckers who bring in illegals). Every passenger is very thoroughly questioned (and not just the normal "who packed your luggage?" questions).

At my third entrance, I was almost sent back in New York because the officer thought that me entering the States three times within 6 months was extremely suspicous. If I wouldn't have convinced him, he would have send me back without a doubt, without a question.

Belgium is one of the "good" countries on the US list: we don't even need a visum to enter the US; just a passport. But I can almost guarantee you that never ever a Belgian has entered the US with an expired passport (you wouldn't be allowed to leave in the first place, but if you would immigration - all non-US citizens have to pass immigration - would send you back immediately).

Soooo... where do you draw the line? You are allowed to enter the US without valid documents if you're muslim? And you're not if you're European? Racial profiling, eh...

This is one of those cases where the "good" guys have to pay for the "bad" guys... but the bad guys get away with it.

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Don't worry they were just making sure no Doogie Howser MD.MA or GHB was coming aboard. I read the whole CIA report as well as the Netherlands report. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/nl.html


Racial profiling by law enforcement personnel is common sense, IMHO you could call it being street smart.

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Originally posted here by foxyloxley
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=260551

It's not just Muslims that get the preferential trreatment.
America seems to be frightened of its own shadow, when it comes to offending those of a minority.

And in the UK, there is a news story now of how gypsies can flout the law at will.

It never ends:

[edit] possible answer: shoot the lawyers........ :shootem: [/edit]

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You can say that America is afraid of it's own shadow, if you give the shadow a name. Such as the ACLU. I think that America is more afraid of the Trial Lawyers that rip the shirt from our backs, because someone made a comment that can be construed/misconstrued as a racist comment or because someone slipped on a packet of ketchup. Not to mention that Americans don't want to spend their time in court when they could be watching sports or drinking. :D That is, of course, unless the American happens to be a Trial Lawyer or the Plantiff.

Thats funny. Reading some posts here, I (as a foreigner) can clear see that USA should see USA citizens as "good boy and non-USA citizens(non white in special) are "possible threats".

Ive read some months ago (trying to recover the news) that statistically, most of the terrorist attacks done at USA lands were done my American citizens, ordering by:
a) number of attacks or
b) number of victms

and most were done by white people. So "profiling" terrorists should be:
a) American white ppl
b) age 17:40
c) male

As a foreigner, i cant understand why a foreigner must get almost nacked to prove "his intention" to the customs and an american can (or could) carry a knife on an airplane.

99,99% middle-east air-flight passengers are ordinary ppl.
can you be sure that 99% of americans passenger are ordinary ppl, too?

I believe in more security on airports (or other ways to enter in a country). But smarter.

Using that idea, if a terrorist team wants to do something bad on USA, just hire some white men and do whatever they want. American mercenarys have a good price on market now...

We are not trying to be "fair". I can't even think of an Airport I have processed through that was "fair" at screening all passegners exactly the same, in a dozen countries. Any white Erupean decendent white guys on those planes? Any undiscovered terrorist cells in the country still? Any muslim communities in this country hiding the cells? Any mosques preaching American hatred on American soil? Anyone remember the democrats hounding the president to ACT? Anyone consider we are at war with a muslim country, perhaps elevated security is normal? Air travel is necessary to maintain commerce. There is NO possible way to screen everyone. Heck I can't even go from here to California without being screened because of these bastards who call themselves men of god.