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

I say a body cavity search for anyone entering the U.S., that'd make the bleeding hearts happy, cause no one is being singled-out. It'd make the "secure our homeland" people happy, cause everybody (literally) would get checked. And it'd really make the gays happy plus a whole lot of women, cause who'd mind a good ol' reaming out?

hehehe

All kidding aside, you SHOULD have to prove your intentions if you want to enter this country, especially now. No profiling necessary because if you start making rules for it then those that want to beat you will make exceptions for those rules. Haven't we at least learned THAT?

Example: Gun laws don't work because those that would follow the LAW aren't the ones you really need to worry about, now are they?

MSM, John Walker

As for the rest of this, I think that the police should be allowed to do their job, and if that means profiling a specific group so be it.

I can also see the other side of the fence that, if this is allowed to be commonplace, then the next policy put in place will be more restrictive, and we'll be ok with that. Freedom, should be exactly that. Thatcher was a wonderful lady, and very smart. If we do anything else other than business as usual, that IMO is letting them win, and thats unacceptable.

if this conversation took place here a couple years ago most of us would be jumping up and down on the side of the individuals rights but i think most people realize the fact that we are at war and the rules have changed for the duration. IMO those that don’t like it are those that would see us fail.

This whole thing about political correctness no longer has anything to do with fact but has gone over into the realm of personal perception, or should I say personal distortion as evidenced here:


http://www.wftv.com/news/3614717/detail.html

EAST LYME, Conn. -- The ghostly white scarecrows on Joseph Smith's cornfield frightened more than the geese he was trying to scare away.

The scarecrows so closely resembled Ku Klux Klan garb that they sparked complaints from minority guards and visitors at a nearby prison.

Workers on Smith's farm made the scarecrows last week out of the white, hooded environmental suits they wear to spray the crops. Soon after, administrators at the J.B. Gates Correctional Institution began receiving complaints.

Smith's wife, Terri Smith, said the entire episode was a misunderstanding.

"We were just trying to scare away the geese," she said. "We're like the most non-racist people you'd ever meet."

The Mexican seasonal workers on the farm have tried several tactics to keep the geese away from the corn. Because the prison is close by, the workers cannot fire guns or use other loud sounds like they do on another property they farm.


The scarecrows have been removed.

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maybe they'd like he stoped spraying the crops as well or buy new suits!?!

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IMO those that don’t like it are those that would see us fail.

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That's a rather broad assumption. Perhaps those that don't like it still believe in some of the things that made the US what it is today: a nation that believed in the rights of the individual over the State. So perhaps we should allow the State full access to everything we do -- perhaps going to a Communist state would be best?

I wonder what your view would be if it was happening to you? Personally I'd be more concerned with so much attention being given to Middle Eastern terrorists, that local homegrown varieties might be doing something worse -- and no one is noticing. If you are going to provide security and be paranoid it should be broad and cover all the bases.

I mean heck. Look at computer security. We talk about layers of security. We don't just target virus writers or DoSers. We go after them all, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the company. So why should it be any different when dealing with terrorists? IMO, a terrorist is a terrorist, regardless of whether they are an arab, chinese, white or purple with pink polka dots.

If one wants to remove the rights of the individual to protect the many (the old Vulcan/Star Trek quote: The Lives of the Many out weight the Lives of the Few) then do it broadly. Otherwise, something will be missed (it becomes a half-assed job).

dont you think that there are differant rules for war time than there are in times of peace. or maybe we should forget about the thousands of people out there that would literally give their lives to get into this country and murder as many as the could without exception or remorse.

would it make you happy if the defense department spent a day or two just pulling over and checking out volvos driven by eskimos? what makes you think the fbi has forgotten about the home grown terrorists. i mean just because its not a front page headline doesn't mean its not being acted upon.

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dont you think that there are differant rules for war time than there are in times of peace. or maybe we should forget about the thousands of people out there that would literally give their lives to get into this country and murder as many as the could without exception or remorse.

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You're misunderstanding me. If you are going to do profiling about potential people being terrorists (or the enemy) you had better check everyone. In this day and age, culture and religion are not necessarily the only definers. It takes only one local terrorist (white home boy) to screw up the whole concept of racial profiling. Try telling it to those that died in Oklahoma at the hands of a local terrorist. I wonder how many more militias are growing because of the government's over-involvement in their individual lives?

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youd it make you happy if the defense department spent a day or two just pulling over and checking out volvos driven by eskimos? what makes you think the fbi has forgotten about the home grown terrorists. i mean just because its not a front page headline doesn't mean its not being acted upon

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There isn't that much of a budget to go around. There are limitations to resources and such. And given the attention to profiling (it is happening, it is out there, that's reality), I wouldn't be surprised if local terrorists aren't being given the attention they should. I'm hoping I'm wrong because it would sadden me to no end to see anything else like Oklahoma or the Embassy attacks or the Twin Tower attacks but I worry about this. Last time I checked, the Government, FBI, DoD, CIA, NSA, etc., were all humans. And humans are falliable.

Something is going to slip somewhere. And someone is going to get hurt. No amount of racial profiling will stop that.

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Originally posted here by Tedob1
dont you think that there are differant rules for war time than there are in times of peace. or maybe we should forget about the thousands of people out there that would literally give their lives to get into this country and murder as many as the could without exception or remorse.

youd it make you happy if the defense department spent a day or two just pulling over and checking out volvos driven by eskimos? what makes you think the fbi has forgotten about the home grown terrorists. i mean just because its not a front page headline doesn't mean its not being acted upon

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I'm with you Tedob. I am surprised that nobody seems to understand this is war - not just every day ho-hum-let's-see-what-race-we-can-discriminate-against tactics (as the liberals would call it).

I doubt there are few...VERY few on AO who are more conservative than me (I know who they are). I am not a Republican. I am ALL for less government and more individual rights. Yet I favor racial and terroristic profiling - regardless of color/nationality/religion during this War on Terrorism.

Can you guys honestly say if you were going down in a plane and it was going to crash due to terrorists, that the thoughts running through your head would be...."Well...thank God (oops we can't say that), thank gosh nobody had their feelings hurt while going through security checkpoints and boarding the plane!!!!"

With in the past two months here in paterson nj the “tax assessors “ have been going into each and every house. Opening every door and looking in ever closet although the plans with every change ever made are on public record. Paterson is al-quida camp usa. I also travel allot, my g/f is a travel agent and we both have undergone extensive searchs unlike anything ive experienced before….im glad they’re doing their job. it's nothing personal. im polish and shes italian. nobody says well its obvious you not arabs just get along now. my car is pulled over at bridges and tunnels. looked under with mirrors on sticks and faces threw the windows...would you mind opening the trunk. its not just arabs that are being singled out but i would imagine more attention is paid when arabs fitting the discription are inspected...at least i hope thats the case.

Here's a question for everyone: do you actually pay attention to those around you and what they do? What I mean is, what are you doing to detect terrorists? We know it's a huge job and part of making it "easier" is to do racial profiling. But could you pick out a terrorist out of the crowd? Would you really know what a terrorist looks like? Are YOU actually paying attention to those around you?

Or do you assume the government will be able to find them all with "racial profiling"?

I do watch my students. I have a lot that are from other nations (China, Tiawan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia, etc.). I pay attention to what and who they associate with. Those that isolate themselves are the ones to be concerned with, IMO, regardless of colour, religion, etc.

Tedob1, that's what I would expect a government at war to do. Not single anyone out. You never know where the enemy is. Now, while some might get more attention, they shouldn't be the sole focus of attention.

I'm pretty paranoid. I pay attention to everything and everyone...be it in a time of war or otherwise. :)