Americans Support Racial Profiling

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Where does it stop? Wouldn't it just be safer to put all Arabs in internment camps?

Obviously you have to draw the line somewhere and reasonable people can differ on precisely where.

middle aged white guys never get profiled? you've never seen a hunt for a serial killer eh?

Yeah, why are all the sickos who kill people and eat their livers and crazy ####### like that... always middle aged white men who like to fukc children and never had a girlfriend in their lives?

What's up with that?

oooo i'm offended!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Fear turns reasonable people into unreasonable people. If we start a precedent, when the going really gets tough, the groundwork will be there to do "what's really necessary".

I am not going to deny that you do have a point.

All I'm saying is appearance is part of any effective criminal profile. It is a small part, but it is a part and the most visible part at that. How do you go about reconciling that fact with the fact that people will percieve it a certain way?

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Where does it stop? Wouldn't it just be safer to put all Arabs in internment camps?

Obviously you have to draw the line somewhere and reasonable people can differ on precisely where.

Fear turns reasonable people into unreasonable people. If we start a precedent, when the going really gets tough, the groundwork will be there to do "what's really necessary".

are you saying that is necessary?

[Jenn! 918]

Where does it stop? Wouldn't it just be safer to put all Arabs in internment camps?

Obviously you have to draw the line somewhere and reasonable people can differ on precisely where.

Fear turns reasonable people into unreasonable people. If we start a precedent, when the going really gets tough, the groundwork will be there to do "what's really necessary".

are you saying that is necessary?

I'm saying that if racial profiling is the status quo, it's a much smaller jump to more drastic measures that separate us by race if there were to be a national emergency.

[mawilson 2,133]

no surprise.. american's can't distinguish nationalities lololol.. they have to use stereotypes..

brown with arab name = terrorist

brown with funny accent = mexican

brown with arab name and funny accent = mexican terrorist?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I'm saying that if racial profiling is the status quo, it's a much smaller jump to more drastic measures that separate us by race if there were to be a national emergency.

If a particular brand of racial profiling is the status quo, that's an indictment of law enforcement. There is no reason they should have to look for Arab men with bombs or Latino men with stolen Rolexes forever. The point of the technique is to allow them to root out that form of crime and if they can't do that, the technique oughta end (and evolve into what works).

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Is there a rash of car thefts going on in the area? Is it common knowledge that an Indian gang is trying to invade the turf of a Latino gang in the area? Is it common knowledge that the Indian gang members are young, Indian and mostly male?

If yes, then no.. I wouldn't object. The profile is the profile.

True - but as I said before racial profiling did not catch the shoe bomber, and would not have caught the white guy who was involved in the bomb plot the other week. Again if the issue were about religious profiling, this would greatly change the character of the dialogue.

There was an interesting discussion about this on a recent episode of Newsnight where a senior asian police officer was complining that racial profiling would introduce a new offence: 'travelling whilst Asian'.

More to the point, though, was when the interviewer asked the pro-profiling panel member "Do you really think that these terrorists are so stupid that they won't be turning up with their beards shaved and swigging alcohol in order to beat the profiling?" She didn't really get an answer to that one.

Which also begs the question what criteria (other than personal appearance) goes into deciding whether or not a person merits 'additional scrutiny'? I would guess, its not so much about official 'policy' as it is the personal bias and prejudice of the individual doing the job.

Similarly you have to ask - how long will this policy go on for, and what happens when the perceived threat is ended?

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

[Jenn! 918]

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

There are many Americans who believe that Arabs in this country should have to carry special ID cards, right?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... racial profiling did not catch the shoe bomber, and would not have caught the white guy who was involved in the bomb plot the other week.

Profiling in general (whether by race or any factor) has never been terribly effective. That is another argument. The argument here, as far as I can tell, is if profiling is to occur, should appearance be allowed to be a factor?

[Jenn! 918]

... racial profiling did not catch the shoe bomber, and would not have caught the white guy who was involved in the bomb plot the other week.

Profiling in general (whether by race or any factor) has never been terribly effective. That is another argument. The argument here, as far as I can tell, is if profiling is to occur, should appearance be allowed to be a factor?

There's a big difference between profiling someone based on their nationality and profiling them based on their appearance. We already have systems in place for the former - look at the VWP vs. difficulty of getting tourist visas for ME men. Appropriate checks are done before visas are issued. So the majority of those who will be affected by profiling based on appearance will probably be USC's and green card holders with ME backgrounds.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

There are many Americans who believe that Arabs in this country should have to carry special ID cards, right?

Its symptomatic of our current climate. 9/11 caused a general resurgence of nationalism and created a degree of xenophobia towards certain 'foreign types'. Its not new - Chinese/Japanese Americans were subjected to scrutiny and eventually abuse during WW2.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

There's a big difference between profiling someone based on their nationality and profiling them based on their appearance.

Yes, there is a big difference. Which should be applied? One or both? Which will be more effective? That question is better answered by people with access to statistical data on the subject (law enforcement).

[Jenn! 918]

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

There are many Americans who believe that Arabs in this country should have to carry special ID cards, right?

Its symptomatic of our current climate. 9/11 caused a general resurgence of nationalism and created a degree of xenophobia towards certain 'foreign types'. Its not new - Chinese/Japanese Americans were subjected to scrutiny and eventually abuse during WW2.

I know it's just a movie, but have you seen "The Siege"? It involved the internment of Arabs in America, USC's and all during a terrorist threat. I fear that for our future.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

There are many Americans who believe that Arabs in this country should have to carry special ID cards, right?

doubtful. try again.

[Jenn! 918]

Profiling, especially to this extent where we are talking about really quite large numbers of people (from diverse countries) is the first step to branding people (Star of David armbands anyone?), which is obviously very odious.

There are many Americans who believe that Arabs in this country should have to carry special ID cards, right?

doubtful. try again.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/ne...t_id=1002984956

Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D.

And before you say it, yes I know that not all muslims are arabs and vice versa, but I think you get my drift.

Edited September 1, 2006 by jenn3539