07-21-2004, 05:15 PM
That article scared the shit outta me.
I had to fly 2 months to the day after 9-11 and I remember feeling like a real asshole as I scrutinized every brown person that got on the plane. If I saw the kind of behavior that was described in the article, I don't know what I would have done. I'm nearly shaking with anger as I sit here typing this...
I'm so torn on this topic because I am a huge believer in privacy and am totally against racial profiling, but at what point do we stop looking at it as proactive screening and start looking at it like an on-going investigation? That is where I get all fuzzy...
Two cops hear on the radio "Two black males driving a white car just robbed a 7-eleven"
Does that give them the right to stop every pair of black guys that happens to have a white car? Maybe if they were more specific about the guys or the car, but I think it is the generality that kills it.
"Looking out for Arabs" is not nearly specific enough, but how do we improve the description of what we are looking for? OK, everybody keep an eye out for Arabs with orthopedic shoes... Give me a break. Arab musicians? Wait, I got it... Arab musicians with McDonalds bags and cell phones in orthopedic shoes. I can see the alert from the DHS now.
I've come to the realization that some people's liberties are going to be jeopardized if we are going to be able to secure the airlines in the short term. I hate it, but I think that is the only way.
I had to fly 2 months to the day after 9-11 and I remember feeling like a real asshole as I scrutinized every brown person that got on the plane. If I saw the kind of behavior that was described in the article, I don't know what I would have done. I'm nearly shaking with anger as I sit here typing this...
I'm so torn on this topic because I am a huge believer in privacy and am totally against racial profiling, but at what point do we stop looking at it as proactive screening and start looking at it like an on-going investigation? That is where I get all fuzzy...
Two cops hear on the radio "Two black males driving a white car just robbed a 7-eleven"
Does that give them the right to stop every pair of black guys that happens to have a white car? Maybe if they were more specific about the guys or the car, but I think it is the generality that kills it.
"Looking out for Arabs" is not nearly specific enough, but how do we improve the description of what we are looking for? OK, everybody keep an eye out for Arabs with orthopedic shoes... Give me a break. Arab musicians? Wait, I got it... Arab musicians with McDonalds bags and cell phones in orthopedic shoes. I can see the alert from the DHS now.
I've come to the realization that some people's liberties are going to be jeopardized if we are going to be able to secure the airlines in the short term. I hate it, but I think that is the only way.
WAR = Zeel, Zeelio, Sheldon
WoW = Zeelio
EQ = Sheldon
RL = Sean
WoW = Zeelio
EQ = Sheldon
RL = Sean