Posted on 08/19/2006 5:51:17 AM PDT by conservativecorner
The ACLU attorney was sputtering and raging right from the beginning. I was pretty familiar with the righteous indignation that seems to be a staple of an ACLU shill like Michael Gross. I’ve interviewed him as a guest host on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity and Colmes” and I’ve debated him a few times while we both appeared as guests.
But on this day, his anger came across as soon as the topic of racial profiling in America’s airports was introduced. “It’s obscene!” he said. “Vile!” “Discriminatory!” “Prejudicial!” There was simply no shortage of adjectives he could come up with to condemn the concept of TSA security personnel scrutinizing Middle Eastern men or women who might be potential terrorists.
So when I calmly suggested that there be a “Muslims Only” line at security checkpoints in our airports, Mr. Gross, predictably, almost became unhinged. However, he was probably restrained from losing his senses altogether because of the thunderous applause my suggestion received from the studio audience on Fox’s “Dayside.”
When they’re not suing to remove crosses from public view or fighting for the rights of child molesters, the ACLU loves to complain about “racial profiling.” They don’t like the fact that privately, police officers everywhere admit that profiling is a valuable and effective tool in law enforcement. For example, when I’ve participated in police “ride-alongs” in the past, I observed various stake-outs for drug crimes in predominantly black housing projects. If a young white guy came driving through the projects in a shiny new car, the police immediately knew he was trying to score some drugs. They would watch him closely and arrest him when the inevitable transaction took place. Guess what, ACLU? That’s profiling.
One of the world’s safest airlines does it, too. It’s no secret that El Al, the official state airline of Israel, routinely gives young Arabs a more extensive security screening than the average passenger. And despite the ongoing violence and terror in the Middle East, there hasn’t been a hijacking on an El Al plane in over 30 years.
We should learn a valuable lesson from El Al. Israel isn’t concerned about stepping on toes or ticking off ACLU types. Israel knows that to conquer terrorists, they have to be tough. Racial profiling is a tough tactic that can effectively keep another 9/11 from happening again.
I was furious while reading an editorial written in the Orlando Sentinel by an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. Steven Alvarez writes that it is a little known fact that the TSA aggressively and consistently gives American soldiers walking through America’s airports in full military uniform additional security screenings, forcing our brave fighting men and women to “assume the position” and be subjected to body scans, bag checks, and lengthy delays.
So while TSA screeners are profiling military-clad military personnel and forcing little old ladies to take off their orthopaedic shoes and put them through the x-ray machines (a process that Homeland Security confirmed does NOT detect plastic explosives), they are afraid to target young Arabs who are waiting to get onto a flight.
Something is very wrong with this picture.
We dodged a bullet last week when a major plot to blow up airliners over British and American skies was averted. This magnificent effort by terrorism-chasers should be a wake-up call to the United States. Let’s not wait for the next time when a young, hate-filled Muslim fanatic can succeed.
We have VIP lines at airport security checkpoints for first class passengers. We allow pilots and flight attendants to go to the head of the lines in order to make their flights on time. Let’s extend that same convenience to Muslim passengers. After all, percentage-wise, there are fewer Arabs flying than non-Arabs, right? So it stands to reason that a Muslim-only security line would go quickly, even with highly concentrated security efforts.
Let’s stop playing politically correct games and being worried about what the ACLU is going to do. This isn’t some charade, this war is real. The terrorists who want to kill us are looking for every opportunity to pounce. It’s time to formally and officially launch profiling in our nation’s airports.
As I often say, not all Muslims are terrorists. But all the terrorists are Muslims.
I am not "French" -- most of my ancestors were here before 1776 -- the earliest 1620 -- most from England, but also Chippewa, French and German, and one Croatian (he showed up 1870, the latecomer), the vast majority Christian, but also one Jew. In other words, Heinz 57, aka mutt, aka American.
I have to admit that I don't like being lectured on "Americanism" by people who just got off the boat, relatively speaking.
Too funny. You should attend the annual Hepler Family Reunion in Pitmann Pennsylvania, the annual gathering to honor Hepler Revolutionary War soldiers Jacob, Christopher, Caspar, and George (my ancestor).
There are Hepler descendents who still speak German at home.
And the odds are we've been Americans longer than you.
If younger men are singled out, they'll use older men.
If men are singled out, they'll use women.
If Egyptians and Saudis are singled out, they'll use converted Brits and Americans with names like Johnny.
You seem to be itching for a fight this morning. Try to relax, it'll make your day go better. ;o)
Well said. Another (successful) terrorist attack by aircraft passengers and I suspect that El Al profiling will become the law of the land.
Frankly, you sound an awful lot like the hysterics on the left. No solution to you is perfect, and if there is no perfect solution, you will agree to no solution. Pardon me if I decline your offer to participate in a death pact.
You're looking for easy answers, but there are no easy answers. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that's the painful truth.
The most intelligent solution I've seen yet is to emulate the profiling used by El Al airlines, where passengers are profiled based on behavior, rather than superficialities.
Have you checked on the names of those who caused 9/11? Those who bombed the London transit? Those who were just arrested in England for planning to blow up airliners? What do you make of that?
I agree their program is a good one, but it involves a considerable amount of personal contact by trained and intelligent questioners. That means it will never work within the present construct of TSA. I also doubt it would be feasible in large, crowded US airports, but, if it was to be done right, I'd love to see it given a try.
I have an even better idea... Nuke Mecca and be done with the Islamic religion... nothing complex at all about it...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.