Colin Powell: I’ve Been Victim of Racial Profiling ‘Many Times’ (video)

CNN ^ | July 28, 2009

[Tail Gunner John]

Imagine how many lives would have been saved had we not listened to this moron during the first gulf war.

We should have never stopped on the wide open road to Baghdad. Without his touchy feely B.S. about the highway of death Saddam's regime would have fallen within a week.

[DoughtyOne]

;-)

[RJL]

I was just a black guy at Reagan National Airport. And it was only when I went up to the counter and said, 'Is my guest here who's waiting for me?' did somebody say, 'Oh, you're General Powell.'

It was inconceivable to him that a black guy could be the national security adviser."

This happens to me all the time. I'm a white guy and not once has anyone said, "Oh, you must be the national security adviser".

So I'm being racially profiled and should start whining?

[HIDEK6]

And it was only when I went up to the counter and said, 'Is my guest here who's waiting for me?'

Are airport counter people supposed to check in all the people who have been invited to Washington by black people?

[elpadre]

I am certain he had some occasions when he felt neglected or excluded.

But I suspect there are many benefits he has received over the years because of his color. I have no problem with that as long as the recipient recognizes and appreciates it. He is a good man with a good head on his shoulders and deserves to be treated with understanding and respect. But it is a two-way street.

[RetSignman]

I hate when that happens.

[Brett66]

It’s understandable, I would probably think he’s a white guy in blackface if I saw him.

[G Larry]

Hey General!
Nobody said racial profiling doesn’t exist!
We’re just making the case there is no evidence of it in the case of the chip-on-his-shoulder professor!

[sergeantdave]

Allow me to dress in my “Fine Whine” uniform.

[Islander2]

“’Is my guest here who’s waiting for me?’”

Uh, if he is waiting for him, then he is there.
You are so right on this. First of all Colon Bowel would not have gone there without an entourage and secondly because of the VIP status, those people would be USHERED to a receiving place for VIPS. I don’t buy his story at all...just another made up victimization whine.

[Altura Ct.]

Are most blacks just natural whiners? Poor baby. We have plenty of white people everyday who are the victims of horrible crimes because of “racial profiling” by blacks yet his concern about that is??? Blacks commit a disproportional amount of violent crime yet Mr Powell whines about profiling. Perhaps he should complain about his brethren propensity toward crime and place the blame where it should be instead of the “man”.

[Zhang Fei]

I am glad that Colin Powell is speaking out like this. The pedestal on which people have placed this nonentity is being shattered before our very eyes - by his own hand.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Or at least, that’s what anybody in the airport would think. SO even if they thought they recognized him, they would think “no, it can’t be Powell, he wouldn’t just be wandering around the airport by himself in his jeans and t-shirt.” (I presume he wasn’t wearing his military uniform).

Of course, he was in DC, where they have the most expensive and almost least capable education system. Most people in the airport probably don’t know we HAVE a national security advisor, much less know who is the current one.

[fightinJAG]

0h, please.

Just another example of “don’t you know who I am?” syndrome.

Get over it, Gen. Powell. Not everyone recognizes the National Security Advisor, whether it’s a he, she, black, white, green or purple.

You’re just not that famous, sir.

[fightinJAG]

What about the people who can’t tell Paris Hilton from Lindsay Lohan or Sandra Bernhardt from Amy Winehouse?

[fightinJAG]

I do think that’s one positive that’s come out of this. People are beginning to talk back to the race-baiters.

[fightinJAG]

Especially at National Airport. It’s always chock-full of important-looking federal government types.

[fightinJAG]

The only way this story happened is if Powell was there as a private person, NOT as National Security Advisor, in which case of course there would be an entourage, VIP lounges, etc.

And if he was there picking up his nephew or something, even if someone recognized him as the National Security Advisor, they couldn’t be expected to treat him any differently than other people waiting for guests.

[swatbuznik]

Maybe cause you’re an a-hole that no one would acknowledge you, Colin?

[LucyJo]

This from the comments beneath the video:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
joe July 28th, 2009 - 9:40 pm

When I go to high end clothing stores nobody helps me. My cab driver got pulled over the other day and the officer demanded my ID. The cashier at the grocery store was very rude to me yesterday. All because I am black, then I looked in the mirror and realized I am white. Just because someone doesn’t behave the way you think they should, it doesn’t mean it is racism. If I were black I am sure I could have construed those events occurred because of my race. Basic psychology suggests some blacks are projecting their racism on to others and thus they see everything as racist. Why do you think one person sees the ink blot as the devil and another as an angel? On is happy and other is disturbed, you figure out who is whom.