In favor of ethnic/national profiling (Arab male non-citizens)

September 12, 2001 | Charlie Henrickson

[Charles Henrickson]

There is growing evidence that confirms what we already suspected: The hijackers were groups of Arab male non-citizens.

I am in favor of ethnic/national profiling at our airports. If the passenger is:

1) Arab
2) Male (esp. in the 20-50 age range)
3) Non-U.S. citizen (esp. from the Middle East)

Then:

1) Search the luggage.
2) Search the carry-ons.
3) Frisk the person.

If there are two or more Arab male non-citizens boarding the same plane, double or triple the scrutiny.

Also, do not let anyone fitting the above profile work in an airport.

This is war.

[JudyB1938]

I proudly declare myself to be a "bigot" when it comes to killing American citizens.

Now go away and leave me alone. You are just as contemptible as the others who are standing against America.

[shadez]

Proof of adulthood is entirely different than proof of citizenship. You are now ready to require internal passports? No thanks.

Not everyone would be required to obtain a passport, just those who wish to travel by air. People traveling here legitimately from outside the US will already have passports. They already ask everyone for identification. I don't see the big deal.

Now we will need to increase our security procedures to defeat bombings and bio/chem assaults."

And how do you propose we do that without "offending" someone, or being "intrusive"?

The first step is to focus on the real problem, rather than on superficial, intrusive, unnecessary steps to solve the problem of "the last war" which can be solved much more simply by non-intrusive means.

Ok, I'll bite. What, in your mind, is the real problem that we should focus on? the threat of bio chemical attacks? Ok - and, specifically, how do we prevent it? You seem too ready to curse the darkness without shedding any light.

What exactly do you propose that would be non-intrusive? Shall we put up signs at the border saying "please leave your bio/chem weapons and nukes here if you plan on using them to attack America" or would that be too intrusive too? Please, be specific.

Authoritarians love events which stampede people into giving away more freedom in return for a little more perceived security. The measures necessary to make terrorist acts impossible -- or nearly impossible -- would turn this into a country unrecognizable to our founders and not worth living in.

When I show my ID at the airport, or to anyone else who needs to know who I am, I am not giving away my freedom. The government and the airlines are protecting people's freedom to fly by taking any of the precautions discussed here. Do you propose we just stop taking precautions altogether? Shut down customs, take out the metal detectors, no more xrays of carry-on bags?

We should be particularly cautious at this time that we don't allow our anger, fear and hatred to lead us into supporting additional and marginally effective surrenders of individual freedom.

I agree with your sentiments...sort of. I too am a lover of freedom, but I also love safety and protection. I happy to have you able to purchase a gun, but I don't care much for the idea of you bringing it on the airplane I'm on, particularly if you are a supporter of jihad from the Middle East. See the difference?

[SLM]

A lot of the posters here on FR are creepy. With your--If you don't hate as much as me, you are a traitor--posts. You creeps all sound like terrorists yourselves. You would have been rounded up after the McVeigh incident if we as a nation had put into effect any of your suggestions for identifying potential threats to America, what with your similar rhetoric and appearances.

The label "politically correct" is now being used in the same way that the PC crowd used "racist," to cow anyone who might not agree with you. We could easily go too far in our efforts to protect ourselves domestically and still not effectively stop terrorist acts. I say the war should not be fought against the vast majority of people in the US who are INNOCENT, but against THE GUILTY and their network of support, both here and in other countries. That is the best way to fight international terrorism. Also, I've done a bit of flying in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Try getting on a larger flight without an Arab-looking person on board. Anyone who disagrees with me is a commie, pinko, booger-eating, bed-wetting, mommy's-boy person who disagrees with me.