To ensure we never offend anyone - particularly fanatics intent on killing us - airport screeners will not be allowed to profile people. They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents who are members of the President's security detail and 85-year oldCongressmen with metal hips.
Pause a moment and take the following test.
In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by: (a) Norwegians from Ballard; (b) Elvis; (c) A tour bus full of 80-year-old women; or (d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by: (a) A pizza delivery boy; (b) Crazed feminists screeching that being able to throw a grenade beyond its own burst radius was an unfair and sexist requirement in basic training; (c) Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day; or (d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by: (a) Luca Brazzi, for not being given a part in "Godfather 2;" (b) The Tooth Fairy; (c) Butch and Sundance who had a few sticks of dynamite left over from the train thing; or (d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by: (a) Mr. Rogers; (b) Hillary, to distract attention from Wee Willie's women problems; (c) the WWF, to promote its next villain: "Mustapha the Merciless;" or (d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked and destroyed by: (a) Bugs Bunny, (b) the Supreme Court of Florida trying to outdo their attempted hijacking of the 2000 Presidential election; (c) Mr. Bean; or (d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
How'd you do? Did you detect a pattern that would indicate we'd better take a close look at a certain type of individual who might be boarding an airplane with something on his mind other than "What's the in-flight movie?"
You think so?
Horrors! You're nothing more than a closet racist who could never be hired as an official federal airport screener.
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
As I recall, was there not a time when a group of black Muslims took hostages in NY or DC? Not all Muslim terrorists are arabic. Drawing an even more general profile would be absurd.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Omega: As I recall, was there not a time when a group of black Muslims took hostages in NY or DC? Not all Muslim terrorists are arabic. Drawing an even more general profile would be absurd.
Sorry, try as I might I'm not sure what you're saying here. Are you agreeing that attempting to categorise Arabic-looking adult males is a pointless exercise because not all Muslim extremists look like them, and therefore any such profiling should be abandoned; or, are you saying that trying to widen the parameters of who could be a Muslim extremist would be so futile that they might as well just carry on with the current policy and discriminate against Arab males?
posted
Well, neither, really. Profiling to some degree may be warranted, but not at the expense of filtering eveyone. Sorry I didn't make that very clear.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
still think we should bulldoze the Arab world and build something worthwhile there instead.. maybe a big tower of popsicle sticks.
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Yes. Your ability for reasoned argument never ceases to amaze.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
quote:Originally posted by CaptainMike: still think we should bulldoze the Arab world and build something worthwhile there instead.. maybe a big tower of popsicle sticks.
Yeah, because nothing good EVER came out of the Islamic world. DAMN them for giving us their number system! And how DARE they preserve knowledge & be a major source of civilization while western Europe wallowed in the Dark Ages & the collapse of the Roman Empire (which, I might add, it's STILL suffering from).
Damn Islamites. We should just kick 'em all out & turn the place into a big-ass theme park. Pave the desert. Serve falafel with ears.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
Actually i think all of mankind is a disease on the face of the Earth. I would say wipe out the whole mess, but then my glasses would probably break and i wouldnt be able to read anymore.
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
BTW: I should clarify...I only found that multple choice thing above. I neither agree nor disagree with what it says. But I think it does raise an interesting question, thus, here it is.
It comes from a humor website, but the guy who runs it is a, shall we say, rather Passionate American. There is no doubt in my mind that he means everything he says.
Regarding the idea behind it, which is racial profiling in airports, I'm a mixed bag of thoughts.
Realizing that there was an actual argument on this forum over whether or not a man who needed to take a piss had a right to in the last minutes of his flight, I thought that you folks might have something to say.
I have to admit being pretty shaky with the thing, myself. Racial Profiling may or may not be Wrong, but this seems to advocate taking it further, into Religous Profiling. If that happens, the shit is going to hit the fan.
One way or the other.
Registered: Jan 2001
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
I will admit to doing a certain sort of racial profiling myself.
For those who aren't in the know, I'm an assistant manager at an inconvenience store in a Major College Town. I work the overnight shift, & my store is in the middle of off-campus housing. As you can well imagine, there can be some OH-so-fun incidents.
I am a constant source of annoyance, amazement, & amusement to my boss. During one of our many discussions about how he feels I should conduct myself while on duty, I mention that I do indeed perform profiling. I told him that I never have trouble from blacks. I never have trouble from Asians. I never have trouble from Hispanics or Arabs (although the latter stink a lot as they seem to forgo bathing in favor of a shitload of cologne).No, the ones I keep my eye on, the ones I watch like a hawk, raise my wings over, & go to Yellow Alert over are white males ages 18 to 25. They're the ones who are always acting like assholes, thinking they have something to prove, & without fail get belligerent whenever I refuse to take their shit.
So yes, I admit that I discriminate. But it's justified, I think.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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