Profiling airline passangers, good idea or bad idea?

Question

Today reported on the Guardian web site British officials are considering a proposal to select people for extra screening at airports based on religous or etnic backgrounds. (Article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6016515,00.html) Should the U.S. and other countries implement this policy?

Answer 1

Yes, profiling is a good idea, though it should not be used exclusively. The truth of the matter is that police/security resources are finite, you simply cannot give everyone who wants to board an aircraft the same level of inspection. Random searches should still be used, and the profile should be updated to include those whom intelligence identifies as new potential terrorists, but the fact remains certain elements of society are statistically more likely to perform terrorist actions than others. It makes sense to look at the 20 year old Muslim man twice while only looking at the 80 year old Jewish grandmother once.

As I said in the first sentence, though, profiling should not be used exclusively. Random searches should also be used, to catch those who don't fit the common pattern. It's not an either/or proposition, you have to do both.

Answer 2

I think it is a bad idea. I don't think it is something we should consider because Arab Americans have rights just as every American citizen and that would not be the way to win friends in the Arab community. Security in airports should be increased for everyone, every race, every religion, and every sex. If we start focusing to much on one type of people that leaves more room for those who are not being profiled to slip by the cracks. If we only profile Muslims the terror groups will turn to other people, of other races, and religions to join their cause and then the problem will only get worse. So in my opinion the answer is increase security at all Airports for everyone. And do not just make them temporary, make them permanent cause the threat is not going away.

Answer 3

No. It is defiantly not a good idea. Muslims come in all races and I'm quite sure they will find away around racial profiling by using the black Muslims of America or northern Africa and when that doesn't work they could use the white Muslims in eastern Europe. And it would be impossible to profile someone based on their religion because they could always change their clothes to fit in with everyone else.

Answer 4

It won't work. I was in Malaysia a few months ago (a Muslim country) and in a very conservative part of the country I saw a car with a pro Osama sticker on it. I doubt this particular guy was a terrorist but it makes me think that there could be Asian, Muslim terrorists. Should we profile all Asians as well? What about whites who convert to Islam? Or black Muslims? Should we ban Muslims from even working for the airlines?

Answer 5

Modern terrorism puts at risk human and civil rights that developed since the end of WW II.

Police economy argues for racial profiling. All recent terrorists have been Muslim, born or converted.

It is indeed a pity to make all members of a specific minority targets of secondary inspection, but that is the nature of defending society.

The first priority of any State is its own defense, or the defense of its interests. For some time, these have been subject to the laws of war (Geneva Conventions), human rights law (UN documents; European Convention and others), and refugee law (the only specifically reciprocal norms: those who would deny human rights to others, including terrorists, are not eligible for refugee status under the 1950 Geneva and the NY conventions; the result is that lawyers have sought relief for their clients -- like the 9 Afghan air hijackers -- under Euro Human Rights law.)

So there you are. Should terrorists continue to be enabled to rely on the law of their enemy for protection?

It's a pity that all that we have held dear since 1946 should crumble because terrorists, from the IRA on, have decided that civilians are collateral damage. The recent Hezbollah enterprise of siting weaponry in the midst of women and children is the ultimate in cynicism; but the fact that their victims support them upturns all the notions we had of war crimes.

Answer 6

Profiling a race is not an answer for anything. Should we pull over a black motorist because he or she is driving in a white neighborhood? Or should we profile 20 something white males who rent U-hauls because of what happened in Oklahoma City? All I want to know is if we as a country start this practice where does it stop?

Answer 7

Bad idea. FULL STOP! Muslims are already under fire as it is. 7/7 has shown that its not just Asian men willing to die. If you allow profiling to be the norm you will effectively discriminate against all passengers with a dark skin tone. What happens if you have a cousin's husband who's a Muslim? When will it end?

Answer 8

Considering the amount of errors already made with the lists of people who should not fly, no. I hate being arrested or being banned from flying just because a computer protocol had a hickup.

Answer 9

My husband is always pulled out of line at the airport and made to do stupid human tricks. He doesn't mind - it gets him through quicker.
In this day and age, profiling should happen.

Answer 10

Yes. Why are we randomly selecting the 90 year old woman with the oxygen tank hooked up to her.