What are your thoughts on profiling Arabs for security reasons?

Question

Personally, I think it's time to not be so politically correct and acknowledge that the majority (NOT ALL) of terrorism is committed by people of Arabic descent. It seems to make more sense to me to profile people in order to save lives, rather than be PC and ignore that fact. While that would not stop everyone, as in the British converts to Islam that participated in the plot to blow up flights over the Atlantic, it sure would help (the others involved were Arabic). It seems like that would cut out of lot of BS work such as checking out the granny flying with her grandkids and allow us to more properly use our resources.

Answer 1

I'm a liberal by any measure, but yes, I do think that we should stop being so squeamish about racial profiling - as long as we're also willing to apply that kind of profiling to other groups. Don't forget that until 9/11, the vast majority of terrorist acts on United States soil were perpetrated by the far right (from Timothy McVeigh to the antiabortionist and now the growing threats to judges). We prevent groups from funding Islamic militants: we also need to prevent groups from funding Christian militants and "white power" militants.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go look at "the Nuremburg Files" or "Reverend Fred Phelps", or for that matter the couple of right-wing terrorist responses you got right here with this question.

Now of course the profiling needs to be related to the situation - we haven't yet had anti-abortionist attacks on commercial airliners, so it'd be silly to stop those people at the airports. But they have used guns and pipe bombs, so we should be willing to prevent them from getting their hands on those kinds of things.

Oh, and of course those characteristics should be only one of many used in establishing the profile, and of course that's the way it is sure to be. No-one is talking about stopping every Arabic person or every Christian. We can do better than that, and we already do. But I agree - it is simply wrong to say that we should not consider race or religion when establishing profiles. Of course we should. And you can bet your bottom dollar that we already do, in practice, even if we're not willing to admit to it in public.

Answer 2

Do you not think that Security Officials don't already profile? Rightly or wrongly a security official at an airport is always going to keep an eye on anyone who looks like a 'typical' looking terrorist. More important than racial profiling is behavioral profiling anyway, it is vital to ensure that security staff are able to look out for and detect unusual behavior such as unseasonal dress, anxiety and the like.
For a moment imagine yourself as the leader of one of these terrorist cells, racial profiling is exactly what you'd want! I can not think of any surer way to tip already disasociated people and turn them to islamic terrorism. Again don't you think these terrorist cells would work it out? They send a few dodgy looking people to get on the same plane as the suited clean shaven man, or discreet looking woman with a child. As the officials get side tracked by the dummys they sneak on. My worry is that security officials could get lazy with racial profiling and only look for the 'classic' terrorist' and that is when problems come.

Lord Acton said: 'The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.'

But hey if racial profiling saves one life...... what do i know

Answer 3

but your assuming that profiling arabs would lead to less profiling of other people. Yet not profiling granny and her kids or any particular group of people is large security risk and would eventually be used by terrorists to reliably make it through security once they noticed such a hole in security.

At anyrate, I think they just need to fund new technology to deal with the security issues instead of relying to profiling in the first place, unfortunetly nobody is doing their job in the government to help research these sorts of issues.

Answer 4

Hey people listen up!!!!Do you people know what the word "arab" means??? First of all, Pakistanis are not considered "Arabs" nor are Afghanis, Indonesians or Iranians. Moslems...yes but not arabs. Haven't you ever hear of a non arab or moslem terroist??? Hint....Mafia, Italian Red Brigade, Khemer Rouge. The Klu Klux Klan...keep searching, I am sure you will find plenty who are not of Arab decent.

Answer 5

I agree with you. I am sick of being "politically correct" and strip searching grandma at the airport. No, not all acts of terrorism are committed by people of Arabic descent but it is painfully obvious that they are the root.

Answer 6

Agreed, it is absolutely insane not to profile them when they are responsible for over 99% of the bombs expoded in public. Random checks of everyone else should also continue to be done as you never know how whacko some of the extremist liberals might get when they don't win back anything this fall.

Answer 7

Its wrong; Its racist and its the American way.
Look what this country did to the Japanese Americans in world war two....herded the poor devils in concentration camps.
Our mentality today is the same...narrow, bigoted and self righteous.
It makes Americans like myself frown and feel ashamed to be considered a part of that pathetic group of Americans.

Answer 8

I think anyone clever enough to smuggle a bomb onto a plane and dedicated enough to blow themselves up is smart enough to use makeup and clothing to alter their appearance to elude the profilers.

Answer 9

I agree 100%

All this we check everyone out is just crazy. Profile. it works.

When was the last time a el al flight was bombed?

Answer 10

am an arab.. what i think they should do is.. make a seprate airport..just for us..with our own planes.. ( controled planes that is,,)anywho.. it would make travel for us..less haserdes..and less time consumin..

**bck into reality**

not all arab's look the same..and u still belive 9/11 was doon by bin laden..

look at these qestions..and look at the video..
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsiXqT_yGI36UrYo7D1ersTsy6IX?qid=20060822023013AAeNCt

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ahu1nCKqN1HwW5dwb0Fc4V7sy6IX?qid=20060822013950AAGKJQH

there's another video thats not on the qestions..its a new one on google video

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3710767957407328313&q=label%3Aterrorism