Do the benefits of racial profiling outweigh the costs?

Question

If the majority of terrorists have ethnic roots in the Middle East, does that make it alright to detain passengers of similar descent? Is it a realistic way to save lives, or a horrible way to infringe on civil liberties?

What about other forms of racial profiling? "Driving While Black" is the term sometimes given to the "crime" black persons are pulled over for at times. If statistics are used and a given area shows that the vast majority of its criminals are black, is it ok for the police to pull black people over randomly and check them out, just in case?

Are there fundamental differences between the examples that would lead you to support one and not the other?

They both look like plain old, ugly racism to me. Yes/no?

Tony, I appreciate the comment, even if I think it would nice if you were more civil and left the racist comments out.

Even if I thought racial profiling actually worked (I don't), it's still racism, not political correctness. There are plenty of people who don't fit the "look" of a terrorist who can be sent on any plane. And if there's racial profiling, terrorists are going to be more likely to use people who don't fit the profile anyway. In any case, what you do whenever you have racial profiling is discriminate. In a country where everyone is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, your way sounds a bit totalitarian. And your way would harrass, distress, frighten, upset - and hurt relations with - upstanding American citizens who have committed no crime other than being born with swarthy skin or following Islam.

And think carefully about legal precedence. Would your profiling make "Driving While Black" arrests permissable? Are you ok with that, too?

Answer 1

I guess in a way it is racism. But I sometimes think it is necessary. The last time I flew I was the random person and I was okay with that except the guy behind me was Arabic. Now I am very gray and almost 60 and he was about 25 or 30 lean and fit so who do you think had the greatest odds of being a terrorist. This countries record on race is well known and hopefully we will improve upon it. In the case of police searches and being stopped I think race should only be a part of the description of the suspects( the man who robbed me was about 20 years old, Hispanic, 5ft. 8 in. tall) But when it comes to looking for terrorists we need to aware of where they are coming from ie the Middle East not Grandmas from Dallas.

Answer 2

I don't agree entirely but I do understand the sentiment. The militancy of some atheists is too often uncomfortably close to the militancy of fundamentalists. The author is expressing an opinion and this is fine; opinions have a legitimate place in the public forum. I don't think there is any real evidence to support the author's opinion and am uncertain, given the varieties of both faith and non-faith, how this cost/benefit assertion could be measured.

Answer 3

Our Civil liberties is what make being a citizen of the United States a prize. There has to be probable cause before pulling someone over.

Answer 4

And now a question for YOU: You wouldn't feel the tiniest bit of apprehension if while air-born the bearded, rag-head sitting next to you asked for a match to light his sneaker?? Would you politely inform this dark, hairy stranger of the airline's "no smoking" policy??? Or would you be soooooooo politically correct that to avoid being labeled a racist you'd take the chance of having the plane blown up, just so you wouldn't offend anyone????