The Case Against Profiling

Profiling works in some instances. The cops do it all the time along the interstates looking for those who transport illegal drugs and we all use it to a certain extent in our daily lives.

For example you don't have to be a racist to be frightened of the big black man who approaches you at the ATM at night, because you would be just as leary of the big white man, or the group of teenagers if they approached you at the ATM. In fact, sometimes even a small woman approaching you can be a danger as she might have a man with her, hiding in the bushes.

The point being, that when anyone approaches you late at night, while you have a fist full of money is someone to be regarded as possibly not your friend.

Some make the case that profiling is the best way to handle security at the airports, but I disagree. Sure if someone is trying to board the plane and they are obviously nervous or appear to be in a trance, like the underwear bomber guy, that would send up a red flag and that is considered profiling, in my opinion, but it only makes good sense.

As for singling out one segment of society and only looking at them and them alone, would be a terrible mistake. Jihad Jane is a perfect example of why that type of profiling would leave a huge gaping hole in airport security. Who would suspect a petite suburban blonde of being capable of being a terrorist? Not many I would venture to guess, but she is incarcerated right at this very time for her misadventures and plans to commit terrorist acts.

The Muslim terrorist who took out buildings on Bush's watch didn't wear Muslim garb. In fact they went out of their way to blend in. So, what we really need to do is to establish what kind of look a person needs to have in order not to get searched and let Al Qaida know.

EXACTLY........ but the teabagger types are not known for farsightedness, and definitely never heard of Jihad Jane.
I still say that if indeed OBL did engineer the attacks on the World Trade Center, that he did it to make Bush do precisely what Bush did. So whether it was OBL who engineered it or Bush, the goal was to do exactly what Bush did. Makes it hard to tell whose goal and project it really was.