Shoul racial profiling be considered off limits?

[ansutherland]

I would considered myself pretty objective and realistic, so on the matter of racial/cultural/ethnic/religious profiling in places such as airports and other high security facilities, I am in support of it. If money, man power, and resources are scarce, then we need to be as efficient as possible, and random is not the way.
What do you guys think? Should we, just for the sake of being PC, randomly select people for searches, or should we select those most likely to do damage? And, I know there are exceptions to the rule (Timmothy McVae), but this is an exception.

 

[CDNBear]

...or should we select those most likely to do damage?

Yes.

 

[AnnaG]

Jeeeez. Suspicious activity is suspicious activity regardless of the physiological characteristics of the suspicious person.
I'm all in favor of profiling in general. If that includes "racial" profiling, fine.

 

[El Barto]

Yup , but i wonder how long it will take to impliment . This will look bad on the Government that signs it in.

 

[VanIsle]

I would considered myself pretty objective and realistic, so on the matter of racial/cultural/ethnic/religious profiling in places such as airports and other high security facilities, I am in support of it. If money, man power, and resources are scarce, then we need to be as efficient as possible, and random is not the way.
What do you guys think? Should we, just for the sake of being PC, randomly select people for searches, or should we select those most likely to do damage? And, I know there are exceptions to the rule (Timmothy McVae), but this is an exception.

No! We should not select those most likely to do damage. How dumb is that? (no insult intended). How many times have you heard a rapist, a murderer or whatever described as being the most un-likely! How soon will the "likely" be sending someone who appears to be the most "un-likely"?

 

[Ron in Regina]

How many 80yr old Caucasian Women have tried to hijack airplanes? If the
answer is what I suspect it might be....then not searching them for explosives
might free up time to focus in other directions that might actually be beneficial.

 

[Tonington]

Anyone ever seen the video where they ask you to count how many times a pass is made between two teams? Part-way through the video, a gorilla walks through. The principle is the same, if you're actively looking for something, it makes it more difficult to spot other anomalies. Racial profiling no, especially if you're going to tell the world first that this is what your security officials will be looking at. Insanely retarded.

Profiling suspicious behaviour? Absolutely. Use psychology. Not a colour swatch.

 

[VanIsle]

How many 80yr old Caucasian Women have tried to hijack airplanes? If the
answer is what I suspect it might be....then not searching them for explosives
might free up time to focus in other directions that might actually be beneficial.

Not searching 80yr. old caucasian women (or men) would probably be good ole' common sense. I think that would fit right in there with the most un-likely.

 

[Tonington]

Why does it matter that they're Caucasian? I would think the fact that they're 80 means they're likely not a threat, not that they're Caucasian.

Can anyone name any hijacker who was older 80 or older?

 

[Ron in Regina]

Why does it matter that they're Caucasian? I would think the fact that they're 80 means they're likely not a threat, not that they're Caucasian.

Can anyone name any hijacker who was older 80 or older?

It's the "racial" thing. Was try'n to stay with the topic. If the O.P. was just "Profiling,"
I would have said, "80yr old woman."

 

[Tonington]

But that's my point. The race in that case is irrelevant. It's a poor factor to base a decision on in that case, and I would say for most if not all cases.

 

[Ron in Regina]

The question was about racial profiling, not just profiling. That was my motivation.
I was mentally picturing that old lady with the bird (I'll find a pic), & described her.

Described her so that someone else can picture her that hasn't seen the picture.

 

[Tonington]

The question was about racial profiling, not just profiling.

Yes Ron...I got that part. The questions is should it be off limits, and my comment is that it's a poor choice. In many cases there are other factors which are more important, and so a policy of racial profiling I think is unwise.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Yes Ron...I got that part. The questions is should it be off limits, and my comment is that it's a poor choice. In many cases there are other factors which are more important, and so a policy of racial profiling I think is unwise. [/SIZE][/FONT]

You know, I agree with you, but was waiting to see if you'd try describing the
pic above without noting race...and was wondering if the description would
match that pic....& this one too:

 

[Cliffy]

Whoopy looks dangerous to me!

I know a couple of 80 year olds that I would be wary of, especially of the female persuasion..

 

[ansutherland]

Yes Ron...I got that part. The questions is should it be off limits, and my comment is that it's a poor choice. In many cases there are other factors which are more important, and so a policy of racial profiling I think is unwise. [/SIZE][/FONT]

As I said in my opening, race, ethnicity, culture, or religion. I would agree that race alone is not the best choice. If you flip a coin over and over and get the same result time and again, it's time to consider looking to see if the coin is rigged somehow. If bombers were totally random, as the flip of a coin should be, then we would have no directive other than to suspect everyone. This however is not the case. If we continually get the same result, as with the rigged coin, it's then time to investigate further. It may seem politically incorrect, but it's our only choice. This is partly why I support the use of the infrared devices that can see through clothes, as it lessens the need for "profiling".

If one is of a certain race, it may not mean anything....it probably doesn't. If however they also belong to a certain country, it begins to mean a little more. Now add in a certain religion and culture, and now we may have something. This method is not random but does make use of the reasonable and probable grounds method better than any other method I am aware of.

 

[Cliffy]

I would be more suspicious of finger pointers. Remember the old "one finger pointing away and three pointing back at the pointer". There are terrorists from every group, white, black, red and yellow, christian, Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Shiite, republican, democrat, liberal, conservative... Profiling is stupid and discriminatory. The opinion that certain groups are more prone is based on propaganda and it would seem that the majority of people are prone to believe that Shyte. Terrorist come in all shapes and sizes but most, I would wager, are hiding behind legitimate organizations like the CIA (an oxymoron if I ever saw one).

 

[ansutherland]

I would be more suspicious of finger pointers. Remember the old "one finger pointing away and three pointing back at the pointer". There are terrorists from every group, white, black, red and yellow, christian, Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Shiite, republican, democrat, liberal, conservative... Profiling is stupid and discriminatory. The opinion that certain groups are more prone is based on propaganda and it would seem that the majority of people are prone to believe that Shyte. Terrorist come in all shapes and sizes but most, I would wager, are hiding behind legitimate organizations like the CIA (an oxymoron if I ever saw one).

There is no way that terrorists come equally in all colours and religions. Take for example suicide bombers. You can generally bet, if they aren't Muslim, they are Tamil. Has a Christain ever blown themself up? I'm not sure, but it would be very few. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of any religion, but some are more prone than others to extreme acts of violence.

 

[Cliffy]

There is no way that terrorists come equally in all colours and religions. Take for example suicide bombers. You can generally bet, if they aren't Muslim, they are Tamil. Has a Christain ever blown themself up? I'm not sure, but it would be very few. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of any religion, but some are more prone than others to extreme acts of violence.

Smart bombers don't blow themselves up. Only idiots do. Idiots are a dime a dozen in any colour or creed. Many Christians prefer to use jets and rockets to terrorize people in foreign lands. Do you not think people living in Afghanistan who have lost family to "friendly fire" think of Canadians and Americans are terrorists. Why do you think they are trying to kill our soldiers over there and trying to run us out of their country? Because they love the humanitarian work we are doing for them, right?

 

[CDNBear]

No! We should not select those most likely to do damage. How dumb is that? (no insult intended). How many times have you heard a rapist, a murderer or whatever described as being the most un-likely! How soon will the "likely" be sending someone who appears to be the most "un-likely"?

Profiling suspicious behaviour? Absolutely. Use psychology. Not a colour swatch.

Race is one of the criteria by which Israeli airport security is conducted...shall we compare history?