<p>Until you can devise a way to tell the difference between American-borns and foreigners, they're unfortunate side-effects of the policy.</p>
<p>And as to your example of kids having bombs slipped in their backpacks, Teaghue, it's not really responsive to profiling. Right now, when we profile, we're not talking about searching all people who are Middle Eastern, we're talking about paying more attention to them. If a kid had a bomb slipped in his pack, he or she wouldn't be acting any differently, and profiling wouldn't help at all. </p>
<p>Besides, don't you think the added weight of a bomb would be noticeable? If a terrorist is planting the bomb in a backpack it's because it wouldn't go elsewhere, which means it's got to be significantly heavy. :P</p>
<p>It wouldnt help, thats the point. If a terrorist wants a bomb to go off, there isnt just a WHOLE lot you can do to stop that. You can try to prevent them from making it onto the plan, but really... there isnt just a whole lot you can do when someone is so set on getting something done that they are willing to die for it.</p>
I dont see how that statement deserves a smiley face. We're taking about bombs and terrorism.
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<p>So sue me for being positive and not getting all deep/depressing on the subject.</p>
<p>In my mind life is life, what happens happens and Im just here to enjoy it and do what I can to help people out. It's just the person that I am to smile and try to be happy.</p>
<p>I also think he or she is attacking my use of smileys for lack of anything else to say. ;). My apologies if I offended anyone, alright?</p>
<p>I disagree with the way that you resolve this, though, Teaghue. We should at least try to do something. Imagine if authorities had just given up because terrorists were just "too bent" on blowing the London -> America planes up. Those were a good amount of lives we saved.</p>
<p>Eh, I guess your right. Im just basicly of the dreaming opinion that we shouldnt need to profile, and I still belive that, fundamentally speaking, its wrong. I can see it's uses though. </p>
<p>Yea I was talking to arthurbulla and I was only half serious. And I don't have anything else to say so you are entirely correct on that. I am now going to study and watch tv.</p>
<p>For all the people who talk about how racial profiling is wrong, can you honestly tell me you wouldn't take a second look at someone all dressed up in the middle eastern muslim attire with one of those things on their heads?(sorry, i forget what they are called) </p>
<p>I know that everyone has done it, seen a muslim and kept their eye on them out of suspision, but in an air port is it really that wrong if it could mean the lives of a plane of innocent people? </p>
<p>In addition to all this, the security is also justified, some stuff I find outragous though (no nail clippers but you can bring a pen, even easier to use as a weapon, etc.) Do you know if they have someone on every flight now (an air marshall or w/e)?</p>
<p>^ I don't think I've ever done that after the age of 5. Sorry for being open minded and nonjudgemental</p>
<p>I'm sure there are white terrorists too. Yes, so far a good percentage have been ME, but its not like we've had 205395949453954395349349 terrorits attacks. Basically we're judging a whole race of people by the actions of a select few</p>
<p>You all are arguing that 1,000,000 missed flights are better than the life of one, right? Well how about the rights of some people in exchange for the lives of some others? Don't you think the chance of being able to save someone outweighs whatever "loss of liberty" these people are facing?</p>
<p>And air marshalls are on random flights. There aren't enough to go around, but for that reason, they don't let anyone know which ones they're on.</p>
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For all the people who talk about how racial profiling is wrong, can you honestly tell me you wouldn't take a second look at someone all dressed up in the middle eastern muslim attire with one of those things on their heads?(sorry, i forget what they are called)
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<p>Haha, it's called a turban. But the thing is that most people who wear turbans aren't Muslim - they're Sikhs. And Most Sikhs aren't even Middle Eastern - they're mostly from India.</p>
<p>The Branch Davidians were killed by a fire that we don't even know they started, and can't be considered terrorists.</p>
<p>The Oklahoma City bombing was done to "avenge" that same fire. And even then, this isn't the kind of terrorism we're facing today. We're facing a focused assault from fanatic Muslims (stress on fanatic, fringe, whatever) who want to systematically kill "people of the West." They have patterns, systems, things we can follow. There really is no comparison.</p>
<p>And your comment on the media is just wrong. These two things happened in the 90s (96?). Obviously the media doesn't go "ballistic" on them after 10 years, but back then they were both huge deals.</p>
<p>Or, instead of being suspicious brown man because us god-damn towel heads are out to destroy freedom and liberty for every white person in the US, why not use behavior profiling? That's what the Israeli's use and it's supposedly much more effective.</p>
<p>(Sarcasm for the first part, for the love of God don't take it seriously)</p>
<p>I don't mean to be rude, but that's what I've been saying. Obviously you just can't pull over everyone who's wearing a turban, but if you're pressed on time to scan how every person is acting, it would be more effective to pay attention to the people most likely to be "dangerous."</p>
<p>Racial profiling at airports is flawed in so many ways.
1) Not every terrorist is of Middle Eastern descent.
2) Not every Muslim is a terrorist.
3)Not every Middle Eastern is brown (there are many fair Middle Easterns in Egypt and so on).
4) There are many White and Black terrorist sympathizers.</p>
<p>This list can go on and on, the whole idea hypocritical. This seems like an idea Ann Coulter would endorse.</p>
<p>Racial profiling is simply a statistical solution to a vast problem. I think using racial profiling in tandem with random searches is a smarter policy.</p>
<p>However, the chance of a hijacking today is ridiculously small. Simply put, what passenger aircraft hijacked in the US would allow themselves to be captives, if they suspected the plane was going to be crashed? After 9/11 it's almost a moot point. The only real security problem is that of bombs.</p>