se94583 -- you say "white, young, MILITIA-TYPES as a group WERE profiled..." which is exactly the point. What about profiling people on the sole criterion of being white (regardless of militia affiliation), which is what you seem to advocate when you say we should harass people on the sole criterion of being Arab? That's the comparison that ought to be made.

No one disputes that we ought to take every reasonable step to combat terrorism. All I'm saying is that we should exercise caution because it's easy to trade liberty for security when it's other people's liberty you're trading away (witness Japanese internment camps).

As for your taking offense, I apologize if that was your reaction to my comments. It was a response to Carioca Canuck's comments and not intended to offend you, him, or anyone else for that matter.