Originally Posted by
Dovster
There is a difference between an irrational fear and the realization that that a real and present danger exists. To ignore that danger -- to walk down the middle of a busy highway with your eyes shut -- is sheer stupidity, not "impoverished thinking".
There's a combination of irrational fear and the realization that a real danger exists. What I said does not ignore that, actually I had already internalized that -- and consciously considered that -- when making my comment.
Originally Posted by Dovster
No smoke. No mirrors. Just very obvious facts -- but to some people, what is obvious simply can not be true, especially if it runs in the face of their preconceived Political Correctness.
The new preconceived Political Correctness run amok is that racist profiling is necessary and works. Aviation security can be delivered without racist profiling, but the angry, the scared, the ineffective plagued by impoverished thinking don't find comfort in that; they find comfort in racist profiling.
Originally Posted by
Gargoyle
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't negate the fact that they may really be out to get me.
If that guard duty didn't exist in places like Dov's community, do you truely believe there wouldn't be an increase in the number of residents of those communities who were murdered each year? Yes, of course it is a response to fear, but it is a measured fear based on an absolute reality. And in response they have found a way to increase safety and to still go on with their normal lives. To me that is a very sane and balanced response.
You mention the comparison with India. You'll probably label me as racist for stating this, but IMHO the government and people of India are more willing to accept a certain level of civilian casulties than are the gov't and people of Israel. Also,given the different population levels, the deaths of 10 Israelis is a much higher proportional impact on the nation than the deaths of 1000 Indians. (since the population of India is 2000 times greater than that of Israel). *
*note that I do agree with an old Zen buddist in San Francisco who once told me that every human being is an entire universe. The death of that human is the destruction of that universe. I'm not comparing the value of human life in India and Israel, just the proportional impact on society of each individual.
I hope we're not slipping OMNI here...
When 10% of an ethnicity have had a member of their immediate family killed by terrorists of one sort or another in the past c. 20 years, I have to say that they've been hit harder and more frequently than Israeli civilians have been by terrorists. And yet the dominant establishment isn't advocating racist/tribalist profiling at airports across the country despite many plots against the airports/planes.
I happen to think the mentioned Indians are no more willing to tolerate being victimized by terrorists than Israelis. After all, India is a country where a terrorist attack killing people in one village several hundred miles (or thousands of miles away) results in the deaths of hundreds/elsewhere .... because of those who also advocate racist/tribalist profiling. Life really isn't as cheap in India -- nor is it seen as such in India -- as many elsewhere think may be the case.