Racial Profiling
 

Under normal circumstances I will not entertain any thoughts of racial profiling, but I had to ask myself what I would do if a man with the same skin tone and colour as my girlfriend got on a plane. It saddens me, it truly does. One bad apple should not spoil the cart, but I would not want that person near me. I am ashamed of myself, and it fills me with a loathing I find most distasteful, but I don't want my girlfriend, mother or any of my friends to hear I was killed in a terrorist attack. This post feels like acid on my very soul, as it goes against everything I believe in, but political correctness has no place at a time like this. Profiling will be with us for a while, although I am sure it will disappear in time. I hope and pray it does, but until that time, if you do not have a skin thick enough to last a flight, then drive, take a train, or walk. I am truly sorry, but after reading so many posts on various sites over the week, about how people were treated I have to point out that 6000+ people were denied only one thing. FREEDOM. The freedom to see their family, to see their friends and the freedom to enjoy life. More so the freedom to live and love. If you still have those things then the inconveniences you experience at the airport is of no significance. The dirty look means nothing other than someone in a physical proximity is scared, scared that they might die. The earth will continue to orbit the sun, and tomorrow, you can see, touch and speak to someone you love. Man makes a lot if not most of his mistakes out of fear. It is an emotion all of us succumb to. There is no way anyone can change the world overnight to stop this unjustified mistrust. I have one suggestion. Role with it. Be cooperative, present your ID with a smile, and above all please reach a little further into yourself and understand other peoples fear. No one has ever seen an aircrash in the vivid detail we saw last week. As you stand at the gate, remember that those around you tasked with running the plane, checking security and the passengers around you can remember with vivid detail that same image, that you are thinking of now. I pray that this era of profiling that we have entered will last but for a short time.

I am not famous for my sensitivities, but I hope that some of the people who read this will take stock and remember that freedom for me today meant 50 years ago meant the death of my grandfathers friends and his brother on the beaches in France, a man I never knew. A week ago, 6333+ people unwittingly gave their lives, as will others over the next few months and years to ensure that freedom is defended. Freedom is different things to different people. It's the right to live where you want, it's the right to love who you want, and the right to practice the religion you want. For others fighting Parkinson's, or motor neuron disease, its the freedom of choice as to when they die. We deny freedoms to people every day, or we saddle that freedom with safeguards, such as courts and other appointed public bodies to make sure that freedom is not abused, but we have a choice. I hope that recent events will not only promote the virtues of freedom, but teach us tolerance of others. Our colour, our beliefs and ultimately our differences. Ultimately we have to live with our conscience.

Sadly this post goes against my company policy so I will have to remove my email address. An affront to my freedom of speech?? No just my adherence to a policy designed to protect the company and the 18,000+ people who work here and the families they support - oh and the shareholders

[b]Whatever you do today, do something to make you smile.[b/]

A related thread from the OMNI forum:

Profiling is Racism?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/002597.html

Personally disappointed to read this thread here on FT. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Not sure where here I read it, but seems that there have been confirmed instances where arabic appearing folks were asked to LEAVE planes before they took off. To the pax enormous embarrassment etc of course. Other pax and/or staff had apparently refused to fly with them on board.

Their 'offences', apart from their appearance? Often looking at their watch, or visiting the bathroom more than once etc.

It is a sorry day to hear stories like that. They passed all the security checks you or I did - probably twice as many to be frank. Check-in agents you can bet minutely scrutinized their ID and tickets and asked questions.

If one of us today went to a purser and demanded them to remove a clean, well dressed, well behaved person of negroid or asian or latino apparance etc as that person made us feel uncomfortable you would probably get arrested for breaking a racial discrimination law of some kind.

This is not Mississippi in 1951 surely? Haven't we moved on from there?

Unfortunately, the recent events seem to have driven many Americans towards thoughts or behavior previously unacceptable.

"A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll taken a few days after the attacks showed that Americans were supporting special measures intended for those of Arab descent. In the survey, 58 percent backed more intensive security checks for Arabs, including those who are United States citizens, compared with other travelers; 49 percent favored special identification cards for such people, and 32 percent backed "special surveillance" for them."

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/23/na...chpv=past7days

Here we go again, will this turn into the same type of thread thats on the NW board

My post was not to create a hate thread, but to illistrate a thought I had. I will be doing my first flight tonight (Mon) since the WTC hijack, and it focused my mind in a way I have never considered.

My apologies for any offence caused, but this remains a valid issue, given present circumstances

Please see:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002049.html

Again, we absolutely need to show some respect for everyone, IMHO, and not just simply the folks that we like and/or look like "us" and permit us to feel comfortable!

Racial profiling does not mean you have boot "scary" people off a flight. The former is debatable for airport security (e.g., asking a couple extra questions), whereas the latter is totally unacceptable. How much worse can NorthWORST get? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Having personally met Jongar and reading his prior posts, I have no doubt that this post came from aplace of wnhting to share thoughts and feelings that it's very hard to discuss openly. I echo some of his thoughts - not that I want different screening checks for arab peoples - but I do think my next flight will be very anxiety provoking . I think if there are swarthy people on the plane who take a long time in the lav I will tend to get quite nervous. e

dited for spelling

[This message has been edited by squeakr (edited 09-24-2001).]

You and Jongar make a good pair. Ever wonder what the "swarthy people" think if YOU go to the lavatory?

Do you feel the same when negro folks use the lavatory? Or Asians? Or Latinos?

"RACIAL" profiling has no place.

Racial profiling is what incompitent people do when they can't figure out what they should be looking for.

REAL profiling -- the kind that actually works -- looks at literally dozens of things.

Racial profiling is just plain wrong.

I am not honouring your swathy comment with a reaction. as of this morning 6457 people and thier families said your political correctness had no place. or they would have done if they werent laid out in an ice rink 3 deep at pier 12.

I'm afraid that Political Corectness died, inter alia, on 9-11-01. It absolutley disgusts me that some would place the possible offending of a small group over security for all. Its not ablout US white/black relations, its all about one small, identifiable group being responsible for over 7,000 deaths, countless maimed and crippled people, and over 120,000 jobs lost, not to mention the billions of dollars lost.

If it were up to me, I'd ban them all from travel via airlines unless they can prove a valid reason for travel or American citizenship with a permanent, verifiable US address. And before the chuckleheads start crying racist, its not. If pit-bulls maim a child, what do you do, assert the owners' absolute right to own a dog, or do you lock up and/or watch those animals? Same thing: the only way to 100% assure there's no possibility of a pit-bull attack is to watch them and not treat them as if they were poodles.

This is the stupidest analogy I have heard in a while, but I am not surprised that it came from se94583 (who competes with Sergio) for the silliest comments)!! Maybe we should ban all white males to fly since Tim McVeigh was that...?? Also, maybe we can add some fields in the personal profile tab to include race. That way we can make sure to delete any posts by 'foreigners' (like myself), so that they don't brainwash the rest of the readers...!!!

This feels more and more like a witch hunt. It's sad that you haven't learnt about the destructive qualities of hatred towards others!

from a post I saw on another board:

You are walking down a street in Israel on a warm summer's day, when you see a man wearing a heavy coat. His mid-section is bulging, and he looks like an Arab. You wonder if the man has explosives strapped to his chest. What do you do?

a. Nothing. You don't believe in racial profiling.
b. Run like the wind, and call the cops the moment you catch your breath.
The correct answer is b. If you answered a, you will be named humanitarian of the year, but the prize will be awarded posthumously. (This question is based on a real incident that occurred this year in Israel. In that case several racists did their own profiling and decided to call the cops. Unfortunately, the police didn't arrive in time to prevent the man from blowing himself up, taking about five civilians with him.)

Its nice to have pie-in-the sky principles but until you know of a better way to stop these animals....