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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
RACIAL PROFILING TO FIGHT TERRORISM?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:57:09 PM)
acial profiling has come to represent the most fearsome form of institutionalized racism. For minority Americans what could be scarier than the prospect of being subject to systematic discrimination by powerful law enforcement agencies capable of invading every sphere of one's life? For Asian Americans the dangers of racial profiling are amply illustrated by the World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the more recent Wen Ho Lee case.
The September 11 terrorist attack suggests a scenario in which racial profiling might not only be acceptable but necessary. Fact is, every terrorist linked to the plot was an Arab male. One wonders if the horrible tragedy that took thousands of innocent lives and plunged our economy into crisis could have been averted had our intelligence, law enforcement and security agencies been given a freer hand to subject airline passengers to intensive searches and background checks on the basis of nationality or ethnicity.
Rational Americans may question whether it is even possible to conduct a workable campaign against terrorist attacks on American soil without intensive resort to racial profiling in airports, at border crossings and hotels. After all, terrorists are fighting a holy war premised strictly on religion and nationality. Despite the obvious dangers of racial profiling, it seems reckless to suggest that the United States can fight terrorists in a race-neutral fashion. Why subject every American to the same levels of delay and discomfort when only a small percentage fit the profile of potential terrorists? On the other hand, are we ready to undermine the constitutional and moral high ground on which our society is built?
The newly declared war against terrorism may well be the ultimate test of our sincerity in rejecting racial profiling. Is it time to rethink our position?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Historian
> Race and how you look is not a choice.
Yeah, so some have a slight handicap - life's not fair. But for the most part in USA, race is the least important factor - it's the state of mind. Would you at least agree that US is the least racist country on earth?
> The educational opportunity for a kid from inner city LA is much lower than for a kid from wealthy Simi Valley.
And educational opportunity in Simi Valley public schools are not as good as the elite private schools, and so on. Life's a bitch. No matter what you have, there's always someone better.
But, then you have the immigrants from Asia that arrive with even more of a disadvantage, but achieves American Dream within a half generation.
> As long as foreigners by our government bonds and sustain our budget deficits and debt.
Whatever may be USA faults, its the greatest wealth producing system in history. And wealth buddy, is the greatest equalizer.
NYhomeboy
Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 20:50:14 (PDT)
To: Historian
This NYhomeboy is either a profoundly ignorant minority person or a white guy trying to sustain racist white thinking that "they" built this country.
Historian, you are completely right.
There WOULD NOT be interstate or international commerce as we know it today had it not been for the many Asian railroad laborers who risked and lost their lives building the US railroad system. That's a historical fact. There's absolutely no way to dispute it.
Look at the professions Asian-Americans have mastered here in the USA and abroad:
--scientists
--engineers
--lawyers
--doctors
--accountants
--small businesses
As for African-Americans. Let me tell you that slave labor built the White House and US Capitol.
During the discussions/negotiations to construct the American Constitution, our forefathers dealt agonizingly and bitterly about what to do with the millions of black slaves. Why? Cause slaves were lazy? Cause slaves were criminals? Cause slaves were worthless? No. The reason it was such a bitter debate was that slave labor was invaluable to Southern redneck states and slave labor provided them their way of easy living. They were utterly selfish bastards who only considered their comfort and preservation - the preservation of the white race.
I don't hate white people. You have to be fair. I'm simply stating how racism plays itself out in America.
Racial profiling is wrong - plain and simple.
We need our law enforcement and intelligence community to be smart professionals. Racial profiling is not good police work.
Someone please tell me the benefits of racial profiling because I can't figure out its benefits.
Do we have racial profiling or do we have racial profiling of minorities only?
NYhomeboy, Look at the socio-economic costs of white collar crimes. Oh! I guess that type of racial profiling would be unacceptable, huh? It would unfairly target white males who "built" this country.
Do we have a war on drugs or do we have a war on certain types of synthetic drugs that are used exclusively by poor minorities who can't afford to buy the "good" stuff?
Do we have a war on terrorism or do we have a war on foreign terrorism only that excludes domestic terrorists and gun hawks found in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, etc?
I guess when you control the US media, political system, educational system, economics and criminal justice system, you can exclude your activities from criminal behaviour and legitimize them to the point where practically everything you do and whatever works for you is moral and normal, and people of color must therefore conform to your mind-set, otherwise risk being seen as obstructionists and/or unpatriotic.
Better yet, we can always "go back to where we came from", huh?
As I said before, a white man can molest all the young girls and boys he wants to, but when the victim is old enough to realize what happend to her/him the statute of limitations runs out. They must now spend their own money to hire an attorney and pay court fees. At the same time the criminal justice system sit back in their easychairs and watch it all unfold on the evening news.
Gee, that sure sounds fair to me. Yea, right!
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 17:16:29 (PDT)
Historian
Has your American experience been half full or half empty?
NYhomeboy
Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 15:09:08 (PDT)
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