What's your opinion on profiling?
By clrumfelt
@clrumfelt (5597)
Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
August 13, 2008 8:37am CST
Many people disagree with US profiling of individuals that represent a potential threat to the USA. I say there are times when profiling is prudent and the USA should use it as a preventative measure against terrorism. Some down to earth comments by retired USAF General Richard E Hawley agree with my thinking.General Hawley:
"Profiling: We are at war here! We are not talking about traffic stops. If
we were at war with Iceland, I would expect those charged with our defense
to pay very close attention to any Icelander who ventured near our shores.
In this war I expect them to pay very close attention to Muslims with ties
to the places that spew hatred against us. Random checks when there are no
such obvious targets available are a good way to keep the evil ones
guessing, but let's not make small children and grandmothers take their
shoes off while we watch far more likely candidates walk aboard unchecked."
General Hawley's comments are totally different from an email that has been fraudulently circulated in his name. For some of General Hawley's other comments, visit:http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hawley.htm
3 people like this
8 responses
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Profiling = good.
Profiling detractors = naive or evil.
3 people like this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
13 Aug 08
There are several types of profiling including pshcholigical, criminal, dna, personality and racial. I think the focus is often on racial more because the differences in different nationalities' appearances makes it more accessible as a first impression. Care must be taken not to use the racial profiles as the primary focus or stereotyping comes into play, but without the added dimension provided by profiling investigations would be seriously hampered from achieving their ends.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14113)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
13 Aug 08
Well, it wasn't a bunch of red headed, white catholic irish guys that flew those planes in to the world trade center. Or blond haired blue eyed arians. It wasn't a bunch of emo's or punks or preppie cheer leaders. It wasn't a mini van full of soccer moms. It was 19 middle eastern guys of the muslum faith. If what bites me is barking, I look around for a dog. I don't think, "hmm, is that a cat? Or bird? I better go through the entire list just to be certain, I wouldn't want to offend someone". No, I look for a dog.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
13 Aug 08
That's a reasonable attitude. It would be dangerous to look the other way out of concern we might offend someone.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14113)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
13 Aug 08
Yes,we do in fact have domestic terrorists. And they are in fact, profiled. Timothy McVeigh and the Unibomber fit in to what law enforcment had as a profile. Law enforcement has a number of profiles that they use in trying to identify domestic terrorists and use them to narrow down the field. You hear much less about it however because ethnic and religious profiling is considered in a politicly correct society to be "bad" and "not nice". The sad fact remains however that there are people of ethnic and factions of religions that want to kill us just as much as there are certain types and profiles of people in our own country who want to do so.
2 people like this
@cbreeze (1205)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Okay...Timothy McVeigh, the Unibomber, and most recently the scientist who mailed the Anthrax letters ARE in fact TERRORISTS of the USA. They weren't from the middle east. They weren't of the Muslim faith. My point is the "face of terrorism" doesn't have one specific look. It can look like any of us. Racial profiling is dangerous
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
13 Aug 08
It is a good idea. I do not like the idea of grandmothers and little children having to take off their shoes so that the people from Iraq or Iran or whatever the present threat get thorough to blow us all up. This thinking that everyone even those from peaceful countries is a threat is wrong. Putting the innocent with the guilty. If you have the same features and looks of a person from those dangerous countries you should not object to being searched. And if you do know of a relative of yours who is talking crazy, you should let the authorities know.
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
13 Aug 08
Unfortunately, the face of terrorism is sometimes a grandmother or little child. That's sad for the innocents on
whom the profiling has placed such a burden, but the fact is the terrorists who send little children strapped with explosives into crowds, and grandmothers hiding bombs into marketplaces, have made it hard for everyone.
2 people like this
@cbreeze (1205)
• United States
13 Aug 08
I think justifying profiling is just fear mongering. It is just another way to keep everyone at each other's throats because we look different from each other or because we have different beliefs. Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist against the United States. His actions took the lives of 168 people and affected so many more. No profiling has been promoted due to his actions against people who look like him. I think there is enough survellience cameras, spying, eavesdropping to catch potential terrorist without making victims out of innocent people.
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@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
13 Aug 08
I still believe profiling has a place in our anti-terrorism arsenal and that it can be done without vicitmizing anyone. Police detectives use profiling all the time to help them catch potential criminals, and I think some of their methods could be adopted to insure profiling isn't based on nationality alone. It is a fact that several terrorism attempts have been prevented simply because the profilers knew what to look for.
1 person likes this
@cbreeze (1205)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Police aslo vicitmize a lot of people with this practice. This is a real hard subject. I wish it really could be done in a way that isn't demeaning and biased, but I just don't have much faith in it. It is so hard to figure out. In some ways I see it's usefulness, but in many others I just see another avenue for discrimination. Confusing topic that leaves me torn.
3 people like this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
14 Aug 08
It's an imprecise process and the human factor is hard to overcome, but I think they will get better at it as time goes by. Then there won't be so much harrassment to people who are innocent.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Profiling is fine but what happens when the profilers are wrong? Which there have been cases of, from this level that you are posting about and on a step down such as when profilers profile a killer and end up being wrong. Profilers never added women to the list of "bad" people that could cause harm, but in the past year or two women blowing themselves up with bombs has become more widespread. As this all started they also didn't think that there would be American citizens training in terrorist's camps. White men from the United States have been seen training, so what then? To rely totally on profiling is not in the best interest of the security of this nation. But, that's just my opinion.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
13 Aug 08
Profiling should only be used as part of the solution. It has its place among other methods to help us identify terrorists.
1 person likes this
@iambaiyunlvshui (122)
• China
14 Aug 08
i do agree with your opion .everyone is common . most of them love their homeland. they wonnot take a threat to the country
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
14 Aug 08
I think most people love their country and want to help keep it safe. It's the few who don't that profiling is a real threat to. I think most people will coopertate to help identify terrorists, but there are always a few who will object that it is an invasion of their privacy.
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
13 Aug 08
[i]Hello clrumfelt,
I agree that this is a different kind of war and it needs new weapons to combat it. I also think profiling is a good defense if use properly. Agent should be train very well and record of suspected individual keep updated regularly. Intelligence is key in here. I think with good intelligence, combine with people profiling is a very good counter measures to terrorism. We need to keep the people inform also of the advantage and disadvantage of profiling so they won't fear it. Communication is also a key for the program to be successul. A new enemy requires new weapon and I think this is it.
Regards.[/i] 
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
14 Aug 08
Thanks for your comments. If they threw out profiling because it might offend someone to be profiled, they would be throwing out a valuable tool and I think the terrorists would have a party if that happened.
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
13 Aug 08
It might be a good idea but there are going to be mistakes with people.
With something like this everybody better be prepared for mistakes and some of them are going to be heartbreaking.
But, if its necessary, its necessary.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
14 Aug 08
The war on terror has been hard on everyone, and profiling is a imperfect tool used to help catch terrorists. I don't know of any tool for our defense that is perfect because the human factor is always involve in some way. The best we can to is to strive for perfection in the profiling process and hope to refine it to better accuracy with time.
