We Must Make it Illegal to Search Muslims in Airports

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 07:57 AM

Well folks, our Speaker-to-be, Nancy Pelosi thinks that we it should be illegal to search Muslims at the airports or anywhere else for that matter:

"Since Sept. 11, many Muslim Americans have been subjected to searches at airports and other locations based upon their religion and national origin," she said. "We must make it illegal."

Oh no!!! Not searches!!!

Oh sure, it's under the guise of anti-racial profiling, but let's think about this for a moment. If this becomes illegal, any Muslim can walk through the airports and cry foul for racial profiling. The threat of this will essentially make airports very reluctant to search Muslims. What happens next?

It's open-season on bombing Americans. Go Pelosi-USA!

tbone · 11-16-2006, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

Well folks, our Speaker-to-be, Nancy Pelosi thinks that we it should be illegal to search Muslims at the airports or anywhere else for that matter:

Oh no!!! Not searches!!!

Oh sure, it's under the guise of anti-racial profiling, but let's think about this for a moment. If this becomes illegal, any Muslim can walk through the airports and cry foul for racial profiling. The threat of this will essentially make airports very reluctant to search Muslims. What happens next?

It's open-season on bombing Americans. Go Pelosi-USA!

Um, that quote can also be taken as she is advocating the random searches, not searches based on the color of their skin or their dialect. Unless their is more to the quote you are not posting. The random searches are currently done and include muslims, but don't target them as the only ones searched.

7th Ninjai · 11-16-2006, 09:21 AM

Those who are for racial profiling are for it because they know they'll never fit the profile and, as a result, will never have to suffer from a loss of rights. I'm white, but I am not ok with other Americans being treating like second class citizens because of the color of their skin, the countries they make phone calls to, or the beliefs they have in their private lives.

6SpeedTA95 · 11-16-2006, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by tbone

Um, that quote can also be taken as she is advocating the random searches, not searches based on the color of their skin or their dialect. Unless their is more to the quote you are not posting. The random searches are currently done and include muslims, but don't target them as the only ones searched.

She didn't say ANYTHING about only muslims being searched, she said muslims were being searched...well shit yes they are as are every other religion/sex/race etc. I've been searched several times, were my rights violated? Fuck no.

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by 7th Ninjai

Those who are for racial profiling are for it because they know they'll never fit the profile and, as a result, will never have to suffer from a loss of rights. I'm white, but I am not ok with other Americans being treating like second class citizens because of the color of their skin, the countries they make phone calls to, or the beliefs they have in their private lives.

There are far too many Muslim-Americans that are for it too

They recognize the threat, and they want to survive on the planes just as much as you and I.

7th Ninjai · 11-16-2006, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

There are far too many Muslim-Americans that are for it too

They recognize the threat, and they want to survive on the planes just as much as you and I.

Somehow, I seriously doubt that if you took a random sampling of Muslim-Americans or, brown-skinned Americans in general, you would find an overwhelming majority who are ok with having their calls recorded or their persons searched because they "have nothing to hide".

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by 7th Ninjai

Somehow, I seriously doubt that if you took a random sampling of Muslim-Americans or, brown-skinned Americans in general, you would find an overwhelming majority who are ok with having their calls recorded or their persons searched because they "have nothing to hide".

Somehow you seriously doubt it? Somehow that doesn't surprise me.

7th Ninjai · 11-16-2006, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

Somehow you seriously doubt it? Somehow that doesn't surprise me.

You believe Muslim-Americans enjoy having their rights violated because they may share a country of origin or the same religion as terrorists?

6SpeedTA95 · 11-16-2006, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by 7th Ninjai

You believe Muslim-Americans enjoy having their rights violated because they may share a country of origin or the same religion as terrorists?

I dont think they enjoy it. There's a couple muslims at work and they basically said tapping their phones wihtout a warrant was ridiculous but they were ok with being singled out at airports because flying is not a right. One is a violation of privacy the other is merely an inconvenience. At least thats how they view it and I tend to agree with that.

tbone · 11-16-2006, 10:38 AM

Again, the quote is ambiguous and taking anything out of context is hard to get meaning from.

Did she mean people other than muslims can be searched, but not muslims...highly doutbful.

Did she mean racial profiling should be illegal...more likely.

Since you are not posting a link to the speech, only a link to a editorial page which gives me the exact same quote and still no context, and since a google search also only links to blogs and ultra conservative websites linking to the same editorial page, I find it hard to believe this has any merit more than her saying racial profiling should be illegal, which it is in many circumstances and agreed to by both parties.

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by 7th Ninjai

You believe Muslim-Americans enjoy having their rights violated because they may share a country of origin or the same religion as terrorists?

I think most Muslims that live here are ok with being singled out, becuase they know our country is actually doing something logical to keep us safe.

The few I work with, who are hugely anti-Bush, walk around waving their hands in the air saying 'I get so pissed when they don't stop us in the airports! I KNOW it's my people that are the threat, and if I don't get stopped, that means the government here isn't doing anything to protect me or anybody else; it's STUPID!'

But that's just my experience. There are plenty of OP EDs around the net that say the same things.

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by tbone

I find it hard to believe this has any merit more than her saying racial profiling should be illegal, which it is in many circumstances and agreed to by both parties.

BS; most sane people don't want racial profiling to be illegal

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 12:06 PM

Here is a prime example of why we shouldn't make laws against profiling.

Dinssa, who is from Dallas, arrived in Detroit from Nigeria by way of Amsterdam and was headed for Phoenix, Feller said.

What did they find on him?

A man was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after officials say they found him carrying more than $78,000 in cash and a laptop computer containing information about nuclear materials and cyanide.

Would they have profiled him and stopped him had they not been afraid of being accused of profiling? I would guess so; he fits a description of someone suspicious. Did they catch him by a random airport search? No!!! They had to have dogs that luckily smelled drugs!!!

The point is, airports will purposefully try to avoid being accused (and avoid lawsuits) of racial profiling if they know it's illegal. They will choose grandfathers while their grandchildren wait, and they will let suspicious characters through for the sake of being 'random' and 'PC'; the risk is just too great to let that happen.

CrackSeed · 11-16-2006, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

She didn't say ANYTHING about only muslims being searched, she said muslims were being searched...well shit yes they are as are every other religion/sex/race etc. I've been searched several times, were my rights violated? Fuck no.

She didn't say anything about only muslims being searched, but she did say that muslims were being searched based upon their religion and national origin. Are you suggesting that everyone else is also being searched becuase of their religion and national origin?

6SpeedTA95 · 11-16-2006, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by CrackSeed

She didn't say anything about only muslims being searched, but she did say that muslims were being searched based upon their religion and national origin. Are you suggesting that everyone else is also being searched becuase of their religion and national origin?

I'm saying you can not make it illegal to search someone simply because they're a christian, muslim or jew. If they're supsicious they need to be searched regardless of age, race, sex, religion (you can rarely tell someone's religion from looking at them).

SpicyMcVoodoo · 11-16-2006, 12:26 PM

San Francisco values!

CrackSeed · 11-16-2006, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

I'm saying you can not make it illegal to search someone simply because they're a christian, muslim or jew. If they're supsicious they need to be searched regardless of age, race, sex, religion (you can rarely tell someone's religion from looking at them).

I agree, but I don't think she was suggesting it should be illegal to search any specific group of people. I took that to mean that she believes it should be illegal to single out a specific group based on their religion or national origin.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 11-16-2006, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

The threat of this will essentially make airports very reluctant to search Muslims. What happens next?

They'll have to produce a reasonable, articulable reason for searching the person not having to do with their being muslim.

I really don't see this as a big deal. Every time racial profiling issues come up, they just switch to behavior screening, e.g., nervous, can't answer questions right, etc. That's probably a more effective tool than searching every muslim, and it's racial profiling free to boot.

ballz2wallz · 11-16-2006, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

I really don't see this as a big deal. Every time racial profiling issues come up, they just switch to behavior screening, e.g., nervous, can't answer questions right, etc. That's probably a more effective tool than searching every muslim, and it's racial profiling free to boot.

But, but, what about the people with anxiety problems!!!! That's so infringing on their rights!!!

7th Ninjai · 11-16-2006, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

I think most Muslims that live here are ok with being singled out, becuase they know our country is actually doing something logical to keep us safe.

The few I work with, who are hugely anti-Bush, walk around waving their hands in the air saying 'I get so pissed when they don't stop us in the airports! I KNOW it's my people that are the threat, and if I don't get stopped, that means the government here isn't doing anything to protect me or anybody else; it's STUPID!'

But that's just my experience. There are plenty of OP EDs around the net that say the same things.

Your experience seems fabricated to fit your beliefs.