http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...9_RTRUKOC_0_US-SEPT11-POLL.xml&src=rss&rpc=22 BOSTON (Reuters) - Most Americans expect a terrorist attack on the United States in the next few months and support the screening of people who look "Middle Eastern" at airports and train stations, a poll showed on Tuesday. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said 62 percent of Americans were "very worried" or "somewhat worried" that terrorists would strike the nation in the next few months while 37 percent were "not too worried" or "not worried at all." The poll of 1,080 voters, conducted August 17-23, comes as many Americans are jittery after British authorities foiled a plot to blow up planes but is broadly in line with other surveys on expectations for another attack since September 11. By a 60 percent to 37 percent margin, respondents said authorities should single out people who look "Middle Eastern" for security screening at locations such as airports and train stations -- a finding that drew sharp criticism by civil liberties groups. "It's an unfortunate by-product to the fear and hysteria we're hearing in many quarters," said Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy organization. "It's one of those things that makes people think they are doing something to protect themselves when they're not. They're in fact producing more insecurity by alienating the very people whose help is necessary in the war on terrorism," he said. Quinnipiac's director of polling, Maurice Carroll, said he was surprised by the apparent public support for racial profiling. "What's the motivation there -- is it bigotry, or is it fear or is it practicality?" he said. Civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union say racial profiling has been on the rise since the September 11 attacks. Arab and Muslim men are often profiled for investigation and Sikhs have frequently been mistakenly perceived as being of Middle Eastern origin. Continued...
Frankly I don't like polls, but I thought this was interesting. People always assume serial killers are white males (which they prodominately are)...so is it wrong to statistical view another perspective on other races?
When little old ladies with blue hair start flying planes into buildings and plotting to blow shtuff up, I hope they start profiling them too. Until then, there is no reason to profile little old ladies with blue hair
it might work for awhile but when people start relying on it, all it takes is white or black terrorists to get around it
Speaking of, I remember back when the usual DP members were making excuses for terrorists with the Sears tower plot and trying to downplay it (as usual). Seems like there's been an update.
they should profile races, but at the same time keep a general security interface for all. Theres a happy meduim for keeping us safe. They've seem pretty successful so far.
That's my thoughts. They should be a little bit reasoned in how they do things, with a general broad sense that there maybe people out of the fold...and that anything suspicious should be reviewed.
I'm just not into the whole pc attitude of doing it randomly. I'm not sure it would nice to do it to each and every middle-eastern, but I don't think we should revert to a pc attitude when it comes to safety. Remeber when the sniper was shooting a lot of people. And everyone thought it was a white male...because it's common. But it ended up being two black muslims. So while one can initially set-up a profile of things, but they can't wholly rely on that.
This whole security system should rely on common sense. If we loose common sense, then we've lost the war on terror, and we've lost ourselves.
.... and profiling isn't necessarily race based, btw ferret, if you are watching out for gangbangers who need babysitters, you look for guys dressed as a gangbanger flashing signs, looking stupid and needing a spanking, not a race... So when they are profiling for terrorists, they will be watching those who will look, dress, talk, act, smell, dance like other know terrorists, not just a skin color. But racists only think about skin color...
Don't forget though that some races have a large percentage of occurances like that, especially since the arab race has had the largest percentage of distributing attacks. Profiling isn't bad, it just isn't always right.
Yeah, worry about our country, because if the far left liberals get control, we're going to have some trouble.
Why can't we at least profile based on age and gender, and scrutinize all males 18-35 more closely than others? I would establish 3 or 4 levels of travellers, with kids and old people the least scrutinized, and women in general less scrutinized than males.
Actually, "we" as citizens don't really have to worry about it right now, because the current administration takes national security seriously, as it should. At election time though, should a democrat *somehow* be elected, "we" as citizens will have to start worrying about it a lot, because democrats have continuously demonstrated that national security is not an issue they are prepared to take seriously. I suppose in this instance, "we" is subjective.
Makes sense to me. I believe Israel has a program that's been quite effective for them...although I assume it's more than you say, but I could be wrong.