Profiling?

[cuffedlinks]

Originally Posted by BonnyW

Ditto.

ditto that ditto.

[xqqzme]

You'd certainly think they have better things to worry about than sexual preference...how dangerous can that be to world peace??????? Pleeezzzeee!!!!

[stevo137]

I can't stand the thought of profiling although I know it happens on a daily basis.
What can be done about it???

[Sol]

Originally Posted by krazy4playa

We were sexually profiled coming back into the US from Winapeg through Pembina, ND a few years back before 911. The US customs ripped every thing out of the car, found nothing, ran our license nothing and then one guy took me into a room and one guy took Tim into another room made us strip naked and do jumping jack while spinnig in a circle again found nothing. (Well, maybe not nothing. But not anything they were looking for). Then when we came out I over heard one across the room talking about the fags. Well then we had to fill out what we bought and we did and estemated we had about $300 worth of stuff from Canada (well under the duty). They made us pull out our reciepts and add it. When they added it up to $312.78 they were all over our asses about how we could be arrested for falsifying government documents punishable by a $10,000 fine and or 10 years in prison and made us correct of decloration and told us we were lucky today. They would just let us off with a warning. So we went out and put the seats back in the car repack our lugage and drove for the next 4 hours looking straight ahead in complete silence. No radio not a word in compllete and uder humilation. All because a couple of queens wanted to bring some eye cream back from Canada. And the only thing an atourney would offer when we returned was that when they found nothing in the car and clean license they had no provable cause for the strip search and if they were going to do it they should have had a witness. We were told we had a case but the money we would spend on legal fees over the years fighting the US government would well be eaten up by any settlement we would ever see.

This is horrible! It is so disgusting how some government employees can so easily go out of their way to abuse their power and authority. If this unpardonable incident ocurred before 9/11, I shudder to think what happens to some people, these days, when they go through customs.

[Ginger]

Well, there IS profiing of every kind.

John's been "profiled" for sure, by strangers. Those here who've seen him, or seen photos, would know why. He is covered in tattoos..and not nice little angels, or roses, or the names of his kids. Skeletons. Grim reapers. Grave yards. Dead people.

Now anyone who's actually MET and TALKED to John would know that he does not fit into the 'profile' that his tatoos may seem to give him (he did at one time, so very long ago... ). However, many people don't use their minds before making assumptions. We have often been snubbed, treated indifferently, or treated with disdain for reasons that can only be explained as being that his shirt was off, or he had no sleeves, and perhaps I accompanied him with my do-rag on....

I've gotten mad...I've heard people outright making comments when he walks by, not realizing I am just a few steps behind coming to burn them off... And it makes me mad, because I know him for what he is. But JOHN doesn't get mad. EVER. He says it comes with the territory. He says he chose to get those tatoos, and he has to live with it. And by all rights and measures, they were who he was back then, albeit not anymore. So I guess he doesn't really accept it, just understands it.

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Ginger

for reasons that can only be explained as being that his shirt was off, or he had no sleeves, and perhaps I accompanied him with my do-rag on....

yeah, ya'll are pretty scary

[Just Lucky]

KrazyForPlaya, I'm so sorry to hear about y'alls experience.What an insidious thing prejudice and it's consequences are for us all.

[FrankRN]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I think in certain cases it (profiling) is only common sense. Say there is a murder, and the perp is a 7 foot tall guy with purple hair...I have no problem with the police stopping and questioning every 7 foot tall purple haired guy they see...

Not to be picky, but the above "profile" is hardly racial in nature. You are talking about very distinguishable physical characteristics which have nothing to do with race. It is the same thing as saying "the guy who robbed be was on a purple bike and was wearing a red baseball cap and a brown leather jacket." NO ONE has a problem stopping anyone fitting either description.

But being pulled over because you are "driving while black" is offensive to me ... and I am as gringo as they come. And you should not be pulled out of line at the airport because of the color of your skin or your ethnic descent. Why not harrass everyone who has a fat ass too ... or maybe dimples? They are no more an indicator of terrorist activity than owning green Nikes.

If it has really come to this, that the population of this country thinks this sort of activity is OK, than Osama can run up the victory flag. He has suceeded at changing who we are as a nation. I don't know who I despise more ... him or Baby Bush. And I am a freakin' republican!

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by FrankRN

If it has really come to this, that the population of this country thinks this sort of activity is OK, than Osama can run up the victory flag. He has suceeded at changing who we are as a nation.

I don't want to be glib but, yes it has come to this.

[Life_N_Cancun]

Originally Posted by Just Lucky

I don't want to be glib but, yes it has come to this.

Unfortunately he has defiantly succeeded in changing America.

So, sadly, I agree in many ways he has already defeated us. Look at all the things that have happened since and how much money has been wasted, how much hate the world has developed towards America now, how more and more America is turning into a Police state. It’s just a matter of time before China looks like a free country compared to the US if the trend doesn’t stop. Its one of the reason I haven’t been in any real hurry to move back.


Alright, I’m depressed now…

[Thor Henning]

Originally Posted by TAPPY

It happens, but if it makes the skies safe...I dont see what the big deal is and I have no probelm with it.

KEEP IN MIND - this does happen in other countrys not just in the USA. Hubby just got back from the middle east and he was "profiled" and searched and questioned - he has also been detained in other countrys as well. No big deal. Keep the skies safe.

It happens in Norway too. I have talked about this with a friend from India. He felt abused. I don't mind beeing searched in the airport. But simple said: We should remember to have good behaviour.

[Thor Henning]

Originally Posted by FrankRN

But being pulled over because you are "driving while black" is offensive to me ... and I am as gringo as they come. And you should not be pulled out of line at the airport because of the color of your skin or your ethnic descent. Why not harrass everyone who has a fat ass too ... or maybe dimples? They are no more an indicator of terrorist activity than owning green Nikes.

[MWC]

I don't approve of the "driving while black" kind of thing, and I am horrified at what krazy4playa went through.

But at airports, I do approve of profiling based on travel itinerary and/or travel history. I used to work for El Al, and their security has been doing that for decades now, and they have one of the highest safety records in the industry. They will pull out a caucasian passenger who has a lot of travel activity to Arab countries quicker than they would pick a first-time traveler of Arab descent. De facto, you do end up sort of profiling ethnically because of that, but this has stood up to the fairness "smell test" again and again. It is also cost-effective, and our government would be much smarter to adopt this sort of thing rather than searching everybody, and relying on random checks. Oye!

[krazy4playa]

You know, you just have to know when to pick your battles and some times you just have to consider the source and forget it.

I'm not so sure we were profiled as much as being harrassed. There is a difference. The intersesting thing is last fall when my mother was in the hospital, I bought a ticket on line for a flight leaving in 2 hours. I arrived at the air port with Tim and no bags, not eve carry on. You know they didn't flag me for additional search. I would have thought this kind of ticket surely would have thrown a red flag.

[james]

Originally Posted by krazy4playa

I'm not so sure we were profiled as much as being harrassed.

For real.

I'm anti-harrassment and pro-profiling. (and there should be a National ID card)

It's tricky.