Racial Profiling, The Pope, and The Half-Blood Prince

In an extremely bold, calculated move the NYPD has pledged to ignore racial profiling as they start their anti-terror screenings on mass transit. However, civil liberty watchdogs are worried that the searches won't be random enough. These searches "can invite the possibility of racial, ethnic or religious profiling," said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. "The plan is not workable and will not make New Yorkers more secure, but will inconvenience them." Well, Donna got it half-right. The searches will certainly not make any one more secure, and will inconvience a large number of New Yorkers. However, this can be quickly remedied by making racial profiling the KEY CRITERIA of random searches. It is ridiculous that the American city with the closest ties to the War on Terror can seriously believe that Al-Zarqawi is just as likely to convince Jeremiah Jose MacGiovanelli, a fourth generation Jewish,Irish, Spanish and Italian jewelry appraiser, to carry thirty pounds of explosives onto a subway in his $600 Italian leather calfskin briefcase as Muhammed Al-Hussein (I'm not quite as good with random Arab names), a Jordanian on a student visa.

"Ugh, Freakin' Idiots!"

The article also substantiated the stance against profiling with anonymous commuter comments such as this. "“I’m a little uncomfortable with it. I just don't want it to be an issue where people are being targeted for unsuspicious reasons – because of what they look like or possibly think they may be carrying (I think those are the two things we should look for- unsavory Arab characters carrying too much luggage),” said one commuter. “But if it makes people feel safer then I guess it is worth it. No, [I don’t think it will be effective].”" If I know New York people (and I do- I roomed with two and half of my college is from NYC), the author most likely heard ten comments along the lines of, "Get those towelhead jabronis off the f'in train" before she sought out some hairy, unwashed hippie to give her some anemic quote about profiling.

Anyone who doesn't think racial profiling makes sense is an idiot. Most stereotypes are grounded in reality- it makes sense to stop young, black males for violent crime, seedy middle aged white guys for pedophilia or serial killing, or Asians if reports of reckless driving and/or ninja are involved. I'm sure everyonce in a while an exception will be found like a black sniper or a French shoe-bomber- BUT random searches are about playing the averages.

Moving on, in response to the bombings in Egypt, the Pope has denounced them as "senseless acts" and has tried to appeal to terrorists to renounce violence. If that works, then using Ted Nugent to appeal to PETA is the next logical step...

Lastly, I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Any negative impression I got over the first hundred or so pages was quickly erased, so sticking with my pictoral theme...

"Harry Potter is most excellent!"