I think it's time people realized that Racial Profiling IS occuring

[Ravenseye]

I've seen numerous discussions about racial profiling. Whether we should have it or not. Who we should profile. Why it's ridiculous. Etc.

I just want to remind people that racial profiling happens every day in this country, particularly to middle eastern looking men. I have to give myself an extra hour at the airport anytime I fly because hey, lucky me, I'm always the one randomly checked and pulled out of line.

It's funny once they said "oh you're one of the 10 percent of the flight that we ask more questions to randomly." ok. "Oh you're one of the 5 percent that we put through the bomb detectors." great have at it. "Oh you're the random 1 percent that we go through all their checked luggage with in a room with machine gun pointed at you." That's nice.

When that happens on four consecutive flights...It aint' random.

Also you know what's funny? Before we got married my wife, a nice white girl with an irish name, never got stopped ever. Since we got married and she took my arab last name, she's gotten stopped every time too.

[wli]

1. I'd bet money that even more is going on

For instance, data collection on political stances over the internet may be getting fed into this stuff.

[Modem Butterfly]

2. The wrong folks are being profiled

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4203296&mesg_id=4203296

[endarkenment]

3. consider yourself lucky

after all, you could be Brazilian.

[uppityperson]

4. I used to get lots of help at the autorepair store-young female, looks ok

profiling happens. It doesn't mean it is ok, but that it happens. We all carry certain prejudices and need to be aware of them and move past them. My father got randomly checked everytime he flew in 2002-present too. Our Indian/Pakistani heritage, though slight, comes out in him if you look at him the right way. Though he is in actuality a geriatric midwesterner.