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Racial Profiling

 

            
             Racial profiling has been a lightning rod for conversations and controversy coming out of the attacks on September 11th, 2001. "Since September 11th, some Americans defend the racial profiling of Arab-Americans and describe this practice as a small price to pay and a mere inconvenience to assure safety and security" (Davis 1). This is a sentiment agreed upon by many Americans, including myself. Racial profiling of people of Middle Eastern descent is justifiable based on where the concentration of threats to American security is coming from. .
             The issue of airport security has become one of the focal points of this conversation. .
             Heightened security has caused people to be bothered by long, tiresome lines at airports. This is due to the increased and more advanced security measures being taken on the part of the airlines, airports, and now the federal government. A year after September 11th, LIFE magazine compiled quotes from different people relating to their reactions to the tragic events. Jay Leno is quoted as saying, "People want to say there isn't racial profiling at the airport, but let's be honest, if your name is Muhammad, and your last name isn't Ali, leave a little extra time" when talking about the inconveniences of leaving from an airport today ("Passage" 23). It isn't a coincidence that all 19 terrorists that took part in September 11th were Arabs, and that the threats that are being acknowledged are from Arabs. In which case, it doesn't seem logical to be wasting time on checking people that aren't of that Middle Eastern appearance. Mark, of Cambridge, said, "Frisking 3 year old children and 90 year old women at airports is a joke" ("racial" 2). I couldn't agree with him more, it is absolutely ridiculous to search an elderly woman in a wheelchair for .
             Seiferheld 2.
             any type of weapon, causing a long delay, when she isn't the problem. It's the person of Middle Eastern descent that they should be looking out for.


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