OK. So who are we profiling ? Muslims because they have dark hair ,big noses, and darker skin, Mexican because they have dark hair, big mustaches, and darker skin or anybody that is of a different national origin, race ,or color or religous belief, they say we are profiling… I personally dont care who, what or where you are from, If you break the law, You are guilty and have to pay the price.
The NY car bomber was a US ‘natrualized’ citizen from Pakistan, of course the US had his fingerprints the idiot should have realized that before he did something stupid..
The problem is that we are NOT profiling, even when there are obvious reasons to do so. Tne initial report on the Times Square Bomber was that he was “a white man.” Only after he confessed to the crime more than once and let law enforcement know of his religious affiliation and that he went to bomb school in Pakistan did we hear that he was a Muslim. As for Mexicans, not only are we not profiling them, we are not deporting the illegals even when we know they are illegal. There are certain cities in the US that advertise that they are havens for illegals – Boulder, Colorado is one. These cities actually restrict their law enforcement officers from asking whether a lawbreaker who is obviously from another country (e.g. has a distinct accent or is not competent in conversational English) is legally residing in the country. But let a Tea Party organization hold a rally ………..
That’s back to the Clinton era thinking – that terrorism is a criminal act and government’s role is to hold trials after the fact. The criminal law system’s main purpose is to discourage people from engaging in “unlawful behavior”.
We’re involved in a war. Fear of prison is not a disincentive to suicide bombers – which is an important clue. This guy did not blow himself up – he had stashed his American wife and children back home and tried to fly home. His father is described in the reports I’ve seen as not religious. That’s why I think this was a Pakistani government operation designed to not go off.
Keep in mind during the campaign, Barack Obama promised to act on information to kill Osama Bin Ladin, even if it was in Pakistan and Pakistan didn’t permit us in the country. It’s clear that US assets are getting very close to the top leadership, who I believe are and have been protected by factions within the Pakistani government.
One other note – the other description of the suspect is also wrong. Pakistanis are not “Middle Eastern”. While Islam started as an Arab religion, the vast majority of its followers are not Arabs. Pakistan is the part of India that broke away because it is predominantly Muslim, not Hindu. Over history, that area was an important trade route to China, so there are people with lots of different genetics living there. They are mostly Pashtuns and Punjabi – they are more culturally a part of Southern Afghanistan than India. The “border” area is a legacy of the European colonial era. That’s why the Pakistani government has had little influence in the area.