Obama himself said there are more young black men in prison than in college.
Take a look at the booking reports sometime. most of the crimes committed are by racial minorities.
Any cop that (of the record) doesn't profile is stupid and is asking for trouble.

Just because racial profiling may have been abused does not mean the use of profiling should be discarded. Doctors use racial profiling to diagnose disease more quickly and efficiently. If all were treatd the same there would be computer protocols that could diagnosed all comers based upon the probability of disease and the percentage of racial diversity within the community. It would take longer and cost more money to do so. We need to continue to discourage racial discrimination but law efforcement should be allowed to do their job in the most efficient and cost effective manner.

Is Muslim a race or religion? OK- let's not target "race". Can we target a certain religion? Virtually every significant conflict in the world today involves a certain religion. We know that not every Muslim is a terrorist but it does seem that nearly every terrorist is from "the religion of peace"

If society is going to benefit at the expense of a few, this is okay so long as those inconvenced are paid for their trouble.

If this becomes practice, then people who fit the profile will experience a lot of hassel. It is only fair that when this happens they are paid for the trouble.

If we are all going to benefit, it is only fair that we all pay.

I think wrong again @ 6:11 AM said it well. Sometimes racial "profiling" can be a useful tool; however, there should never, ever be racial discrimination.

I think that we also need to look at the other side of the coin. Sadly, many criminals and the attorneys representing them cry "profiling" and "discrimination" when there is none. They simply use it as an excuse to try and evade justice. I think the pendulum has swung too far in this direction.

I also think that the old argument that innocent people have nothing to fear is actually a valid one overall. Yes, sometimes people are wrongly accused, but usually they are able to prove their innocence.

I hope we can find a happy medium.

Odd that we go to war, and kill the enemy based on appearance, but we are not allowed to PREVENT the war, by taking into account a person's appearance.

Always and forever, racial profiling must not be abusive, but if you are a muslim, and you live in the US, I suggest you get used to the idea that the people who want us all dead, are muslims and its stupid to strip search gramma jones, and little Bobby Junior, and then let muslims waltz onto the plane untouched because we don't want to offend them.

If I was in China, and an honest businessman, and china was at war with America, I do not see how I could be offended if the Chinese took extra precautions with me, provided they were not abusive, and treated me with consideration.

How stupid are we as a country that we cannot see that all wars, since the beginning of time, are racial profiling?

Plus, if we heard more from 'Mainstream Muslims" about how they did not stand with the fanatics, perhaps we might be a bit more understanding, but they are stunningly silent on the topic.

Uou can thank the nasty conservatives for the white and delightsome ideology they are trying to force down our throats.

It's easy to see why racial profiling happens- it's effective! If you're screening airline baggage after 9-11, are you going to look more closely at a grandma's luggage, or the luggage belonging to a dark haired olive complexioned 20-something male?

Same goes with crime & crime statistics. Put the bandaid where it hurts.

I think what's completely WRONG and out of line is the attitudes of the people in the group that's getting profiled- rather then encourage the wayward ones to get back in line, they act outraged that there is this racial discrimination going on.

Certain forms of profiling are essential to good police work.

A lone man hanging around a grade school gets a lot more attention than does a lone woman.

A white gang hanging out in a predominantly black neighborhood IS far more likely to be involved in some kind of criminal activity such as buying drugs or looking for a hooker than is a black man. And if "community police officers" actually know who the residents are and know the white guy doesn't live there, even more effective.

But going further, it is abhorrent when media take it upon themselves to withhold vital ID information simply to hide the race/ethnicity of wanted suspects. How can the public "keep an eye out" for a crime suspect when the media won't tell us what he looks like?

Conservatives love racial profiling.
Their heroes are those from the 3rd Reich.

The consequences of not profiling are quite simple: in the desparate drive to stop terrorism, we will all live under the boot of the police state, because the government refuses to look more closely at the most likely suspects.

Of course I think profiling should start where it would be most useful and least damaging: at the border. NO ONE who comes from a Muslim country should be allowed to immigrate to the United States, and visitors from those countries should be limited to those deemed essential.

Nobody has the right to immigrate to the United States. We can discriminate for any reason we want; and discriminating against those who have demonstrated that they are unable to assimilate in Western societies is all the proof we need.

We can choose to hurt people's feelings or we can choose to live in a police state. That's all there is to it. You have to choose. I know which option I choose.

11:50, your unfounded comments add nothing useful to the discussion. Have you nothing better to do with your time?

DN, don't you have any standards for posting a blog?

Should we trust the media who have bombarded us with the myth of global warming or crucified Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby in a completely fabricated non-story or fallen completely in line behind Barack Obama?

How about the US Senate? You know those fine representatives in our House of Lords who go to Washington as "average Americans" and leave as multi-millionaires?

I think I'll trust the FBI - the finest organization in the US Government and utterly incorruptible- save the editorials - I choose survival

Fact:
White Americans are responsible for a huge amount of terrorism in the US.
Some of these posts here are merely mistaken...others are full of hatred and racism.
To those of you who have never actually known a Muslim, and fear them...I pity you. Most Muslims are good people.

It is well-known that neocons, like in Fascist Germany, are racist.
That's why white supremists love the conservative, white, Christian America ideology.

@ TimJ: I agree that most Muslims are good people but what percentage? 99%? Probably. What abut that other 1%? It only takes a few to set off a dirty bomb or hijack a few airplanes

Timj, then I want to hear more from those good muslims. I do not doubt their integrity, or their existence, but notice that they are NOT speaking out very loudly about the radical Islamists and how they choose to be on our side against them. Therefore, I assume they agree with them, and choose to be silent. That makes them no better than the radicals.

If you insist on stating that White Americans are responsible for a huge amount of terrorism in the US, I challenge you to back that claim up with facts. Otherwise, its just another in a long line of internet straw men that means nothing.

profiling is effective. it's that simple. there are plenty of other governments/agencies that profile, and guess what? it works. i don't care if profiling is inconvenient, or offensive, because it's efficient.

also timj, why am i not seeing the muslim majority standing against their violent fundamentalist relatives? why are they not condemning their actions in their mosques? why are they not incarcerating their own criminals? am i oblivious to it? is the media not covering it, or are the good muslims too passive? i know most muslims are good people, but as far as i can tell, they're forcing others to fight their fight.

Profiling is controlled racism, pure and simple.
Something conservatives absolutely love.
They think this sort of thing is as American as apple pie and couldn't be further from the truth.

profiling is action taken after reviewing data. it is not racism. if i find doggy doo on my lawn, day after day, i'm going to question my neighbors with dogs. make sense?

anonymous 2:04: how is profiling followers of a Religion racism? Is Islam a race or a religion?

As much as conservatives love racial profiling - REAL America will never let a fascist ideology get very far.
It's no wonder the numbers of far-righters are shrinking daily.

I see the usual conservatives are at it again clamoring for a "white, Christian America."
It's no wonder the KKK and skin-heads love conservatives.

We should take religious groups with history of violence and suspicion of our government and put their members on a watch list?

Since there is no effort to use a real name, or at least a unique one, we have to assume that Anonymous is the same person throughout.

Its remarkable that you sit back in anonymity, and denigrate and insult people based on their political positions, while you tell the world how horrible it is to profile someone bases on race.

YOU ARE MAKING FOOL OF YOURSELF, AND THE MODERATORS NEED TO STEP UP, AND CUT YOU OFF.

Do you realize how hypocritical it is to tell one group of people, how wrong it is to profile a group of people. You are PROFILING all conservatives!

Grow up, and contribute something useful to the conversations around here, instead of just lobbing smarmy comments because you know you cannot be found, or held accountable for your lack of judgment and maturity. Comparing all conservatives to the third reich and German facists is a disgusting, and disgraceful thing to do, and its PROFILING.

I call on the moderators to censor your inflammatory words, lest this blog system go completely out of control. Moderators, use a little common sense, and stop letting this person call me a nazi, and a facist!

Suppose that you are pulled over for driving a nice car in a bad area of town, What is that called? Not only that the evidence used to convict was turned in three days after being locked up...then what? Care to guess what happened?

IF the FBI know waht a suspect looks like and doesn't use that is that not a failure to do there job?

IF THE FBI knows they are looking for black gang or an arabic muslim cell, or a mexican drug lord, 30-ish white serial killer, and choose not use that information or give it to any other law enforcement people, will they not be blamed for not doing their job?

How can the FBI or any law-enforcement do their job without profile information? HOW?

excellent points John - do you really think someone actually reads the post or I would assume it just runs through a filter that keys on certain words or phrases.
You are absolutely correct though - it's so typical for a mindless person to hurl insults and bring no rationale to a subject

I think it hilarious that conservatives can denigrate and insult liberals all day long, but when it shoe is on the other foot and they get to taste their own medicine- they whine like they are being unfairly persecuted.

It is a sad but well-known fact of life that the modern American conservative movement bases its M.O. around the dream of a white, Christian America.
They do with no apologies, regrets or remorse.
And that will ultimately result in its own undoing in this multi-cultural, multi-religious experiment called America.

Profiling is common sense. Chances are the next terrorist attack will not come from Finland.

How would you, in fact, be able to profile people based on something that doesn't show? Muslims come from every populated continent, and can be found with every skin tone and racial characteristic. Malcolm X met european Muslims in Mecca 45 years ago who were fair-haired and blue-eyed. One Muslim is now a member of Congress. There are Chinese Muslims. If they couldn't pick out Muslims in Bosnia, how could it work anywhere else? They aren't all riding camels, you know. And there's about a billion of them. Good luck.

@ Mark B..... how do you profile Muslims? Mmmmm... maybe by Mosque membership rosters? Maybe by monitoring what kind of sermons their Imams are preaching? Mosques aren't traditionally places of worship but primarily political meeting places for their membership. I have no problem with the FBI monitoring Mosques. I think Thomas Jefferson (the first President who had to contend with radical Islam) would agree
Your posts never cease to amaze

I see - we throw out the Constitution, spy on people after promising they'll be "free", and then, when it's all over, forget about it. Lots of luck with THAT, too.

total freedom is anarchy... they certainly shouldn't be free to plot attacks on our country

That way of thinking is paranoia on parade. It led to Nixon creating an enemies list, Hoover scooping dirt on everyone he could, and our current snooping on millions of calls without warrants. If we make exceptions to the law because someone fits a profile, then sooner or later we'll ALL fit someone else's profile.

our glasses against evil forces singin' whiskey for my men beer for my horses..... still some red blooded Americans left... multiculturism is for the birds

If a tree falls on your house it is best to remove the tree instead of the rose bushes.

I believe it's time to remove the tree.