Wouldn't profiling for potential terrorists threats be more efficient?

Question

Instead of subjecting EVERY airline passenger to a full-body scan or "pat-down", shouldn't the TSA be focusing only on those persons that either fail a metal detector scan, or meet a certain profile?

It's ludicrous for us to give the government carted blanche simply b/c they claim it is in the interest of "national security".
National security is in fact the job of the federal government. But not at ANY cost! This is still America, and Americans don't do ANYTHING at ANY cost.
Freedom does come w/ a price, but that price is NOT the LOSS of your personal freedom.

While National security is vital, the TSA should be focusing on PROFILING for terrorist threats, & NOT treating every U.S. citizen as a potential terrorist!

And Napolitano says, "if we don't like it, we don't have to fly"?? What?
That's like the government REQUIRING drivers to have to take a drug test, a breathalizer test, & a written driver's test, EACH & EVERY TIME BEFOR being allowed to get in their cars to drive.
Then telling us it's for preventive highway safety, & if you don't like it, you don't HAVE to drive.

I hope I didn't just give any ideas to Obama just now.

Answer 1

Technically speaking, yes it probably would be.



Will they ever do this? Of course not. They will continue to aggressively pat down elderly white passengers just as though they were young people of possible Arab or Pakistani-type appearance. Let's face it, that's where the majority of the terrorist threat emanates from. Pakistan, Arab nations, etc. Therefore.........



But they're trying not to be rude or appear bigoted I suppose. Which is nice, but, efficient? Not really.



In any type of law enforcement though, some profiling is used. If you're on the west side of Chicago and you're conducting a gang sweep, do you pull over a car full of white tourists who got lost, and search them, just to make it look like you're not profiling? If you're talking about domestic terrorism, let's face it usually you're talking about some kind of redneck survivalists or skinheads or something like that. So you don't waste time harassing Asians about it. If you're talking about a gangland Mafia hit, you think of Italians, let's face it. And these stereotypes all have basic kernels of truth to them. For good reason.



But we just can't publicly SAY those things nowadays and expect the TSA to only pat down "Arab-looking" or "Pakistani-looking" people within certain age ranges. Or to only pat down people who are wearing Muslim clothing either of course. That would be blatant religious profiling. It's just not allowed. Or, it's not the way we want to go.

Answer 2

It's not just Obama coming up with these ideas; he has accomplices.

They wouldn't be listening to YOUR ideas anyway; I think you're in the clear.

As to your question, I see NO sense in requiring this degree of indignity just to get on a plane.

And they are doing the same to the pilots too! As if the pilot couldn't crash the plane anyway, if s/he wanted to, without taking any contraband into the cockpit.

There are absolutely a lot of better ways to prevent terrorist attacks than looking at everybody naked or groping their privates.

Intelligence is not being used.

It seems that intelligence itself is contraband.

Some of the best deterrents are already in place.

First and probably most important, though nobody seems to mention it, is that passengers will never again sit passively when a plane is being hijacked. The only reason they did on 9/11 is that in previous hijackings, passengers were always spared if they didn't resist. Osama bin Laden ruined that plan for all future airplane hijackers.

Next, of course, the pilots can now lock the cockpit so the intruders can't get in.

And the, intelligence-gathering agencies have developed better procedures for catching the bad guys before they act.

Naturally security procedures will be changing continually for a long time, if only to keep the bad guys off balance.

But we can do without this kind of intrusion. I think it might even qualify as some kind of international human rights violation. Even in the USSR, when citizens were surveilled upon to the point of tyranny, I don't recall hearing that they required this kind of physical intrusion on such a massive scale.

Answer 3

I agree wholeheartedly. on the different hand,i'll possibly be regretting putting my help in print.little question our comments could have criminalised us in new labours cynical anti-terror rules ,there for our own risk-free practices,dont you realize! nonetheless i'll take my opportunities,if extra people have been vocal regarding the placement then perhaps the government could be compelled to open an ear. regrettably,like no different united states in the international,our government has planted its hues interior the enemy's camp.If we lots as seem at any of the 5th column "cultural enrichers" properly be clapped in irons. Worse nonetheless,are the loony left liberals who're the governments "functional fools" .Divide and triumph over, the oldest trick interior the e book.until those people awaken to the incontrovertible fact that Britains"economic equipment propper uppers" will sooner or later slay them too.then the government feels vindicated in its relentless push in direction of an Islamic state. sustain the stress,we are many.The extra we communicate out the extra our voice would be heard and the extra the self belief will build for others to maintain on with. DEUS VULT.

Answer 4

The most effective means for stopping islamic terrorism would involve communicating to all muslims that any terrorist attack, large or small, would set off a response of tomahawk missiles targeting mecca. If the jihadists believed in their religion then they would no longer consider violence as a valid method to spread their ideals.

Answer 5

It's ridiculous and I think that the real terrorists are sitting back and laughing at us.They play a tune and we dance to their music.

Answer 6

They have done that but failed. many white Americans and Europeans have gone to receive al Qaida training. Then the profile is so random that everyone has his/her possibility.