well, let me say I continue to be proud of all of you for such an intelligent and witty, and amazingly, even somewhat humorous discourse on a very heavy subject. I think I speak for all the mods when I say that.
Some points:
I have no problem with the idea that if you are an american citizen you should learn and use English in your public speaking and transactions. I think it's rude for instance, to talk in spanish (since I live in San Antonio) in Walmart, I don't speak spanish but my wife is very fluent, and she has heard people brazenly talking about others in the store thinking they were going to be understood. One time she caught a couple talking about us, I had given my wife a hug and the man said something to the effect of "get a room" in spanish, my wife informed him, in spanish, that we had one at home and intended to use it when we got there. That shut him up real fast.
but you see my point, on the other hand, many mexican familys come to San antonio to shop, and I don't expect them to know english, so, it is generally something that grates my nerves, but I just let slide because I know it's stupid on my part.
Also, I think racial profiling has a few arguments going for it (a very few) for instance, it can make a targeted search for a terrorist more simple. Take the recent news that two chinese terrorists were suspected of trying to get into the country with radiologicals for a dirty bomb, would you want the US border patrol to be stopping every chinese person trying to cross the border? I do.
As far as using it in department stores and airports, we know Ashley judd steals, not only caucasian, but rich, so no go there, and we had a white guy try and blow up a plane with his shoes, so, a no go there. As far airports go, I am all for 'equal opportunity discriminator' nervous and suspicious people should all get the invasive probing.
Right now we are at a point where we don't have the manpower to discretely 'scan' or 'image' every person crossing a border or walking through an airport, the technology is there but it is expensive, someday, hopefully we will have technology that can ensure our safety by discretely investigating everyone in high security or vulnerable areas, but not today, which is why rough shod techniqes like racial profiling are still used.
Some points:
I have no problem with the idea that if you are an american citizen you should learn and use English in your public speaking and transactions. I think it's rude for instance, to talk in spanish (since I live in San Antonio) in Walmart, I don't speak spanish but my wife is very fluent, and she has heard people brazenly talking about others in the store thinking they were going to be understood. One time she caught a couple talking about us, I had given my wife a hug and the man said something to the effect of "get a room" in spanish, my wife informed him, in spanish, that we had one at home and intended to use it when we got there. That shut him up real fast.
Also, I think racial profiling has a few arguments going for it (a very few) for instance, it can make a targeted search for a terrorist more simple. Take the recent news that two chinese terrorists were suspected of trying to get into the country with radiologicals for a dirty bomb, would you want the US border patrol to be stopping every chinese person trying to cross the border? I do.
As far as using it in department stores and airports, we know Ashley judd steals, not only caucasian, but rich, so no go there, and we had a white guy try and blow up a plane with his shoes, so, a no go there. As far airports go, I am all for 'equal opportunity discriminator' nervous and suspicious people should all get the invasive probing.
Right now we are at a point where we don't have the manpower to discretely 'scan' or 'image' every person crossing a border or walking through an airport, the technology is there but it is expensive, someday, hopefully we will have technology that can ensure our safety by discretely investigating everyone in high security or vulnerable areas, but not today, which is why rough shod techniqes like racial profiling are still used.