Anti-terror measures-who do you target?

[MargeB]

I see the security services in New York have stepped up stop-and-search patrols on the subway, while insisting that they do not use a discriminatory policy to do so. Why? While I am not racist, I would certainly be selective in this instance. Almost all terrorists have been non-white young/middle aged men. Surely it would be best to concentrate on them?

[MargeB]

I am pleased that this is developing into a respectful but lively debate. I must point out in case of any misunderstanding of even the meaning of my question that I just am not racist, although I was not born racist I definitely know I do not have a racist bone in my body from having had a lot of contact with black and asian friends. This leads me to the question above, in a way...I would not want to see my black or asian friends harshly treated or alienated in the subway or elsewhere.

I have myself been on the receiving end of just this type of selective behaviour though, having lived in a 'sensitive' area at a 'sensitive' time. When the police where approached for any help or assistance, or were in the course of making an enquiry, they would always ask for 'Place of Birth'. This clearly meant 'Are you of Irish descent?', and this meant 'We may want to watch you closely, lest you try and blow something up.' I do have some irish blood in me, and the irish 'being trampled upon' situation is very similar to that of many black and asians. However I had to look at the facts...the people they were interested in where specifically irish people, that's just a fact. This does not mean that they have a problem with ALL irish people, just that the criminals they were searching for at that time happen to come from that segment of the population. If they are looking for burglars, they tend to target men. Is this sexist? And what of the recent bombings. They had a look out for black and asian men acting suspiciously. Were they right to do so? Turned out they were. Does this mean all, or even a significant number of black or asian men are terrorists? Of course not. Does it mean they should ignore white men or women? No, there is quite a famous white redheaded muslim terrorist preying on the west at the moment I believe. But they have to concentrate reasonable efforts.

[twiglet4frog]

with no disrespect to insurgent or any other people, but i think that common sense says that if an asian guy with a rucksack on his back is acting in any way suspicious then he should be stopped and searched!

Ok the IRA bombed us a lot but they arent right now! Islamic extremists are! and should the IRA start there bombing campaign then i would be demanding that white people be stopped and searched as well, and if People over 25 stone started a anti-slim bombing campaign i would have them stopped and searched as well.

I am sorry if "Insurgent" has been stopped several times and searched but it is the environment we are living in at the moment and there is a need for it. Just the same as i find it an inconvenience that i get stopped and breathelised occaionally as a random check just because i am driving out of the city at 11.30pm as the pubs are shutting. It might be annoying but i make do with it and comply as i know it is cutting down drink drivers that may end up knocking down my kid! They only do random checks that time as there could be a chance of a drink driver then, just as they random stop asian men the most, as all the bombers have been of that ethnicity. Once a white or black or any  other race bomber appears then i believe there is grounds for the searches to be broadened.

[jno]

quite right mystress, they're now admitting that the guy they shot yesterday didn't actually have anything to do with any of the bombings. They say they're sorry. I imagine his family is too. That's the problem with racial stereotyping. IRA bombing? Arrest some Irishmen! Al-Qaeda bombs? Kill some Asians!

And while the various innocent Irishmen were locked up in the 70s and 80s, of course, the guilty ones got away.

[MargeB]

I hate irish terrorism, and I've been watching comments from ex IRA bombers who now hang their heads in shame and say what they were doing then was unjustified under any pretext. I do not think that the police policy is now just to "shoot asians". However, there have been more than a few instances where clearly the security services were "shooting to kill" unarmed irish civilians.

[Morrisonker]

Maybe I'm the only one here who has an experience with the police which left them feeling reassured, but I, personally, have confidence that the police working in London are searching *anyone* acting suspiciously.  They aren't stupid, they have years of training and specialists help them out.  The police force seems to be a scapegoat for everything at the moment and I don't think that's fair.  Like everyone else, they make mistakes, and by the nature of their job their maistakes will have more serious repercussions.  But you never hear the good, you'll only ever hear the bad.

[MargeB]

Maybe they're paying the price now for years of 'institutionalized racism'.