An opinion on racial profiling

Today I sent a letter to the editors of the Free Press with respect to one they had published.

Original letter:

Life in the 21st century

Re. Humiliation in the name of public safety, Feb. 4.

Perhaps Janine LeGal missed Sept. 11 a few years back. Yes, racism is ugly. Death is uglier. Once again someone is crying foul because we have the audacity to attempt to protect ourselves from "marginalized groups from certain countries" that simply want us destroyed.

It is extremely unfortunate that her friend and others are subject to this scrutiny, but how do we protect ourselves against a cult of death that has brainwashed some Muslims into thinking that we of the West are not worthy of life? It is a fact that immigration is a positive for this country, but we still have to be aware that the world is not safe or fair. I believe that LeGal's friend's inconvenience is a small price to pay so that his/her fellow fliers can get on a plane with some sense of security that they will actually get to their destination without becoming collateral damage in a senseless war of ideology.

This is life in the 21st century. Deal with it. It's not going to get easier.

My response:

Far more disturbing than the remote possibility of another 9/11 is the idea that every North American who is dark and Muslim should be subject to degradation and suspicion every time they pass airport security.

Letter writer Gary Billson opines that in the 21st century racial profiling is in the interest of public safety, however I would argue that air travel is already significantly safer, and the odds of someone commandeering a commercial aircraft for an act of terror in this post 9/11 world are as slim as they are for getting a bomb in the cargo hold after Air India.

Sensible, one might say hyper-vigilant, controls have been put in place, and every new perceived threat is met with even harsher restrictions (witness the ban on liquids). In fact it is probably more likely that one will be killed in a school shooting or a Picktonesque act of serial murder than in an air terror incident. The practice of isolating and interrogating Muslim Canadians is far more of a threat to our nation then the possibility that one of them may be planning—let alone capable of—carrying out an act of terror on a domestic flight.

9/11 was a tragedy, but it was also an anomaly. It should never be used as a justification for turning fellow citizens with a different skin colours and/or religious background into assumed enemies of the state without a lick of due process.