Passenger profiling: Your views

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Should airport security place more emphasis on profiling passengers?
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government is considering a system of passenger profiling that includes checks on travelers' ethnic or religious background, according to media reports. CNN is appealing for e-mails on the subject. The following are a selection of your replies, some of which have been edited for length and spelling:

If it "walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck" you're probably looking at a duck. What's all this fuss about "profiling?" The 9/11 terrorists were Muslims of Middle Eastern descent and cultural background. The alleged terrorists in the UK plane plot are of similar background. Why would the police waste precious time and resources looking for white Christians from Sweden or any other country when tracking potential terrorists? Let's get real.
Steven H. Reynolds, Toronto

Look, this should stop now. We are dealing with a wound that keeps opening up and bleeding. Why aren't we questioning how the UK got the wound in the first place, seeking the root cause for all this mayhem? The British government has been behaving like a herd of elephants stampeding the Muslim populations of Great Britain and the Middle East for long enough. It is simply cause and effect. Profiling is just an additional red rag to a justifiably fed up bull. Until we deal with the underlying cause and BRING Muslims into our communities instead of isolating them, profiling, removing steel knives and forks and lipgloss from flights are simply not going to make any of us safer.
Phillie Hall, Dubai, UAE

If I go to a sporting event or concert, at least where I live, I'm subject to a search for contraband such as liquor/drugs and even in some cases recording equipment such as cameras. Do I object to being searched before entering the venue. No. Do I expect to be searched, yes. Do my children get searched, no. Why because they don't fit the profile, whereas I do. It's called common sense.
Wayne Cowley, Canada

This type for profiling was used during the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland and not too much attention was given to it by the rest of the world. If people are offended by it then they should do their civic duty and report suspicious activity to the police. They only reason this profiling is happening is because the terrorists are hiding in the community and causing hardship for the normal law abiding citizens. The best way to beat these guys is to make it not safe to hide among their own people.
John Hughes, Belfast

Profiling is both abusive and intrusive and turns millions of good Americans into second-class citizens based simply on the color of their skin. Inequality generates fear and hatred among all people and distrust in the government. Inequality itself can be the impetous for violence. But inequality is certainly a violation of American's basic civil rights. Championing racial, ethnic or religious profiling is simplistic and dangerous. It ignores the facts.
J. Clagett, Maryland, U.S.

Of course we should be using profiling. We are wasting resources not doing so. I keep hearing the Timothy McVeigh argument, but we must remember, in an airport security discussion, McVeigh was whacko coward, not a suicide bomber.
Bill H.

Passenger profiling is not a good idea. Switch the word "passenger" with "racial" and you'l understand exactly what I mean. If the British government goes through with passenger profiling, they're opening a Pandora's Box of legal issues, not to mention the potential for abuse from those who conduct the profiling. If assumptions are made based upon a person's culture or religion then what type of passenger would be allowed on planes? It makes no sense and is just a waste of time. As the old saying goes "you can't judge a book by its cover."
Shirley Jones Luke, Boston, U.S.

Muslims should direct their anger at the perpetrators of terror, not the government and those in charge of security.
Thomas Burk, Colorado Springs, U.S.

Sensitivities be damned! I am a middle-aged, white male. If there was a prolonged rash of suicidal attacks against Muslims perpetrated by white males I would not think it strange to be "profiled" if I was travelling into a predominantly Muslim area. I may resent it but, in my opinion, clear-headed thinking would dictate two things: One, I would need to admit that such a security pratice is perfectly logical. Two, I should register my resentment with the persons who are committing heinous crimes not those who are trying to prevent it and protect the innocent. Gimme a break!
Will Martin

Yes, of course security profiling should be used. These past few days at Heathrow (where I work), I have witnessed mums and dads with toddlers, and elderly people subjected to the most tortuous processes just to get themselves onto an aircraft. Where is the logic in treating these people as being the same risk as a single male or single female traveling alone or in groups?
Paul Dickinson, London

Profiling is one of the most effective means of getting the job done.
Hank

I have never really cared where a person lived or what color their skin was, or even what their religious beliefs were. I don't know the extremes that might be put in place for passenger profiling but all individuals should be screened. History has shown that individuals from all walks of life do a lot of crazy things.
Yours truly, Tired of all the fighting

At this stage of diffuse intensified global terror, any defensive or pre emptive measures are well justified including deep profiling. No time for suicidal political correctness here.
Ron H

Seems profiling air travelers for safety purposes is a tough, but fair enough idea. Of course, this is very sad for moderate Muslims, but this would probably help them take sides, adopt strong positions against their "maddened brothers," and act accordingly to get the civilized world rid of them, one way or the other. I fully understand this can be considered collective punishment, but what else is inflicting air traffic disruption to all travelers?
Marc Chicha

Some form of profiling is the only solution to attacks that originate from one religious community. So far, the leaders of the Muslim community have blamed everyone and everything for the problem but refuse to take responsibility. Perhaps profiling will provide some incentive for the Muslim spiritual leaders to be part of the solution rather than the problem.
Erwin Dirks

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