well done
Reader comment on item: [Brandon Mayfield Case:] "If You Are Muslim, You Are Suspect"

Submitted by John W. McGinley (United States), Jun 1, 2004 at 13:02

For once I agree with you entirely. Not only in the case of this particular individual but on the whole principle involved. For instance, if the Irish Republican Army constituted a substantial threat to the lives and well-being of US citizens at home and abroad I would find it totally natural that security agents for the government paid more attention to me than, say, Haitians.

If I were detained at airport security or had to wait longer to get a passport based just because of my name and my ethnic background I would find that totally natural and would be happy that the government was being this careful. I have children and grandchildren. I want there to be as much safety on these matters as is reasonably possible. And this kind of common sense """""profiling""""" has nothing racist or anti-Islamist about it. What really scares me is that this obvious point should be taken for granted. Instead it has to be argued for. And more often than not these days, the argument is lost.

John W. McGinley

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