August 30, 2007
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Racial Profiling
A new federal policy has been introduced that requires the checking of hats as part of airport security.
So after a person has passed airport security, the screeners can still search a hat or pat it down to check for illegal items or weapons.
There is a group called the Sikhs that believe that the new policy is focused on those who wear turbans. They think that the extra check is racial profiling. Here is the link: Link
Do you think that the checking of hats at the airport is racial profiling?
Comments (83)
First!
No, lots of people wear hats.
sorry, i had to do that, i finally got first. anyway, i don’t care what it’s considered, i think it’s a good idea..
No, they’re doing it because so goof smuggled a monkey on a plane by hiding the monkey in his hat.
So maybe it’s profiling against monkies.
*some, not so
^haha I was going to say about the monkey too.
It’s not profiling in my view – everyone wears hats.
They should also check for essense of the Holy Spirit.
This is definitely not racial profiling….
Heh, no.
nope. I could just as easily hide a little handgun or homemade bomb or whatever it is that they’re looking for under my cowboy hat.
No no no. How exactly is checking a hat racial profiling? Uh uh, no.
They should also check for essense of the Holy Spirit. TheNegativeGoats
Wouldn’t want anyone to get convicted or healed or to prophesy or anything…
No. But someone has to feel persecuted by it.
no. but, they like to scream about everything. the airport securoty spends more time checking out little blue haired old ladies than men of arabic heritage. it wasn’t little blue haired old ladies that blew upt he World Trade Center now was it?
This gentleman is a Sikh from India, not a Muslim or Islamist. Many Sikhs were victimized by ignorant white Americans (post 9.11) who couldn’t tell a Sikh’s turban from a Kefiyah (Qaafaya?) worn by Islamic worshippers. Likely, this gentleman’s name is Mr. Singh, a very traditional Sikh name, like Smith or Jones in the USA. It’s a shame that men who look Sikh bore the brunt of hatred and anger after our national tragedy: many Sikhs choose to own their own businesses, shops, and are very entrepreneurial and intellectual. God bless my Sikh friends!!
Awareness of other cultures opens hearts and minds!
Ugh no, that’s so stupid. Everyone things everything is directed towards them. I mean I know the government is full of dumbasses but I honestly think they really are trying to keep EVERYONE safe because ANYONE can be a threat.
thinks* oops sorry :]
I didn’t realize monkeys were terrorists?
what, terrorists are beasts so now its the end of the world if someone smuggles a monkey?
I can see where they are coming from, but I don’t know what the alternative is. Not checking hats? Sounds like a free ride for the explosives. I get that they think that once they’ve cleared security they shouldn’t suffer from more suspicion. But still.
Airport security is a necessary evil, I think they should be able to check anything on anyone really even after you’ve passed security. We have good reasons for being paranoid.
-David
….from their perspective yes.
if i just read the article, no.
but isnt that the job of the whoever was interviewed if it were racial profiling?
hmm
who cares? who is it that blew up our buildings? and who is it that continues to blow themselves up and is dedicated to the destruction of the west? and anyway, like they said, everybody wears hats.
As long as they check EVERY person that is wearing hat not just the brown people that are wearing hats.
* a hat
It may be culturally motivated, but at the point that the policy is broadly implemented it doesn’t constitute racial profiling.
um, face value not really. but i don’t really know the intention of the policy maker(s) so can’t say much.
I think someone said this on the photoblog, but if you don’t like it then don’t fly in a country with strict airport security! Problem solved!
Someone had a monkey in their hat??!!?? **wonders if Dr Suess thought of that idea**
no, it’s not profiling, unless there is a monkey involved.
No
i thought they always checked hats @ airports. i know they do @ lax. i even had to take off my slippers and get them xrayed cuz they were saying something like i could hide stuff in the foam of my slippers.
i hate airport security!!
Well, the airport already have check shoes so, why not hats? The Sikhs are either being too sensitive or pulling the racial card.
no. people from the middle east are NOT the only ones who wear things on their heads.
Hardly so.
Oh my, what a sad world we live in. I don’t think I’ll ever fly.
if a bomb can be placed there and go undetected, then yes. we’re more concerned about the safety of all passengers than we are about people wanting to make issues because they don’t like taking their turbans off to demonstrate they are not a threat to society.
and like everyone else seems to be saying, it should be the same for all passengers that wear hats… they did that across the board after the shoe-bomber incident. we didn’t hear anyone crying racial discrimination because they had to take their shoes off, now did we?
RYC – Those must be some popular classes.
No
no, and sometimes profiling is nessecary.
No, and I’m just surprised that this is a new policy. They check absolutely everything else, why not hats?
ryc: i’ve deleted less personal, and less candid, pieces. there’s a good chance i’ll delete this one, too.
uh….no…..i think its just airport security.
ryc: aww Dan that is sweet! Thank you.
“who cares? who is it that blew up our buildings? and who is it that continues to blow themselves up and is dedicated to the destruction of the west? and anyway, like they said, everybody wears hats. “
Q1) mostly Saudi Arabian Muslim extremists Q2) fundamentalist Muslims
3) Sikhs ARE NOT Muslim. Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism. Just wanted to make that clear because I’m sure there are those on here who may not know the difference. It should be noted that there were attacks on Sikhs in the NY/NJ area soon after 9/11 because they were mistaken for Arab Muslim terrorists.
No I dont, hats are an obvious hiding spot, simply promoting security.
No
It was designed for them, even though it’s broad spectrum. Really though, you could hide a handgun in a turban, easy. Cowboy hats too. Are the cowboy’s complaining? No. Then again, would cowboy hat wearers make the news, no.
If it is a big turban, yes… yarmulka, no.
ryc:
My point precisely
It’s good to hear an amen!
No. Well, sort of. Every time my father wore a cowboy hat while flying, he was pulled out of line and searched specially. My uncle, too. That’s profiling of a sort.
But… we need them to profile people. It’s called a security risk. I was glad (mostly) when I was stopped by every security officer ever in three different airports when I was carrying awkward canvasses held together by duct tape and thick styrofoam. At least it meant they were being alert to potential security risks.
On the other hand, I traveled recently with a large bottle of sun block in my purse without realizing it. Security never caught it. And sharp hair sticks half the size of knitting needles.
We could do with some more security.
Yes.
The act of checking shoes is racial profiling too.
Nope. it’s not racial profiling. If they have a problem with their truban being checked, then I guess maybe their turban is on too tight. lol
So a country that is predominantly caucasian is using a hat check to specifically target a group of people that is predominantly caucasian. If it’s racial profiling, it’s absolutely ludicrous.
No, Better safe than sorry.. I’m sorry after what happen in the past.. I rather them have full body search..
Daft.
Not if they do it to everyone who wears any kind of hat.
… who wear turbans.
Or people who wear headware. Like hats.
YES!! Because when they say hats, they say that politically correct-ly, and what it means is TURBANS!
Because everyone knows that all those terrorist Ali-Baba’s wear those towels around their head.
Stupid ignorant racist fools, all the people who work at the airport security.
Damn. And Sikhs aren’t a group, its a religion.
I always thought that checking hats was already part of policy. It’s not like we’re pulling everyone with a yarmulke or turban or whatnot out of line and making them pull it off in front of everybody. If I’m wearing a hat, it has to go off, too.
By the way, Sikhs are awesome people, and the temples are the best places to go to get vegetarian Indian food!
No, I think it’s a reaction to the fact that a man recently smuggled in a fucking monkey in his hat. I can’t believe that I have to take off my shoes, but nobody ever asks me to take off my beret, because I wear it everywhere. I could have tons of shit under there, and it’s pretty irresponsible to not take that into account.
As long as they check all hats it isn’t, huh…
It’s not like they’re the only ones who wear hats. Women wear hats. Sometimes I wear a hat. Should women say that they’re being discriminated against? What about cowboy hats? Maybe they’re discriminating against country people. OH. How about BALD people who cover up their BALDNESS. The government is after BALD people! lol
Not to mention, we already all have to take our shoes off. Does this target people who wear shoes????
no. my friends hide pot in their hats.
no. i’ve seen security at airports check EVERYONE who wear hats. no matter the race.
So, if I have my purse checked, does that mean I’m being profiled because I’m a woman?
NO. It’s because I might be carrying a weapon in my purse. If you are going to wear a big bulky hat on a plane, expect to be checked. Welcome to the real world.
I unno. o_O Airport security took MY hat away and actually ran it through the x-ray, which seemed really stupid…and it made me mad…because I almost never take off my hat. >_>;;
And I’m kinda foreign-looking but…o_O I don’t think it was racial profiling. I think it’s just so people FEEL a little bit safer even if they really aren’t. As if anyone’s hiding anything under their hats.
No, I’d feel safer knowing they checked under those hats that’s for sure.
If they are checking ALL hats, then no, it is not racial profiling.
They check shoes after a person tried to blow up a plane with explosives in his shoes… not because they’re profiling surfers or floridian college students. That’s dumb
You mean you don’t havew to take your HAT off for security already? I have to take off my jacket and my FLIPFLOPS but hats aren’t required?? That seems backwards to me.
If Sikhs don’t want to take off their turbans. then someone can just wave a wand over it to check for stuff and that should be sufficient.
ps- It’s interesting how big we are on avoiding racial profiling, then coming over to Europe where they’re shameless about using it. There’s little or no stigma against it here.
If it keeps us safer…check the turban. It’s for the safety of all~
do you have any idea how much c4 you could hide in a 10-gallon hat :O
If its all hats that r bein checked its not profilin. But we all kno who will get checked more. Unto our arabic n indian friends, i say welcome to america. Wht u r goin through is a fact of life to blks n hispanix. Live w it.
the sikhs are complaining? hey were profiling the arabs sorry if u got caught in the crossfire
we gotta take off our shoes because of the shoe bomb i just pray no one gets caught w/ a pants bomb but a i wouldnt mind a lady trying a bra bomb
hope they respect the Sikhs, as the turban is part of a religious requirement….but yes, please search.
I thought it was standard that you had to put your hat on the conveyer belt for screening. So it only seems fit that if someone’s wearing a turban… it should be searched as well. It would be UNFAIR to exclude them from security searches.
Yeah, it is racial profiling, and because we’re not idiots, it’s important to profile according to race. That way, we won’t get blown up.
Yay. And that way, we can be on our guard. It’s the gift of fear, it’s within us all, and it’s a good thing. For instance, you see a lion in a department store. You’re probably going to walk on the other side of the store, that way, you won’t be eaten. Yay, again. We get to live because we’re not idiots. Yay!!!
I agree with rainydayjanie.
This gentleman is a Sikh from India, not a Muslim or Islamist. Many Sikhs were victimized by ignorant white Americans (post 9.11) who couldn’t tell a Sikh’s turban from a Kefiyah (Qaafaya?) worn by Islamic worshippers. Likely, this gentleman’s name is Mr. Singh, a very traditional Sikh name, like Smith or Jones in the USA. It’s a shame that men who look Sikh bore the brunt of hatred and anger after our national tragedy: many Sikhs choose to own their own businesses, shops, and are very entrepreneurial and intellectual. God bless my Sikh friends!!
Awareness of other cultures opens hearts and minds!
Indian Sikhs didn’t commit the atrocities of 9/11 yet many of them bore the brunt of the anger and the racial hatred following that horrendous day. I think most people who have been to University have had a Professor Singh.
“Turban-ated” or “Non-Turbanated” is what my American Sikh friends refer to themselves, one an engineer at Microsoft was Non-Turbanated, but referred to his Dad as Turbanated. He didn’t have a beard, either and great day, he was a handsome guy with a beautiful wife who does not cover her hair… unless it’s raining. I loved the flavors of Northern India! They both loved to cook.
Namaste to all my Indian Friends out there!
National Security is a bit higher up than racial profiling.
I could see where they would think that….