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k1c
Junior Member
Perfectly makes the point...........Intelligence, and the willingness to use it, is what makes the difference. Terrorists are, by their very nature, infiltrators. This is not news. OTOH, if the appropriate authorities stand back, for whatever reason, when the evidence needed to thwart the enemy is sitting right in front of them, then no one else is to blame for the consequences. You don't have to be Moslem, Jew, Catholic, Protestant, Basque, Tamil, Georgian, Afghani, French, Italian or German to understand this point. The army guy didn't need to be 'profiled', someone just needed to speak up or take notice. Same with 911, and the same with the underpants guy. Profiling everyone with a turban, kafiyeh, beard, dark skin, middle eastern accent, male and between the ages of 17yo and 40yo makes no more sense than profiling every white, Irish Catholic veteran from the State of New York between 17 and 40 would have prior to Timothy McVeigh going mental. Profiling those KNOWN to hold extreme anti government sentiment, expressing extreme anti government rhetoric and threats, emotional and mental instability and more than a passing interest in explosives and guns (Hmmm, I'm from the UK, so I think that means almost all y'all
), may have helped avert the Oklahoma City disaster. We're all subject to scrutiny when we travel but, as Jez notes, it is the targetted screening of those we know are most likely to commit acts of terrorism that really pays dividends, and not the indiscriminate harassment of all and sundry just because they fit the 'visual' profile, or because the screeners have been told to search 2000 people a day on a random basis.
And a real question.........Does anybody know how many folks have been detained as a result of random or racial screening at airports, and who have been subsequently proved to have been engaged in a terrorist act or plot?
Well mate, there are half a dozen other members who agreed with my post.
Actually the forum is dedicated to being non political. There is a fine sub section for all political debates. When a post like this comes up it invokes many different views. IMO this Thread by its very nature is political. Threads like this in the past have just ended up upsetting people.
Nelly
This thread is more racist and ignorant than political... but I agree with you Nelly, it fits perfectly in the UP section
stryken
Vertically Challenged
Nothing fuels racism in the world more than the use of the word racist. Well, except perhaps the Media. So easy to yell out that word and try to scare off your opponent. I don't think there are as many true racist left in the America as the media would have you think. I myself pretty much categorize people into one of two groups ... OK or A-hole. We have all chatted with each other in other threads and I think we would all have a great time together on a group ride. Just because this is all type and no face to face is no reason to get rude because one guy believes different than another. Its fun to debate but when you begin to get so angry about a widely held view just hit the back button. It's not like any of this is new radical ideas or opinions, same old debates that's been going on for a long time. Theses differing opinions shouldn't sting either side that much anymore.
k1c
Junior Member
Hey Mike, Not sure if your post was directed at me or not, but 'racist' is not an idea or attribute I meant to imply.
Perhaps 'cultural screening' would have been a better choice of words. :thumbup:
stryken
Vertically Challenged
No... at no one in particular, just saw it brought up a couple times and I just think the word is WAY over used. I don't even think we could get a consistent definition of what the word means anymore. The word itself has become a comment to incite anger, even if its not meant to.
Making a list of terrorist attacks along with a direct amalgam to Muslim males and then wondering why based on that all Muslims are not automatically thrown on the side for extra screening at Airports is not the basis for a sane debate on an international motorcycle forum imho.
To me, that's what fuels racism and intolerance...
stryken
Vertically Challenged
I can agree with that, but its not to say that there was any racism involved. Just perhaps a bit of bad judgment on the placement of a post. The original post did specify [FONT=Comic Sans MS, sans-serif]extremist [/FONT]which does call out a specific group rather than the entire race. Just as if someone were to say white male klansmen, why would this comment upset me unless I were a Klan member? But I agree perhaps this should have been posted under UP. But most of us in this thread enjoy a good debate or we wouldn't have commented in the first place. No negative feelings from me toward anyone that has posted here, its been fun and intellectually challenging. You won't find intellence like this in a Harley forum ... and that is racism we can all agree on
JK I have friends with Harleys, and they are kinda like a race of their own .
W
wrightme43
Thats why I love you.
fzme
Senior Member
Whether it's on a forum, or person to person, someone initiating a conversation reminding of the "us vs. them" world and how I should still be afraid, and the PC media will ensure our demise, etc. it worries me. It's a tragic truth in our American society, but many white Americans (that's me too) who live in rural areas with limited cultural exposure tend to be more reactionary and less tolerant. Wrightme, your sweeping generalizations don't give thought to complexities like culture, ethnicity, politics, gender roles, traditions, power structure, long/short-term history, etc. etc. with regard to the global conflict. As laymen, the situation is too complicated for you (or me) to be discussing with any sort of credibility. The due diligence of understanding what looks like similar occurrences (your "test") is easy. Jez did it. Without the proper understanding owed to this argument, one (such as yourself) should err on the side ignorance instead of absolution. The whole thing sounds like thinly veined racism.
Besides, I'm here to talk about the Yamaha FZ6 motorcycle...hence the title of forum.
Besides, I'm here to talk about the Yamaha FZ6 motorcycle...hence the title of forum.
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wrightme43
See thats the best part. No where does anyone wonder why "ALL MUSLIMS" are not thrown (as you say) on the side for extra screening.
I want know know WHY grandmas, pilots, obviously normal people are being screened so heavily to avoid the hint of looking like were looking for the people we know we are looking for.
Now of course that makes me a muslim hating racist (which is what you have insinuated three times in this thread) Would you like to call Sabir and ask him about me and how often he comes to my home? How about Manocher? Maybe Nargis? Wanna call Ara and ask her if she thinks I am a racist? Maybe my friend Amir thinks I am a racist. Or Rezza who brings me cigars cause I go so far out of my way to help him whenever he needs something. Maybe Mirza who brings me lunch and I fix his car on my lunch break? All of these people are of the muslim faith. Guess what they are EDIT NOT (left out the word not) P.C. weenies. I talk to them they same as I talk to you guys. Reeza is the one that really explained what is happening in Iran to me. Sabir loves to talk to me about Saudi Arabia. Mirza is a Bosnian Muslim whom had most of his family killed by the Serbs. He is a Dammned good man. He is a freaking American now though.
Manocher and Nargis are from Iran. They fled with nothing when the Islamic uprising occured. They are freaking awesome people. Manocher has balls the size of a bear. This dude saw what was coming, told his new young wife Nargis that they were leaving. She fought him, she cried, she begged, but he KNEW what was coming and got the hell out. He was right. They have a wonderful life here, wonderful children. They are Americans. Thier hearts are full of love and pride. You can see it.
P.C. bullcrap will get many of us killed.
I do appreciate being called a racist though. First one to call racist loses right? Sorta like the first one to call Hitler loses?
I want know know WHY grandmas, pilots, obviously normal people are being screened so heavily to avoid the hint of looking like were looking for the people we know we are looking for.
Now of course that makes me a muslim hating racist (which is what you have insinuated three times in this thread) Would you like to call Sabir and ask him about me and how often he comes to my home? How about Manocher? Maybe Nargis? Wanna call Ara and ask her if she thinks I am a racist? Maybe my friend Amir thinks I am a racist. Or Rezza who brings me cigars cause I go so far out of my way to help him whenever he needs something. Maybe Mirza who brings me lunch and I fix his car on my lunch break? All of these people are of the muslim faith. Guess what they are EDIT NOT (left out the word not) P.C. weenies. I talk to them they same as I talk to you guys. Reeza is the one that really explained what is happening in Iran to me. Sabir loves to talk to me about Saudi Arabia. Mirza is a Bosnian Muslim whom had most of his family killed by the Serbs. He is a Dammned good man. He is a freaking American now though.
Manocher and Nargis are from Iran. They fled with nothing when the Islamic uprising occured. They are freaking awesome people. Manocher has balls the size of a bear. This dude saw what was coming, told his new young wife Nargis that they were leaving. She fought him, she cried, she begged, but he KNEW what was coming and got the hell out. He was right. They have a wonderful life here, wonderful children. They are Americans. Thier hearts are full of love and pride. You can see it.
P.C. bullcrap will get many of us killed.
I do appreciate being called a racist though. First one to call racist loses right? Sorta like the first one to call Hitler loses?
still waiting on that clarification mate
fzme
Senior Member
Wrightme, in the nicest way possible, I think you are an idiot.
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