Stu Bykofsky weighs in on the inevitable implications of, in his words, "when terrorists look like us."
JIHADJANE has a message for racial-profiling fans: Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah.
JihadJane blew up the notion - never really widely held - that being a blue-eyed blonde should slide you through airport security like grease through a goose while everyone with a Middle Eastern name, a swarthy complexion or a turban should be strip-searched by Transportation Security Administration screeners.
Well, he certainly has a point about racial and ethnic profiling -- it will be interesting, if I get a chance, to hear Smercomish's take on this. But I think the broader point here is that Colleen LaRose was a woman with a world of problems before she discovered al-Qaeda. In all honesty I think it makes more sense to view her as Act III after the Austin IRS attack and the Pentagon shooting -- people who were deranged or narcissistic or both and who turned their demons toward something political. And I think that is a commentary on our times:
For too long in America we've had people committing random acts of violence -- usually toward their own family, unfortunately, and occasionally at crowded places like a McDonald's; in 2010, the focus is anti-government and anti-Americanism -- that's partly a reflection on the deep anxiety in U.S. society right now and partly because of the hypercharged media atmosphere (and yes, I mean on all sides) that we live in today. The Internet, in particular, enabled all three of these people -- to obsess on conspiracy theories or to post a death rant where millions could read it or, now, for a blonde, blue-eyed and deeply troubled woman from the Philadelphia exurbs to hook up with al-Qaeda. And if you believe in free speech and unfettered Internet access, as most of us do, there's no easy solution for that.
Will, it is still about probabilities. A young swarthy man is still the biggest threat to the pursuit of happiness and still needs to be singled out. These homegrown nut jobs spun their Wheel of Whacky and it came up 'hate the government'. It could have just as easily hit 'serial drunk driver' or 'game show host'. Their motivations are radically (pun intended) different than those of their cave dwelling counterparts. As such they must be dealt with differently. These anomalies don't change the equation at all.— Joe Funk- Joe - "the numbers say" that it is highly inefficient to profile on the basis of whether someone is "swarthy."— Talking point sleuth
Comment removed.- Because of all the pro-Palestinian posts I've written over the years? Funny, because I've forgotten all about those. Maybe once or twice I've disapproved of Isreal using banned weapons (as do Palestinians when they fire rockets at civilians.)— will
JihadJane doesn't change a damn thing about racial profiling...it means we need to maintain vigilence and investigate all serious threats. For each JihadJane, I'll raise you 10 Nidal Hasans!— rudytbone- So, because she doesn't fit the profile, profiling shouldn't be used? What illogic. Profiling doesn't rely solely on color of skin. Profiling, properly used, is an effective law enforcement tool and anti-terrorism tool.— pj katauskas
Looking at this woman's troubled past, it seems like this is how she chose to committ suicide, by trying to go out in a blaze of twisted "glory" someday. Thankfully she has been caught, by law enforcement. Funny how law enforcement around the world is responsible for most of the high profile arrests of terrorists.— Les Ismore- Most of the terrorist acts on American soil have come from white men! White = terrorist...doesn't feel good to be lumped up with the scum does it!— javydelphia
How does this disprove the value of profiling to law enforcement? Just because someone doesn't fit the profile doesn't mean you throw out the profile. I've always used the example of two white guys driving around 8th and Butler at midnight in a car with Jersey tags. Anybody with any street savvy is immediately going to conclude that they are looking to buy drugs - does that "profile" become wrong or useless just because once the two white guys were legitimately lost??— bird11- You nailed it, bird!— pj katauskas
- I heard she's on Beck tonight. he's promoting it as a night that will change American history. Fitting follow up to Tuesday night. The loon interviewing the loons.— gee1971
- And she's on Larry King this weekend.— pj katauskas
- "that's partly a reflection on the deep anxiety in U.S. society " Gee, Will, do you think it just might have something to do with the fact that al Qaeda tried to bring down an airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day? And that the episode revealed just how inept our counterterrorism agencies are?— db_cooper
- Comment removed.
- She just looks SCARY!!— pj katauskas
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
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