Air travel restrictions

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

TSA claims they need to look between the pages for contraband.

That's BS.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's BS.

And so is the TSA

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Maybe they're checking to see what people are reading so they can put them on a subversive list for reading stuff not deemed "proper"

It's Kansas, they may be putting them on a subversive list just for reading

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

It's Kansas, they may be putting them on a subversive list just for reading

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How the heck is paper a security threat unless they are afraid of paper cuts?

Actually, you can kill somebody with the right piece of cardboard.
(Plastic is easier.)

See these bookmarks?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...mark&FORM=IGRE

Any of those can be as deadly as a boxcutter.
So is a pen or pencil.

One more time: "Killing is easy."
Or, as folks keep saying, "There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous people."

More than searching for killing tools they need to look for would-be killers. But that is still politically incorrect. Until somebody brings a plane down with their bare hands.

[Apache]

You can kill people with anything. Rolled up newspapers will work or even just shoving the paper down someone's throat.
Apache

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Apache

You can kill people with anything. Rolled up newspapers will work or even just shoving the paper down someone's throat.
Apache

Exactly.
Anything that can serve as a force concentrator can be a weapon.

You can't block everything or everybody with vile intent but you don't have to make it easy on them. And if you hear of something they are looking into you have to address it or get roasted after the fact.

It's a lose-lose situation.

[rkomar]

It sounds to me like they weren't looking for weapons, but rather some kind of contraband (drugs, money,...). It's not about airline safety.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by rkomar

It sounds to me like they weren't looking for weapons, but rather some kind of contraband (drugs, money,...). It's not about airline safety.

It rarely is.

[Froide]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Police don't just walk around frisking random black guys, they frisk black guys who act a certain way.

Wait...what? Your MobileRead profile says you're from Atlanta, GA, so I'm surprised you'd believe that, much less write that.

I have a better understanding than most of both the effectiveness of profiling when it is done properly and of how the practice is actually applied (read: abused) by some. This understanding is attributable in part to the facts that:

• One of my mentors was a prominent American consultant on the topic, so I not only studied the phenomenon as part of my Ivy League doctoral studies but in addition learned from one of the masters,
• A close friend's brother-in-law was head of security for all of El Al (an airline often touted for its top-notch security practices, including its method of profiling), and
• Unwarranted racial profiling (without justifiable cause) is an undeniable, well-documented reality in the USA, hence the existence of numerous research and investigative reports, statistical studies, lawsuits, and acronyms addressing commonplace profiling practices that handily rebut your statement, e.g., DWB (Driving While Black), FWB (Flying While Black), SWB (Shopping While Black), and WWB (Walking While Black - 'though "WWB" is sometimes also used to describe another unfortunate, race-based phenomenon).

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Froide

Wait...what? Your MobileRead profile says you're from Atlanta, GA, so I'm surprised you'd believe that, much less write that.

I have a better understanding than most of both the effectiveness of profiling when it is done properly and of how the practice is actually applied (read: abused) by some. This understanding is attributable in part to the facts that:

• One of my mentors was a prominent American consultant on the topic, so I not only studied the phenomenon as part of my Ivy League doctoral studies but in addition learned from one of the masters,
• A close friend's brother-in-law was head of security for all of El Al (an airline often touted for its top-notch security practices, including its method of profiling), and
• Unwarranted racial profiling (without justifiable cause) is an undeniable, well-documented reality in the USA, hence the existence of numerous research and investigative reports, statistical studies, lawsuits, and acronyms addressing commonplace profiling practices that handily rebut your statement, e.g., DWB (Driving While Black), FWB (Flying While Black), SWB (Shopping While Black), and WWB (Walking While Black - 'though "WWB" is sometimes also used to describe another unfortunate, race-based phenomenon).

I write it because I am from Atlanta, Ga and pay attention to such things. I get that it's a hot button topic for a lot of people, and I get that the idea that profiling=prejudice is accepted as gospel in certain circles. Doesn't mean that it's true, though. Is a group of black teens going to get extra scrutiny by the police. Sure, but for it to be prejudice, you have to ask will a group of elderly blacks also get that extra scrutiny. The answer to that is usually no.

Young black males get extra scrutiny because the crime rate among young black males is very high, especially in certain urban areas. On the other hand, if it happens when there is a sizeable black police force (and the percentage of blacks in the Atlanta police force is higher that the percentage of blacks in the general population), then perhaps something else is going on. Atlanta has had a black mayor and black police chief for most of my life, and I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Why would they be prejudice against blacks?

I teach self defense classes. A number of my fellow karate teachers have worked as bouncers. It's all about accessing threats. That's what profiling is.

As far as driving while black, in general people who look out of place get extra scrutiny. You don't get pulled over for driving while black in Atlanta. On the flip side, a white guy who is slowly cruising in a black neighborhood known for drugs is likely to get pulled over for driving while white.

[hildea]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

On the other hand, if it happens when there is a sizeable black police force (and the percentage of blacks in the Atlanta police force is higher that the percentage of blacks in the general population), then perhaps something else is going on. Atlanta has had a black mayor and black police chief for most of my life, and I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Why would they be prejudice against blacks?

Um, because they live in a racist society, and are thus influenced by racist views. For one heartbreaking example, see this video of kids talking about dolls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgTM . ("Which doll is the pretty doll? Which doll is the nice doll?" the interviewer asks, and the black kids point at the white doll.)

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by hildea

Um, because they live in a racist society, and are thus influenced by racist views. For one heartbreaking example, see this video of kids talking about dolls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgTM . ("Which doll is the pretty doll? Which doll is the nice doll?" the interviewer asks, and the black kids point at the white doll.)

Atlanta is a racist society? I see. I would think the fact that both the Mayor and police chief have been black for the last 40 years is rather counter to that particular narrative, but hey what do I know. I only live here.

[HarryT]

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[HarryT]

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