A Case Against Profiling

In the wake of the Knicker-Bomber’s attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner it’s hardly a surprise that plenty of folk are calling for more rigorous profiling of muslim (or arab) passengers wanting to board aircraft. Some go so far as to suggest that all young muslim men should be strip-searched. Brother Blackburn doesn’t go that far but does say that it’s just common sense at work. Plenty of commenters agree with him.

So, since I don’t think profiling of this sort is a terribly good idea let me concede that it might make a difference to airline security. This might be the case even though there are plenty of examples, as David says, to remind one that any number of criminals would have escaped the kinds of profiling being suggested. Still, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t make some difference. The question is whether an increase in airplane security is worth the decrease in security in other areas that might follow were such a policy to be implemented.