Profiling actually makes us less safe, because only those people who fit the profile are searched while the rest of us go our merry way. Tim McVeigh didn't look like a terrorist according to the current profile. Heck, he was a blond veteran, forcryingoutloud!
The kiddies at MIT developed an algorithmic proof a year ago that showed profiling based on the assembly of this kind of data is an ineffective way to protect us. The only thing it really protects us from is waiting in line.
So, this data-gathering invades our privacy, opens us up to commercial exploitation (as our trustworthy government agencies occasionally "job out" our data), makes identity theft easier, violates our Fourth Amendment rights, lowers the civil liberties expectations of Americans (which may be a good thing if you want Americans to forget about their civil liberties) by coarsening that part of the culture, and doesn't keep us safe anyway. But we don't have to wait in line as long.
Sounds like a lose-lose situation to me.
Regards--
Mary Anne
psst... SDAI has started posting pictures! You know what this means? He's run out of real arguments and has to resort to attempts at ridicule! he he he
Current Events » in reply to And so it begins...
Not only that
The whole thread (42 posts)
- Librarians can rest a little easier...
- Goldberg on this subject
- Fair and balanced reporting... (not from
- Such unreasonable behavior by those wicked fascists. (n/t)
- Damocles got a lot of rest while that sword was suspended over his head, too.
- Then I guess we could repeal that section, right?