The TSA checks are not random.
Aren Kazanciyan,
CA
As far as the popular conceptions of race go, I am usually considered Middle Eastern. My family members and I are always heckled by airport security, without fail.
Not all white conservatives are racists
Emily,
Houston, TX.
Many people complain about discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudices relating to race; and I am under no illusion that what they experience is real and happens every day. After experiencing such treatment, I would hope that those people would be more sensitive to the subject and try not to stereotype people. Unfortunately, I believe that such profiling and grouping has become a nasty cycle in most people. I am a conservative and I live in Texas, but that does not mean I am a racist. I was half-raised by my mother’s best friend, a black lesbian. To this day I consider her family. I respect those of all races. I think as a nation we need to focus on judging a person by their character- not their skin color, race, region, or political views.
Entered world of race after 9/11
Lesley Thomas George
Frisco, TX
My perfect little world was broken up into different races post 9/11. As an Indian-American, I escaped much of the profiling that many African Americans face. After 9/11 much of that changed.
Appearance, not race, dictates reactionary climate
Stephanie Baylor ,
USA.
I am a twenty-something white woman who lives in a city where rape is a gang initiation. I also have a concealed carry permit to defend myself. I think about the gun in my purse when I see a “gangsta,” be he caucasian, african-american, mexican, or asian. A “gangsta”, per the urban dictionary, is “a sociopathic member of the inner-city underclass, known primarily for being antisocial and uneducated. Also known for ready access to illegal drugs and weapons, and staggeringly poor marksmanship.” In appearance, a “gangsta” dresses to mimic prison or gang fashions, often showing at least 6-12 inches of underwear, wearing extremely baggy clothing, and a gold cap or two. I will be in trouble when “gangstas” learn this profiling technique and start wearing Banana Republic skinny chinos with Gap sweaters and hipster glasses. Our fashion is, more often than not, an outer representation of who we identify with or how we see ourselves. The day appearance profiling ends is the day a man in goth attire is hired as a kindergarten teacher, or when Julia Roberts gets the same service in a hooker outfit as she does in a conservative dress.
Man tried for shooting black teen.
KK Boas
Austin, TX
Associated Press says “A man with a gun. A black teen, shot dead”
ABC news says “The trial of a Florida man accused of shooting a black teenager begins today in a case that has drawn similarities to the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case.”
Even the Daily Beast, in an article entitled “White Fear Matters More Than Black Lives” says “A Florida jury failed to convict yet another man for killing an unarmed black teenager.”
If we name the race of the victim, should we not also name the race of the accused?
This old wound will never heal
Greg D.
Royal Oak, MI
I’m glad to live in America. Race plays an important role in our society. There is definitely discrimination against black people in our country, but there are also some black people that use it as a crutch.
Example of the former: I got a speeding ticket in Maryland Heights Missouri circa 2001. When I went to the court house to pay the ticket, (I’m white), the entire place was full of black people who got pulled over for Tailgating. I was the only white person in the room. The worst part was hardly in black people live in Maryland Heights Missouri. Definitely some profiling going on there in 2001.
I’m glad you have this website up.
Thank you!
