Keep Shining, City on a Hill

Recent world events, more specifically those in regards to Islamic fundamentalism, have forced the world to ask tough questions. How do we deal with an enemy that refuses to raise an army, refuses to fight a traditional war, and targets civilian populations? Should our military, civilian emergency response agencies, or diplomats be at the forefront of our efforts?

There are no simple answers to these complex questions, and good, well-intentioned people often disagree over proposed means to a common end.

In this spirit, I have been alarmed at the right wing cry for systematic "terrorist profiling" as a response to the latest terror threat. They refuse to call it "racial profiling", but they use "terrorist" as a code word to mean, "young, middle eastern male."

I cannot argue that the vast majority of terrorists fit their description, but I do not see the benefit of systematically singling them out. The vast majority of American Muslims are decent people who embrace their Western society. No one is arguing that we need to put those that fit the bill into internment camps, but the effort to profile one specific group of people is reminiscent of the Japanese internment camps during World War 2 and more recently segregation in the American South. Both were periods of our nation's history that we look back on in shame.

Not only would such actions constitute a general abandonment of the American spirit, but it would be highly ineffective as a policy. We know that Jemahh Islamiyah (the Filipino branch of al Qaeda) was largely responsible for the Mid-Atlantic plot and that the would-be hijackers were mostly South Asian men and women. We also know that al Qaeda has actively recruited western converts to Islam to attract less attention to potential attacks. The bottom line is that the enemy will adjust to our tactics one way or the other.

What we need is a set of uniform security standards for public transportation terminals and special events. If we have authority figures who know what to look for, then we should not need to single anyone out unneccessarily.

Americans need to fully consider the ramifications of such actions before jumping on a bandwagon. If we allow our government to systematically single certain groups out, then we cannot expect to have a healthy, integrated society. Consider the chaos in France last summer. Consider the crisis Britain now faces with its homegrown Islamic fundamentalists. If our citizens are not fully assimilated and accepted into our processes then they become disenfranchised with our institutions - and that can be a very dangerous condition.

I find it upsetting that the party of Reagan would allow fellow Americans to be treated as second class citizens just to save some time at the airport. If you have never read the "Shining City On a Hill" speech, I recommend doing so now.

America, especially Reagan Revolutionaries, should always take up the cause of her citizens - so long as they are willing to take up hers.