What's So Wrong With Profiling?

There are a lot of people bally-whooing that Arizona’s brave new anti-illegal immigration measure will result in profiling. Well good. We need more profiling. And it’s about time to drop the politically correct nonsense and embrace the fact that profiling helps to protect us as individuals and as a society.

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Profiling is the act of using specific characteristics to make generalizations about a person in a specific situation. If people are honest with themselves, each and every one of us profiles people all day long. It’s one of the ways that we stay safe and protect our families. And politically correct or not, we expect the police to do the same thing to protect our community.

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But let’s not get things confused here. Profiling is not about singling out a specific race or sex or religion or age or any other characteristic. It is about keeping aware of surroundings and looking for behaviors which don’t belong in a particular situation. The problem is that people seem to confuse “right” (as in “it’s my right” to do this or that) with “should” and then scream that they are being singled out because of their race, religion, sex etc. instead of accepting the fact that they are being singled out because of their actions.

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As a parent, if I notice a guy hanging out around the kiddie playground, who doesn’t have a child or other legitimate reason for being there, I make an assumption. Because men that engage in that behavior are more likely to be pedophiles, I have “profiled” his behavior and determined that he could be a danger. I expect the police to find out who he is and why he is hanging out at the playground. Does the guy have the “right” to hang out at the kiddie playground? Yes. “Should” he? Not unless he wants the negative attention.

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If I am slowly driving down a street known for having a bunch of crack houses, the police will pull me over. They look at my behavior and assume that I may be in the area to buy drugs. They are “profiling” me based on my actions. Do I have the “right” to drive slowly down a street of crack houses? Sure. Maybe I’m lost. Maybe I’m looking at investment property. But “should” I drive slowly down crack house lane? Not unless I want to earn the potential repercussions.

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Now media outlets are claiming that Hispanics are fearful of being profiled, thanks to the new law in Arizona which would give the police the ability to verify the legal status. This is ridiculous. Hispanics, just like everyone else, will be profiled IF they are engaging in illegal or suspicious behavior. Good. That is exactly how it should be. The new law doesn’t suggest that the police will be trolling neighborhoods, stopping anyone with dark hair. It simply says that the police have the right to ascertain legal status when investigation is warranted.

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How is this oppressive? As a driver, I know that I have to have my driver’s license with me when I am in the car. If I don’t carry it and I get pulled over, I can land in jail. So, I carry my license. In an area of the country where violence is being perpetrated largely by people who are here illegally, it is completely reasonable for police to seek proof of citizenship from those who are in high crime areas, are hanging out in places populated by illegals, or engaging in illegal activity. The goal is not to detain people who can show that they are legal citizens, it is to quickly weed out the people who have the legal right to be here from those who do not.

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Arizona is under siege from illegals coming from Mexico and South America. Entering the country illegally is….shock….ILEGAL. Once here, a disproportionate number of these criminals engage in additional crime. Some of this crime is against individuals and businesses in the form of assaults, robbery, drugs, and murder. Lots of crime is against tax payers and society as a whole in the form of welfare, medical and educational expenses and additional social services. Until all citizens, but especially Hispanics, refuse to harbor, employ, and support illegals, they will continue to come into our country, breaking the law and devastating our communities and our economy.

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There is no denying that LEGAL immigrants contribute in important ways to every aspect of society. But there is no place in this country for illegal immigrants. We must use every means at our disposal to repel illegals at the border as well as create an environment that is so hostile as to stop them breaking into our country.

Arizona Is Fed Up With Illegals – Presidential and Otherwise

This week, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill which would give the police the power to arrest anyone who was unable to prove that they are entitled to be in the country. Despite a Rasmussen poll that suggests 70% of Arizona citizens approve of the measure, civil rights groups are screaming foul.

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Congressman Luiz Gutierrez, a radical proponent of a borderless country and ultra-liberal Chicago Democrat, has been very vocal in demanding that the Governor of Arizona refuse to sign the bill into law, claiming that the civil rights of anyone who looks like they might be illegal would be violated. Gutierrez states that the bill would amount to systematic profiling. He also called to Hispanics to refuse to back Republicans due to their support.

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Haven’t we seen enough of politicians using their ethnicity to claim the right to speak for ALL people of the same race? The idea that those who are legally in this country, especially those who have made the effort to become citizens through the proper legal channels, would support the behavior of those who break the laws and flout the system, is ridiculous.

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Of course, for Gutierrez and his ilk, this is NOT a matter of protecting people from profiling. It is simply a vehicle to progress the Obama, borderless America agenda. In fact, the bill would protect Hispanics (and others) who are citizens of the US or are legally allowed to be here, by removing the stigma of the illegal immigrant.

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Border States like Arizona are going bankrupt thanks to the costs associated with illegal immigration. This means that those who legally entitled to be in the US are dealing with reduced services for education, social services, health and medical services and of course increased crime. Legal citizens, especially Hispanics, are paying both in taxes and in perception for the actions of those in the US illegally.

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Despite Mr. Gutierrez’s assertions, the current lack of protection for citizens from illegals and the problems that they bring is already affecting Hispanics in a negative way. Let’s not pretend. If you live in a community where 90% of the people who wear green shirts are gardeners and you come into town wearing a green shirt, people will assume that you are also a gardener. If Hispanics want to protect themselves from the stigma of guilt by perception, they should be first in line to demand illegals are removed and prevented from coming into the country.

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Of course this problem only exists because the Federal government refuses to protect American borders and citizens. A combination of a wall, increased border security, and tough enforced immigration laws would end Arizona’s need to protect itself and would quickly end any potential “profiling” issues.

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Gutierrez and others suggest that forcing people to show an id proving that they are allowed to be in the country is a violation of their civil rights. This is ridiculous. Every citizen is required to provide proof of their eligibility all the time. In the United States, we are required by law to carry our driver’s license while driving. While it has been a few years since anyone asked to see my id when ordering a glass of wine in a restaurant, anyone who wants to have a drink or go to a club or bar or even an R rated movie is required to show id proving their eligibility. In fact, most activities, from getting on a plane to going to the emergency room require that a person present valid identification to the authority in charge of that activity.

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Do I want to live in a police state? Absolutely not. Do I think that giving the police MORE power is generally a good idea? No. But the people of Arizona have the right to be safe. They have the right for their tax dollars to be used for the good of citizens. Unfortunately, as long as the federal government continues to fail to protect citizens, the people of Arizona have the right to protect themselves.

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Arizona has also taken a very impressive step to protect its citizens from political charlatans. The House passed a bill requiring all potential candidates to prove their eligibility prior to having their name on the ballot in a Presidential election. While liberals will howl that the issue is geared towards Obama or is a “birther” issue, all Americans should welcome the bill as protection against an illegible person from ANY party, taking power in the United States.

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Hats off to Arizona. They have finally had enough of waiting for the federal government to do their job and have reaffirmed states rights. I can’t help to think that at least some of the illegal immigration problem will disappear in Arizona quickly once Governor Brewer signs Senate Bill 1070 into law. If you were in a state illegally and knew that you could be checked at any moment, the likelihood that you would stay in that state is greatly reduced. Of course it might not be so great for neighboring states which may see an exodus of illegals from Arizona into states that protect illegals by failure to move against them. But, maybe it will make other states follow Arizona’s lead. If Obama won’t put the security of the country ahead of his need for new liberal voters, states will have to do it themselves.

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And it will be interesting to see if Obama’s on the ballot in Arizona in 2012….