It takes all sorts

Well, there’s something on Yahoo about the capture of JihadJane is causing terrorism experts to “rethink” how they profile terrorists.

Really? Ya think?

So evidently because a 5 foot nothin’, middle-aged blond from Fort Worth (and by the way, thanks, toots, that’s just the kind of image boost the Dallas-Ft. Worth area needed – Crazy Crackers ‘R’ Us) was raising money and plotting murder in the name of Islam, that is a game changer. We’ll have to profile all sorts of different (and next time I fly out of DFW and get stripped searched because I might have a bomb in my brassiere, I’ll think kindly of you, Janie, old girl).

Why is it that any time anyone who’s not a white guy does this stuff, they add that to the possible profile? Blacks, eastern Europeans and southeast Asians may by converts. Second or third generation middle eastern men could be hatching a train-bomber plot. Now white women might have gone all Jihad Jane. It all gets into the profile. Except if you’re a white guy.

Prior to September 11, the biggest domestic terror attack in this country was the Oklahoma City bombing – 2 white guys. The guy who took a gun to shoot up the Pentagon – white guy. The guy who flew into the IRS building – white guy.

You know why they don’t add in white guys? Because then everyone would be on the list.

To which I say – ah ha! The whole profiling thing just gives law enforcement a false sense of security that they can predict who is a threat. They can’t. You can’t tell a person’s history by looking at them. The dark-skinned young man in front of you could be a second-generation American who is funding terrorism. Or he could be a recent immigrant who is looking forward to nothing more than living the American dream. If you take away profiling that means everybody is a suspect. Well, yeah. It would also be easier if liars all had shifty eyes, blonds were all stupid and the bad guy always wore a black hat.

The truth is that crazy doesn’t have a race, gender, creed, age or nationality. And if you think violence will solve anything, you really are crazy.