Bob,

Well you didn't exactly follow the thread correctly.

The issue of payments to airlines quickly diverged and Mike set up the idea that we should surrender our freedom in return for safety.

Paul pointed out that wasn't such a good idea, I seconded that idea.

At that point I was informed that I was nuts and Mike opined that being checked at the airport was a small inconvenience.

At this point I pointed out the the threats to freedom went beyond "being checked at the airport" and this is where I brought up the issue of racial profiling.

At that Point Bob Orme advocated racial profiling when he said "Where would you look first when wanting to find others involved in similar potential activities?"

Notice he was talking about potential activities (not as you are saying tracking suspects from the activities which had already occurred).

I have already conceded that as far as this investigation goes, it would be a fair assumption to believe that most of the people involved are likely Arab/Muslim (once you have established the initial information linking a Arab/Muslim group).

Yet Bob and others continue to argue that merely being Arab/Muslim is a legitmate basis to suspect a person is going to commit a future act of terrorism.

And Archie argues that since he makes assumptions about breeds of dogs, such logic can be applied to people.

If you do not see how offensive Archie's comment was let us just fill in the blanks,

Archie says that :"If my (American) family is repeatedly attacked by purple pit bulls ... you can bet your last casino chip that I will forever be wary of purple pit bulls... Cut off their heads and they no longer attack my family .... or yours."

go ahead replace purple pit bulls with Arabs. And there is Archie calling for violence against Arabs.

Well guess what . . . that logic can be extended to all racial or religious groups.

well if you want to think that Archie was talking about purple pit bulls go ahead, but I know what Archie was saying.

Its unbelieveable, you people wouldn't tolerate this kind of talk about Jews, or Blacks, or Hispanics. (Oh maybe you'd say it but only in private and in whispers).

But heck you need a scapegoat and Arabs aren't among the popular minority groups so just open fire.

As much as I hate to leave this bigotry unchallenged it has finally gotten through my thick head that its like administering medicine to the dead.

I'm done