Re: profiling and my arabic friends

["Peter T. Chattaway" <petert at interchange_ubc.ca>]

On Fri, 19 Jul 2002, Chris Lindemer wrote:
> So, because a serial killer in Alabama was a middle-aged white male, we
> should look at all such individuals as potential criminals from this
> point on?

Until you find the guy you're looking for, everyone who matches the
profile is a suspect, yes.  But if all you've got to go by is "middle-aged
white male", you're going to want to refine your profile a little before
you start wasting resources looking for this one guy.

On the other hand, if there was a wide-spread religio-political movement
that advocated mass murder and had the means to carry it out and seemed to
be comprised of middle-aged white male Alabamans, then yes, you would be
justified in race-, age-, and religon-based profiling that group.

--- Peter T. Chattaway --------------------------- peter at chattaway_com ---
 "I detected one misprint, but to torture you I will not tell you where."
      Winston Churchill to T.E. Lawrence, re Seven Pillars of Wisdom

---------------
Unsubscribe by going to http://www.actwin.com/OtR/

---

References:

• Re: profiling and my arabic friends
• From: Chris Lindemer <CD-Lindemer at wiu_edu>

---

• Prev by Date: Re: profiling and my arabic friends
• Next by Date: Land this suckah, and leave it on the runway to rot
• Prev by thread: Why it's called PATRIOT Act (Was: Re: profiling and my arabic friends)
• Next by thread: our defense (Re: profiling and my arabic friends)
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread