It always comes to this. With the latest hysteria of the moment over TSA pat downs, Americans (elected officials in particular) continue to live down to my expectations.
Melissa Harris-Perry tweeted something today that I think was right on point:
Continue to be fascinated by process where stopping, groping, frisking black youth= law & order, but to middle class travelers=violation.
I would like to co-sign this sentiment. Here are the stories of young people of color who are subjected to hourly "pat-downs" by police across America with almost no outcry from the American public.
Here you have an article about the New Orleans police's unspoken stop & frisk quotas.
So black and brown youth are being harassed and patted down with impunity and CRICKETS...
Now just this evening, right on cue, Republican Jason Chaffetz is calling for "behavioral profiling" rather than "pat-downs." I am sorry but we live in a racist society and the people who will be subjected to "behavioral profiling" will be the so-called suspicious BROWN PEOPLE. We all know that this is the case. But people are happy for people of color to continue to bear the brunt of all of these violations as long as the majority can escape scrutiny. I find all of this to be appalling.