By Eli Bolus

 

For as long as I can remember, going through airport security has taken longer for my family than most.

The last time I went through airport security it was one day before school started.  After I picked up my  bag and handed over the “dangerous” weapons I carried on my person like nail clippers and bottle of hand sanitizer,  I looked over to see Transportation Security Association agents searching a large Middle Eastern looking man for weapons or other illegal paraphernalia.  This man was my father. He is not the first to be “randomly” searched and he certainly will not be the last. My father, like many others that look Middle Eastern or have Middle Eastern names said the “random” searches got especially bad soon after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011.  Flying was not an option just because of the looks people would give my father;  people universally feared him.

Over the last decade the hostility decreased, but it is definitely still there.  It takes the form of the random searches the T.S.A. performs on a regular basis.

Fifteen years ago my father’s name was just a name, but now it is a brand.  People know that a name with a Middle Eastern root is a warning that this man is dangerous.  T.S.A. agents know to search people with Middle Eastern names like my father because of what stereotypes lead them to believe.  Now my father’s name is more than just a name; it is a curse.

These searches do not bother my father in the least.  He, more than anyone, understands how important they really are.  It actually bothers him more when they search people like my 80-year-old grandma.  They are obviously no threat, so T.S.A. agents are only trying to avoid offending someone.  Acting like you are not profiling may be actually worse than profiling.

Regardless of a person’s “feelings,” safety needs to be our number one priority. This may mean adding an extra 20 minutes to our travel time, but this is for the overall safety of fellow Americans.  So if that means racially profiling must take place in airports among other places, then so be it.

Some would say profiling is ignorant and outdated, but there is no other way to ensure the safety of our country without some form of it.

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