Port-isan politics

Now that the Democratic Party is to the right of GW on the issue of port security, I can only hope the racial profiling they now embrace will be the norm going forward in the war on terror.

After Sept 11, 2001, we were browbeat by the media and the politically correct that in order to remain a great nation we must not allow our outrage over being attacked to translate into discrimination. We must not single out a "person of interest" just because their features would tip authorities off as to where they came from or what their intentions may be. Dark hair, dark skin, an accent even a turban should not make us suspicious. So we all stood in line, removed our shoes and watched Grandma being strip-searched while Arab-looking and -speaking passengers breezed through security. This was, of course, the politically correct, American Civil Liberties Union-acceptable procedure. A sure sign of maturity in any serious democracy.

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That has all changed now that the Democrats see a chance to one-up the president on an issue we all know he takes very seriously. Now, just being a company with a home-base in the Middle East is grounds for racial profiling. No less one that is owned by an Arab nation, and, hey, I'm all for it. Just as long as they will allow us to apply the same standard at the airports, bridges and tunnels, roads, etc. in America. That would give law enforcement the ability to do its job without an ACLU attorney screaming foul. The big question is how long will this newfound love for racial profiling exist on the Left side of American politics?

Dubai Port World is the first corporation in the world to fall victim to this new chic movement amongst liberals. Dubai, plus Arab, plus Middle East, equals Terrorist.

Do you really believe in your heart that all the folks who serve on the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States – which includes representatives from the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Commerce and, most important, Homeland Security – would approve a deal they thought would jeopardize the safety of the country? Give me a break.

Just because politicians would, to save their political butts, don't think for one moment all these folks would join in. One of them would have gone to the media to tell the tale of how they objected and no one listened. These are people who have families and friends who they care about.

Have we grown that cynical to believe all these folks at multiple levels would sell us down the river? For what? It makes no sense. But then again Voltaire once said, "Common sense is not so common."

Keep in mind in this whole debate that terrorists can just as easily infiltrate American companies on American soil. If I remember correctly, not one of the 9-11 hijackers worked for a foreign company. They were all in America on visas (some expired) walking through our airports free from search and scrutiny thanks to the rants of the ACLU. Why, to check their paperwork would have been to racially profile. Unacceptable.

Apparently that has all changed, thank God.

Hopefully this new movement in the Democratic Party will be one with some consistency. That way, we can exercise a reasonable response to threats of our security. Racial profiling now makes sense on both sides of the political aisle. I just hope the folks who keep us safe are allowed to use it.