2006年VOA标准英语-Increased Calls for Racial Profiling At Airport

By Bill Rodgers
Washington, D.C.
23 August 2006
 
watch Profiling report

The recently foiled terrorism plot in Britain has once again raised questions about whether airport security personnel should begin screening airline passengers based on race and religion.  At least one U.S. Congressman¹ has publicly called for extra screening procedures for people of Middle Eastern or South Asian heritage. That proposal has provoked angry denunciations from civil rights groups. 

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Airport security lines   
  
Security checks have become more rigorous at U.S. airports. Personal belongings² and carry-on bags are being more closely scrutinized³.  And passengers are not allowed to bring liquids or gels on board.

This latest restriction⁴ has come in the wake of the recent foiled plot in Britain. Terrorists allegedly planned to blow up U.S.-bound airliners⁵ over the Atlantic Ocean with liquid explosives carried on board in hand luggage.

British authorities have formally charged 11 suspects in the conspiracy⁶.  Twenty-three people were arrested, many of them British Muslims of Pakistani descent. A militant⁷ in Pakistan is among those wanted in connection with the plot.

The arrests have renewed calls by some for closer scrutiny⁸ of passengers of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin. Republican Congressman Peter King said, "I think it is time to end political correctness.  To me, if a person is of Middle Eastern descent it is legitimate⁹ for the screener to ask more questions."

 
Arsalan Iftikhar 
  
But civil rights advocacy groups -- such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington -- have denounced these calls as "racial profiling".  Arsalan Iftikhar is CAIR's legal director.  "What's wrong with it is that -- from the FBI, Department of Justice all the way down to state and local law enforcement -- officials have said time and time again that racial profiling is not an effective law enforcement technique."

But terrorist attacks, such last year's bombings of London's subway system, have heightened suspicions -- especially since those responsible were Muslims of South Asian descent.

Such events lead to increased racial profiling, according to Iftikhar.  "We tend to see peaks and valleys in terms of international watershed¹⁰ events, whether it is the U.K. terror plot or the war in Iraq or the Bali, Madrid or London bombings.  These sorts of major international events usually are then followed by stricter scrutiny of American Muslims."

A random¹¹ sampling of air travelers provides a decidedly mixed opinion about the issue of profiling. "I think it is important that everybody gets checked but I don't think it is inappropriate to take race into account," said one traveler.

"To stereotype¹² a certain group, I don't think is fair," said another. "It is kind of like racial profiling.  But then again I think if you weigh safety against somebody being inconvenienced, I would pick safety," thought a third person.

 
Earl Morris 
  
U.S. officials say racial profiling is not practiced by airport screeners.  Instead, they focus on specific behaviors to determine if a passenger should be further scrutinized. 

Earl Morris is with the Transportation Security Administration. He says, "What we do is we look for individuals who are displaying behaviors that are consistent with someone who may be deceptive¹³ or nervous or something of that nature. It has absolutely no bearing, or part of the focus has nothing to do with race, religion or anything of that nature.  We are looking for people and behaviors."

And this may prove effective.  But for now air travelers are on heightened alert as they prepare to board their planes and embark¹⁴ on their journeys.

1 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

2 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

3 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

4 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

5 airliners   

n.客机，班机( airliner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fog grounded the airliners. 大雾迫使班机停飞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They placed very stable and accurate atomic clocks on regularly scheduled jet airliners. 他们将非常稳定、准确的原子钟装在定期飞行的喷气式班机上。 来自辞典例句

6 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

11 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

12 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

13 deceptive   

adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。
• The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

14 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。