Warp wrote:
>   Let me rephrase: If 90% of illegal immigrants are Mexicans, then 90% of
> illegal immigrants will look like Mexicans. Hence it only makes sense to
> devote 90% of the law enforcement resources to check Mexicans.

But if 90% of the local population *also* looks mexican, then there's no 
reason to favor checking mexicans over non-mexicans, is there?

The problem with this sort of profiling is that you have to look at the 
ratio of legal to illegal immigrants, not just the ratio of illegal immigrants.

If 10% of 10,000 mexicans are illegal immigrants, and 90% of 200 africans 
are illegal immigrants, it makes much more sense to ask random africans if 
they're citizens than random mexicans.

>   Why is it so only with immigration? If the suspect of a crime is a white
> male, is it racism to question only white males? Wouldn't it be less racist
> to question also black females? You know, for equality.

No, because there's already suspicion of a crime, a reason to believe that 
the person accused might have done it. Note that you don't get to question 
*all* white males when a crime is committed. You have to have *some* reason, 
known as "probable cause", to believe the person you're questioning was 
involved.

What *this* law does is it makes immigration a *special* status, saying you 
do *not* have to have any reason to believe the person was committing any 
sort of crime before you ask him to prove he isn't.

>   So what do you suggest? 

I suggest that before you question anyone, you be required to do enough 
police work to at least have a reason to question them.

>> Or to put it another way, jump back 180 years. Pass a law in the northern 
>> part of the USA saying everyone had to prove they aren't an escaped slave. 
>> Do you think there's any way that wouldn't be considered a racist law today? 
>> Do you think there's any chance you wouldn't wind up locking up a whole lot 
>> more innocent black people than innocent white people?
> 
>   You are comparing immigration laws with slavery laws. Same thing?

No, I'm comparing racism to racism.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Linux: Now bringing the quality and usability of
   open source desktop apps to your personal electronics.

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