By Jonathan B. Wight

Resources are scarce, and it is easy to see why many law enforcement agencies would devote more resources to targeting specific groups that in the past have been found to commit lots of crimes. Young males commit virtually all the mass homicides in the United States.

But it is easy to also see why these enforcement policies run afoul of basic fairness and rights. I’ve been stopped my share of times by police, but never did I feel under physical threat simply because of my race, economic standing, or national origin. The psychological trauma experienced by someone frightened by the imminent threat of bodily harm is something that lasts a very long time (and no doubt police officers feel this injury as well). 

Take a look at these photos of some of the terrorists responsible for 9/11. Would you have profiled these guys out of the crowd at a busy airport?

If you said “yes” consider that the photo in the top left is that of the current Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, sporting a 3-day growth that looks deeply subversive.