ToWhatExtentHaveDomesticandInternationalActsofTerrorAffectedDiscrimination

AgainstDifferentSocialGroupsintheUnitedStatesinthePastDecade?

1. Introduction
1. AsAmericaawakenstotherealityofbeingatwarandpermanentlysowith
anenemythathasasyetnofaceandnoname,itmustaskitselfwhatbalanceit
shouldkeepbetweenlibertyandsecurityinthebattlewithterrorism.Michael
Ignatieff,13September2001
2. ThetacticsandstrategiesemployedbytheUnitedStatesinitsWaron
Terrorismhavegenerallybeencondemnedasdeparturesfromthenormsofhow
ademocraticgovernmentconductsitself.
3. Thesis:Bothdomesticandinternationalactsofterrorhavegreatlyaffected
discriminationagainstsocialgroupsintheUSinthepastdecade,butithasalso
heightenedthedifferencesintreatmentamongstthedifferentsocialgroups.
2. General:SocialgroupssuchasArabsandMuslimshavebeensubjectedtosignificantly
higherseverityofdiscriminationandevenexperiencedviolationoftheirbasicrightsand
evenviolencemorethanWhitesupremacistsamajorgroupfrequentlyresponsiblefor
massshootingsandotheractsofterrorintheUS(moredomesticthanintl)
1. RacialProfiling:Federal,state,andlocalauthoritiesengageindiscriminatory
profilingonabroadscaleinthenameofnationalsecurity
1. conductsuspicionlesssearchesandarbitrarydetentionsofArabsand
Muslimssubjectracial,religious,andotherminoritiestoadditional
screeningatairportsandbordercrossings
2. mapminoritycommunitiesaroundthecountrybasedoncrude
stereotypes
3. conductdiscriminatorysurveillanceofinnocentAmericanMuslimsand
facilitatethecollectionofreportsonactivitiesthataredeemed
suspiciousbutareinfactinnocentandprotectedbytheFirst
Amendment
2. THUS:stigmatiseentirecommunitiesinsteadoffocusingonindividualized
evidenceofcriminalactivity
1. Solutions(ongoingattempts):litigationonbehalfofthevictimsof
discriminatoryandunlawfulsurveillanceandsuspiciousactivityreporting
aswellasraisingawarenessofthecorrosiveeffectofdiscriminatory
profilingonaffectedcommunitiesACLU
1. Theprocessofidentifying(threats)isalreadyverysystemically
discriminatoryagainstparticularsocialgroups
2. Predictivedataminingdiscriminatesbydesign,designatingcertain
groupsasthreatsrelativetoothers.Thus,personswithMiddle
EasternandNorthAfricanbackgroundswilldisproportionately

beartheburdenofthissurveillancetechniqueandthe
innumerablemistakesitproduces.
1. Theruleoflawwouldseemtoofferlittletoremedythe
situation.TheWaronDrugs,thepolicingofimmigration,
andpastinternationaldisputeswithterroristregimeshave
providedacrimejurisprudence(Simon2007)that
legitimisessuchdiscrimination.
3. DataMining:theapplicationofdatabasetechnologyandtechniquessuchas
statisticalanalysisandmodellingtouncoverhiddenpatternsandsubtle
relationshipsindataandtoinferrulesthatallowforthepredictionoffuture
results(GAO2007,4)
1. lackofprivacyforallpeople(notspecificsocialgroupsinthiscase_
2. OnDecember16,2005,TheNewYorkTimesrevealedthattheUS
NationalSecurityAgency(NSA)waswiretappingtelephoneandemail
communicationsofpeopleinthecountryinanefforttotrackindividuals
affiliatedwithAlQaeda(RisenandLichtblau2005).
3. OnMay11ofthefollowingyear,TheUSATodayreportedthattheNSA
wasactivelycollecting,withthecooperationofmajortelephone
companies,thecallrecordsofmillionsofUScitizensandresidentsinan
efforttodetectpatternsofterroristbehavior(Cauley2006).
4. Togetherwithearlierreportsongovernmentactivities,suchasthe
defunctTotalInformationAwareness(TIA)project(seeWebb2007),the
storieshighlightedthecentralrolethatsurveillance,andaparticulartype
ofsurveillancenameddatamining,isplayingintheUSresponsetothe
September11terroristattacks.
5. Indirectlyleadstofurtherdiscriminationandinequalityamongdifferent
socialgroups:Wherecompaniesseektocollectandanalysedatato
categorisepeopleforthesakeofprofit,thegovernmenthasturnedto
collectingandanalysingdatatocategorisepeopleforthesakeofsecurity.
1. Privacy,theyargue,isdeeplyenmeshedintorelationsofpower
andinequalityinsociety.AsJohnFiske(1998)observes,social
poweralwaysinvolvesthepowernottobeseen(76).
2. Forexample,thewealthyinUSsocietyinvestconsiderable
expensetocreatetheirownprivatespacebyconstructinghouses
setapartfromotherresidencesandurbancentresand
individualizedroomswithinthosehomesthatsetfamilymembers
apartfromeachother.
3. Forinstance,usingneuralnetworkprocessing,anexampleofa
classificationdataminingmethod(Fayyad,PiatetskyShapiro,
andSmyth1996,44),banksorinsurancecompaniescananalyse
pastrecordsofbankruptciesorfraudulentclaimstogenerate
profilesthatdefineandcanpredicthighriskborrowersordubious
insuranceclaimsinthefuture(DannaandGandy2002,374).

3. Muslimtreatment
(specificcasestudy)
1. AnanalysisconductedbyCarnegieMellonresearchersdiscoveredthat
applicantswhoselfidentifiedasMuslimontheirsocialmediaprofileswerecalled
backatalowerratenationwidebyprospectiveemployersthanChristianswith
theexactsamenamesandqualifications.Andit'sworseinconservativestates.
2. "InmoreRepublicanleaningstates,only2percentofapplicationsbytheMuslim
candidatereceivedinterviewinvitationscomparedto17percentfortheChristian
candidate,"thestudyfinds.
3. "IntheyearsfollowingSeptember11th,theEqualEmploymentOpportunity
Commission(EEOC)reportedastaggering250percentriseinthenumberof
religionbaseddiscriminationcomplaintsfiled,"theCenterforAmericanProgress
states."AndwhileMuslimsmakeup2percentoftheU.S.population,they
accountedforonequarterofthereligiousdiscriminationcomplaintsfiledin2011."
4. "Since9/11,MuslimAmericanterrorismhasclaimedthirtythreelivesinthe
UnitedStates,outofmorethan180,000murderscommittedintheUnitedStates
duringthisperiod,"statedareportfromFebruaryofthisyear(PDF)bythe
TriangleCenteronTerrorismandHomelandSecurity."Overthesameperiod,
morethan200Americanshavebeenkilledinpoliticalviolencebywhite
supremacistsandothergroupsonthefarright,accordingtoarecentstudy
publishedbytheCombatingTerrorismCenterattheU.S.MilitaryAcademy.
5. SeveralindividualsintheUnitedStateshavebeenmurderedsincetheSept.11
attacksbecauseofantiMuslimandantiArabhatred.Dozensofmosqueshave
beenvandalized,defacedortorched,whiledozensofotherproposedMuslim
religioussiteshavefacedstrongcommunityopposition.
6. Foreignersingeneral:
1. InthecurrentWaronTerrorism,thisdistinctionbetweencitizenand
noncitizenisperhapsmoststrikinglydrawnintheUSDepartmentof
Justicedocument,GuidanceRegardingtheUseofRacebyFederalLaw
EnforcementAgencies,publishedbythedepartment'sCivilRights
Division.Init,thegovernmentexpressesitsclearoppositiontoracial
profilingintraditionallawenforcementactivities,notingracecannotbe
consideredinatrafficstoporotherinvestigatoryactivityunlessithas
beenreportedthattheperpetratorofacrimeisofaparticularrace(US
DepartmentofJustice2003).
2. However,thedocumentcarefullydistinguishestraditionallaw
enforcementactivitiesfromnationalsecurityandborderintegrity
activitiesandstatesthat(f)ederallawenforcementofficerswhoare
protectingnationalsecurityorpreventingcatastrophicevents(aswellas
airportsecurityscreeners)mayconsiderrace,ethnicity,andother
relevantfactorstotheextentpermittedbyourlawsandtheConstitution
4. Projection(future):Theunfairtreatmentofsocialgroupswillcontinuetoremainamajor
issuewithintheUSduetotheresponsesofgovtofficialsinregardstoactsofterror.

1. DiscriminationintheUSfromtheParisterrorismattacks:discriminationagainst
refugees
1. PoliticoreportsthatatapressconferenceinMalaysiaonSunday,the
presidentsaidthatCongress'recenteffortstoapplyadditionalscreening
torefugeesfromSyriaandIraqonlyservestohelptheterrorists.
1. Obamastated,"PrejudiceanddiscriminationhelpsISILand
underminesournationalsecurity."Hefurtherwentontosayofthe
terrorists'strategy,"Theycan'tbeatusonthebattlefield,sothey
trytoterroriseusintobeingafraid,intochangingourpatternsof
behavior,intoabandoningouralliesandpartnersintoretreating
fromtheworld.
2. Unfortunately,politiciansonthecampaigntrailandinCongresshave
choseninsteadtoembracerhetoricthatcapitalisesonAmericans'fears
andpromotesdiscrimination.
1. RepublicanpresidentialfrontrunnerDonaldTrumphasresponded
totheattacksbysayinghewouldimplementa"Muslimdatabase.
2. Dr.BenCarson,theothercandidatedominatingtheRepublican
presidentialpolls,hassuggesteditmightbecomenecessaryto
monitormosquesaswellasothersites.
3. Lastweek,theU.S.HouseofRepresentativespassedabillto
increasescreeningrequirementsforSyrianrefugees.
1. AccordingtotheLosAngelesTimes,thebill"wouldin
effecthalttheresettlementofrefugeesfromSyriaandIraq
totheU.S.
2. Solutions:futurestepsthatshouldbetakenbygovtofficialsthataresuggested
includethefollowing:
1. DavidColeandJulesLobel(2007),forinstance,arguethattheBush
Administrationsuseofanticipatorystateviolencetopreventactsof
terrorismfelloutsidetheruleoflaw.Thus,thegovernmentshouldreturn
toitspreviouslegalframeworkobtainingForeignIntelligence
SurveillanceAct(FISA)benchwarrantstoconductsurveillanceon
suspiciouspersonsandusingtraditionalpoliceworktodisruptterrorist
plotstofightterrorism(247259).
2. JackGoldsmith(2007),whobrieflyservedasheadoftheJustice
DepartmentsOfficeofLegalCounsel(OLC)underPresidentBush,sees
theproblemwiththeUSresponsetoterrorismasmorepoliticalthan
legalCongressandthepublicwerenotadequatelyconsultedduringthe
implementationofthecounterterrorismpoliciesandarguesthatnew
dialogueandinstitutions,suchasanationalsecuritycourt(Goldsmith
2008),wouldstrengthensuchefforts.Forhispart,BruceAckerman
(2006)offersboththemostreasonableanalysisofthesituationweare
fightingneitherawarnorcrimeandthemostradicalsolutionan

emergencyconstitutionthatwouldprovidethepresidenttemporary
emergencypowerstodealwiththeaftermathofterroristattacks.
5. TheResultsofthediscrimination:servetohighlightthedetrimentaleffectsoftheUSs
currentresponsetoterrorism
1. TheimmigrantSomaliAmericancommunityinMinnesota,astateintheUnited
States,hasblamedtheallegedracialdiscriminationtheystillsufferafterthree
decadesofbeingcitizensasoneofthereasonstheiryouthsgoradical.Recently,
theterroristsoftheIslamicStateofIraqandSyria(ISIS)haveturnedtheir
attentiontoSomaliAmericancommunityinMinnesotawheredozensofyouths
fromthecommunityhavebeenrecordedtohavecrossedovertojointhedeadly
group.
1. Manyarestillcravingtojoin,thoughstoppedbytheUSauthority.
2. ZakariAden,a20yearoldjuniorStudentofEconomicsandManagement
attheUniversityofMinnesotaandoneoftheleadersoftheAMCSAsaid,
AnaverageSomaliAmericanlivesinMinnesotawithfourkindsofpeople
thosewhodontlikeblacks,thosewhodontlikeAfricans,thosewho
hateMuslimsandthosewhodontliketheSomalis.Everydayweare
facedwithdiscriminationbygovernmentofficialswhowouldrathernot
employaSomaliAmericanaspoliceofficer.Weareprofiledeveryday
andmanyyoungpersonswholackthestrongfamilybackgroundtobe
abletosurvivetheinjusticeareforced,outofdepression,tobegintohate
thesocietytheyliveinandwouldwanttofightbackinanywaypossible.
2. themostperniciousdamageinflictedbytheterroristsistheprovocationofwhat
GiorgioAgambencalledthevoluntarycreationofapermanentstateof
emergencythemosttroublingandpotentiallydangerousaspectsofthis
developmentisthediscriminatorymannerinwhichitbearsuponparticularracial,
ethnic,national,andreligiousgroupswithinthecommunity
6. Conclusion
1. TheUnitedStatesshouldnotrespondtoterrorismwithdiscrimination.
2. Wecannotkeepthiscountrysafeifourpublicpoliciesonlyservetoreinforcethe
hateandfeartheterroristsaretryingtospread.thecontainmentofterrorism
shouldnotbeprocuredatthecostoffundamentalrightsandliberties
3. [RestateThesis]