Racial Profiling? Right or Wrong?

<USAToday:
People's opinions of various added security measures</a>

I have to say that my opinion of racial profiling is well mirrored by society. I find myself torn on the issue because there are so many subtle and nuanced issues. I find myself asking these questions: Would additional security checks of German citizens have been objected to during the 2nd world war? Should there not have been extra scrutiny for Russian visitors to America during the height of the Cold War? I think the emphatic answer to these is NO and yet when we begin talking about race instead of national origin suddenly the issue changes dramatically.

I think, for the sake of sanity, we should seperate what we're calling "Racial Profiling" into two types. The two types are "Invasive" profiling and "Passive" profiling. Invasive profiling is pulling someone over or tapping someone's phone. Passive profiling is running a name through a database or just calling a supervisor over to take a look. Frankly, I feel that passive profiling should probably be encouraged and should certainly be used prior to any active profiling steps are taken.

There are a number of other factors to consider as well. Are we gaining anything by doing these kinds of searchs? Do they have high success rates? Are we increasing our chances of success by a measurable amount or are we only marginally reducing the size of the haystack that the needle is in? But the big question... The fundamental question is this: Why are we doing it? Is it because we have some kind of predetermined prejudice? As in the highly popularized cases of the profiling of black motorists. Or is it because there has been some clear, demonstrable event from a small, identifiable group? As in the various terrorist attacks.

I think, on balance, I would like to see a blanket policy for Arab immigrants and travelers to undergo some kind of additional, cursory scrutiny. I'm not suggesting that they all get strip searched at the airport. What I am suggesting is that someone, somewhere does some kind of check. Not being involved in law enforcement or the intelligence committee, I can't really comment intelligently on what should or could be done but it seems like something is necessary.

On a side note:
6% of Americans would be okay police searching their home at any time without a warrant. 29% would be okay with police doing the searches randomly, without cause on the street. Who are these people?