In our post 9-11 world, surveillance and (I would add) racial profiling has become the norm: We are constantly encouraged to view Middle Easterners with suspicion. We are told to look out for illegal immigrants. In airports we are constantly told to be on the lookout for people "acting strangely". "Acting strangely", of course, is in the eye of the beholder. Most recently, we have Obama telling all government employees to report suspicious behavior that may pinpoint a future Edward Snowden before he compromises supposed state "secrets". This pushes society toward a paranoid norm that goads us to be overly observant and judgmental at the same time. It is a recipe for disaster. People will not only be looking out for the dreaded "other", but will also become ridiculously "self conscious" so as not to be mistaken for any of the designated culprits. I furthermore believe that the issue of racial profiling was central to the Zimmerman case, despite the focus almost entirely on his plea of self defense (lethal force being allowable in self defense in FL).
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:53:39 +0000
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