Thread: Prejudice and Discrimination.

In America we went through a similar conversation after 9-11. There were news stories about people who looked Arabic where were assaulted, or targeted simply because of how they looked or acted. Not that it hasn't happened in the past here, the great melting pot has bubbled time and again depending on the new group that needs to be assimilated. What it comes down to is, are these people a genuine threat or is it just a few bad apples who are causing trouble the for rest? So we need to monitor them all simply for the sake of preventing the next 9-11 or the next Boston Marathon bombing. To detach myself from the emotions of the situation does the threat possessed by that one group, in this case Muslims, warrant the overall costs social and fiscal to make sure that this does not happen again? So far in Australia it is one incident or a few if the news reports I have looked at are correct out of a fairly large population. In the US the Oklahoma City bomber cost a lot of lives but we don't closely monitor the militia groups in the US, other than a broad screening. After the clinic bombings in the Southern US did we closely monitor Christian religious groups? No. In Spain after the train bombings were there measures put in place to monitor Muslims there? Not that I have heard, although I may be wrong. So overall, if the costs associated with the group justify it then yes, extra monitoring can be put in place. Has it been done? Hardly, in the US I have seen some instances where we have monitored Muslim groups or mosques but it does not seem to be any greater than what was done for drug interdiction, and I am generalizing here but I could probably find the numbers to justify this if I was so inclined. Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is how is this group different than ours? Differences breed suspicion and fear, which can compound in situations like this were one individual can cause hardship for many by co-opting a religious or political stand to make a statement. Was this person really so wrapped up in his religion that he felt a need to do this? There are many types of sociopaths out there who would do similar acts, but for secular or non-religious reasons. So unless this group is that different and cannot be integrated into the cultural whole this suspicion will lead towards monitoring or harsher punishment for offenses committed by anyone of that group. Of course then it matters how you define group. Is it religious? Familial? Street block? County? That will change relationships with the whole. Do either of these things apply? Is the group as a whole a danger or is it just one person? I could find any major criminal action and with one aspect turn it around and say this person was part of X, they are a danger to the rest of us, we need to monitor them!. I am sure I could find others to agree with me as well. The problem comes when many people corrupt a religion, political stance, social agenda and make it violent. Others will gravitate towards that, but they could just as well join another group headed towards violence. The idea that one act alone can constitute extra measure is actually the basis of terrorism that is a long diatribe in itself where by extreme violent acts you force the government to react harshly bringing to fruition the claim that the government is bad. They are being hard on us and you. resist them. A measured response is more accurate and in the long term provides more stability. Will it bring on more attacks? Probably, but again that is part of the risk assessment, do you come down hard on a group of people for the actions of one, or do you deal with this as it is, a criminal act of one person regardless of what they claim. My view is, in the long run, if Australia goes the monitoring route they will fall into the trap set by the religious extremists and cause more pain, than if they deal with this as it is, one person. Again, there might be more, there are always people willing to die for a cause, sadly you cannot legislate against that.