I flew on 9/11. I admit to being a little apprehensive, an apprehension that grew when everyone froze for an unspecified ”breach” while I stood in the security line at PDX. By and large, I recognized my apprehension ought not be confused with objective truth that something scary was apt or likely to happen.
I was horrified, then, to read the aptly titled “Some real Shock and Awe: Racially profiled and cuffed in Detroit,” which described one woman passenger’s 9/11 detention on the basis (presumably) of another passenger’s complaint.
As the mother to a biracial son, I understand my son may someday be subject to discrimination based not on who he is but how he seems to a stranger. This fills me with equal parts rage and sadness, but I am as prepared now as I ever can or will be for this eventuality.
just as innocuous as could be
As I type this, I think of an exercise performed by my Evidence professor in law school. He handed out copies of a composite of sixteen sketches of an affable looking, fairly attractive white man and asked his 100+ students how many men were represented by those sixteen sketches.
If I recall correctly, the answers ranged from “four” to “twelve.” Neither extreme (“one” or “sixteen”) was represented.
The real answer?
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