Now, after reading this article, I anticipate many reactions. Some would say, using various angles to "prove their point", that this woman did this to herself. Some will likely say she's overreacting. In these cases, I would ask for some honest introspection such as:
- Am I seeking to understand this woman - this fellow human being?
- Is there some underlying political view within me that is potentially feeling threatened? If so, is this inspiring me to judge quickly, thus enabling me to forget about it, thus not requiring myself to honestly analyze my position?
- Are you honestly thinking of her as your equal, bearing in mind every freedom that you enjoy?
It is crucial to be honest with oneself in considering such questions. Without such, all we do is practice self-deception (but this is a topic for another musing).
Another reaction could be to blame the initiator(s): someone (or someone's) reported "suspicious behavior". Any number of light to heavy accusations could surely be leveled their (I'll keep it to a general "their" for ease of writing) way. I would again ask for some honest introspection, such as:
- What kind of weight might have been on their mind?
- Could they have been direct victims of terrorist attacks before?
- Could they have been over-excited by the media about suspicions of terrorism on the anniversary?
- Could they have read the Encyclopedia Brown episode about two people conspiring through using a bathroom at different times (yes, there is such a one) and, seeing the two Indian men (whose nationality they likely had no idea) happenstancially use the lavatory sequentially, suddenly worked themselves up to traumatic terroristic visions such that they could hardly think clearly?
- Could they, if having read the woman's report, feel remorseful about what happened to her?
- Could they have been outright racists, secretly enjoying the pain they knew they were causing?
The fact is, we frankly don't know. We all tend to have good judgment in our own eyes and, as such, it seems likely that they thought they were acting logically. One other question worth asking is, if you observed behavior (regardless of race or anything else - this question is not to be put in the same context as the event that occurred) that you found significantly suspicious, how much would you deliberate internally before actually reporting it? No one wants to look like a fool (well, excepting perhaps teenagers on occasion :-P ). It may well have been very hard for the person(s) to go forward with turning in the report of "suspicious behavior", yet they did it because they "thought" it was what they should do.
(This post is getting long, so I'll try to shorten it.)
Next, what about the "authorities", as she described them: the police/FBI/Homeland Security personnel? Surely some will want to accuse them of various misdeeds. Well....
- What information were they working from? How much did they know?
- If any one of them realized that this was an injustice, what could they have done differently? Are they "authorized" to make a judgment call in this case?
- Would someone have been risking his/her jobs in acting otherwise, even if "nothing ever came of it"?
So if no one is to blame, perhaps some will blame the "system"? It's easy to blame because it's vague and not easily defined. It can also provide an easy scapegoat to conscience. And while the system may be flawed, what good comes from blaming it? I suggest none. Should it be changed? Perhaps, but to what avail? "The system" didn't participate in racial profiling (which seems to have occurred here, conscious or not). Some will propose the system could be less harsh, but now we enter the hotly contested political question: "Where is the line between 'security enforcement' and 'preservation of liberty'?" * I don't think you'll see an all-appeasing magic resolution fall from the sky.
* (If you think these are the same, consider taking one or the other to an ultimate extreme. I think you'll find somewhere in the continuum where they cease to be so.)
In the end, was it unfair? Yes. Was she mistreated? Unquestionably. Should we look for someone to blame? I don't think so. I can't imagine any true good coming from it. So what should be done? I don't pretend to know. I applaud her for making her story known. I think it adds good perspective to the conversation that too many don't see (and some try to not see). Hopefully she will be able to handle this not-so-"nothing came from it" episode in a way that does not impede her from living a full life. It may turn out to be easy for her to do, or it may become very difficult. I wish her success.
