:BRIGHTSTUFF:..Personal & Political Musings & Rants by a Liberal Leftist Black & Asian Teacher

Racial profiling has become an ugly fact of huge proportions in this post 9-11 world.

Hell- it happened to me.

At JFK airport, I was all smiles as I prepared to board the Virgin Atlantic.

As we headed toward the plane to embark on our way to London, I noticed out loud to my Old Man that there was a random bag check on the way in.

Just as I the words left my mouth, the smile evaporated from my face.

I was stopped.

Okay. Fine. I understand that this can be necessary in this mad world of a "War On Terror".

The interesting part is that the Old Man (who the checkers apparently did not think I was with) was waved through. Of course, he stopped and told them that he was with me, but he was not checked.

The longer I waited, I noticed something interesting.

Every last person--- and I mean EVERY LAST ONE--- they stopped before and after me were non-white, and all the white folks were waved through without so much as word. As I waited to be checked, I noticed that the woman in front of me was Asian. The man before her was Middle Eastern appearing. The one who stood behind me was Black, and the family after him also looked to be of Middle Eastern background.

Things like this can cause one to wonder what criteria these checkers use in their reasoning for stopping who they stop.

I mean, what does a terrorist look like?

Does a terrorist look like me--- brown-skinned, black haired and sloe-eyed Rainbow baby that I am?

In my case, was the criteria wrapped in the fact that my skin is brown?