What is wrong with Racial Profiling?

[MODU]

Besides being racist?

I acknowledge it's being racist, but if it's to ensure that hundreds or even thousands of people survive, is it too great a price to pay? 

Unfortunately it's a fine line between being racist and using objective screening.  For example, a cop is told that a man with black (not light brown) skin committed a crime.  Is the cop going to screen everyone he sees (no matter what the skin color is) in order to not come across as racist, or will he narrow in on a man with black skin to save time?  Now, when you are trying to prevent a crime, it's a bit harder to do that since a criminal/terrorist can be of any background or color (not the variety in the UK bombing).  While I don't think it's wrong to give someone of Middle Eastern decent a closer look, you have to look out for anyone that seems to be acting unusual.

[MODU]

One problem Goldie. Islam is a religion... you can't tell if someone is a Muslim just by looking at them.

Well, (according to sociologists) it's more of a culture, like Judaism and Hinduism.  Christianity is more of a religion than a culture.

[MODU]

Can we at least agree on the following - checking the bags and whatnot of old ladies at the airport and yet at the same time letting every Middle Eastern man through unchecked is a crappy way to go about things.

I think the real problem is not that we are not using racial profiling, it's that we're afraid to be accused of it(which a lawsuit might come with) when it's really random, so we intentionally avoid checking people who might be high risk all together even when searches are supposed to be random.

Agreed.  We should not waste our resources on people which are fairly obviously don't pose a terror threat.  Why don't give all men who are between 18 and 35 a closer look, while still keeping an eye out on the other 80% of the population . . . just in case.