2011-06-17

"Unique" Country with an Institutionalized Racist Policy in Its National Security System

This is a story about a "unique" country in the world I happen to know. Its "uniqueness" lies, among others, in its institutionalized racist policy in its national security system. This racist policy is not written explicitly in any place the ordinary citizens have an access to, but it is clear to everyone who has experienced its variegated ways of humiliating people, including some of the citizens, solely on the basis of the way their faces look. Of course, I am talking neither about their facial expressions nor about the (subjective) beauty (or ugliness) of their faces but about the (objective) structure and color of their faces, which they cannot basically change.

The "guardians" of this racist policy are vigilant in many places in that "unique" country, but there would be no better place than the international airport of the country, where you will have the highest chance of being humiliated like never before in your entire life, if your face is not "kosher". Unless you are a diplomat, it makes no difference whether you are a university professor, a famous musician or a billionaire. On the other hand, if these "guardians" consider your face "kosher" enough, you are allowed in with no harassment and even with open arms. This is in spite of the fact that that "unique" country has no lack of citizens who have "kosher" faces but have committed crimes. But once at the airport everyone with a "kosher" face becomes a welcome guest instantly, and everyone else with no "kosher" face becomes a potential criminal even if he or she has no criminal record whatsoever but is a good law-abiding citizen. A very "unique" way of guaranteeing national security, isn't it? ;-)

The "uniqueness" of this racist security system lies in its very assumption that there must a high correlation between the face of a person and his or her chance of pausing a security threat to the country, and they have an unconditional trust in certain people because of their "kosher" looking faces. I think that every passenger should be checked equally!

I have been very careful of using the verb "hate" and have reserved its use to very extreme cases, but I have to say that I hate the international airport of that "unique" country more than any other place I have ever visited on this planet. I am afraid that this is even the first time that I have ever used this verb so explicitly in this blog. I am so sorry that I seem to be forced to visit that abominable place in the near future again. The very suspicion they direct to me makes me nurture very negative feelings toward that "unique" country they are trying to serve. I am also afraid that this institutionalized racist policy might even damage the very national security it is meant to guarantee.