Replies to post #241882 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[arizona1]

Missouri Sheriff Encourages Residents To Call Cops On ‘Foreign Speaking’ People

Missouri residents are being encouraged to racially profile Muslims and “foreigners” by their own law enforcement officials.

In a glimpse at the kind of hysteria that can happen when logic and reason are thrown out of the window only to be replaced by fear and xenophobia, Laclede County sheriff Wayne Merritt is advocating residents watch what Muslims are purchasing at stores. If the purchases are “suspicious,” then we wants you to call him immediately.

Freaked out residents are already taking the suggestion to heart. When two Muslims men tried to buy a “large quantity” of cell phones from a local Walmart, the police – and then the FBI – were called. After interviewing the men, the police couldn’t think of any reason why buying cell phones was illegal so they let them go. Speaking with KY3, Sheriff Merritt was unapologetic about the profiling.

“I’m not going to say just because they’re different religion or because they’re Muslim, but these people were they were foreign speaking, then you need to take notice and you need to let us know about it because it doesn’t hurt to check on it. You’re not being racist or anything like that you’re just protecting yourself.”

Merritt insists this isn’t about Muslims – but so far Muslims have been the only people detained. (In a separate Walmart in a separate city, another group of Muslims were detained for purchasing cell phones. They too were eventually let go.)

And it seems the freak outs are getting worse. In another case, a man of Middle Eastern descent left his cell phone in a Walmart bathroom. The police were called and began investigating it as possible terror activity – and then the man showed up up looking for his forgotten phone. He too was questioned before being released with his phone, having done nothing wrong.

In these uncertain times, it is important to remain vigilant; however, the hysteria created by the specter of Islamic terrorism far outweighs the actual threat. This leads to the harassment of many innocent people. It also leads to an disproportional focus on Islamic terrorism at the expense of other, more common dangers.

For years, terrorism experts have warned that right-wing terror coming from white supremacists and fringe anti-government groups are just as dangerous and even more likely than that of international attacks. In places like Charleston and Colorado Springs, we’ve seen how true that is. However, despite the risks posed by radicalized right-wing extremists, it’s unlikely that the Laclede County sheriff’s department is going to receive a single call about a white guy buying “suspicious” items. They aren’t Muslim. They aren’t “foreign speaking.” They don’t “fit the bill.” And so they are often overlooked until it is too late.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/12/15/missouri-sheriff-encourages-residents-to-call-cops-on-foreign-speaking-people/