In another thread it was mentioned that a man who was arrested for firing his gun had tattoos. This elicited defensive responses from a number of other posters.
I live in an area where an inordinate percentage of dirtbags have very obvious and elaborate tattoos and bizarre (to me) piercings. Other dirtbags of other racial groups wear baggy pants around their butt cracks showing off their boxers, they also generally have a very belligerent attitude.
These kinds of people I will watch more closely for trouble than others. If I see a a few guys in business suits, I figure they might embezzle money from my retirement account, but they probably are not going to mug me. Guys who are tattooed, pierced, dressed like gang members might.
I also understand that the big tattooed lug with the ponytail down his back may be the nicest guy in the world and maybe a minister in his local church, but that doesn't change the fact that I observe him and watch him more closely than others.
Is profiling of this type a reasonable defensive posture, or is it simply bigotry on the part of the profiler.
I live in an area where an inordinate percentage of dirtbags have very obvious and elaborate tattoos and bizarre (to me) piercings. Other dirtbags of other racial groups wear baggy pants around their butt cracks showing off their boxers, they also generally have a very belligerent attitude.
These kinds of people I will watch more closely for trouble than others. If I see a a few guys in business suits, I figure they might embezzle money from my retirement account, but they probably are not going to mug me. Guys who are tattooed, pierced, dressed like gang members might.
I also understand that the big tattooed lug with the ponytail down his back may be the nicest guy in the world and maybe a minister in his local church, but that doesn't change the fact that I observe him and watch him more closely than others.
Is profiling of this type a reasonable defensive posture, or is it simply bigotry on the part of the profiler.