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English 3 Roberts September 13, 2011 Throughout the course of a persons life there are events that change the path of life and how the person will live and look at life in the future; as in my life I have witnessed and experienced events that have changed the way I live today. One event that I will always have in mind is what happened on September 11, 2001.On the day of September 11, 2001, our beloved nation was struck with the most horrifying event in our history. No other day in our nations history can compare to the devastation the American people felt. That event shaped the way I live and the way others lived as well. By taking far measurements, such effects as a stricter airport security on diversity and discrimination towards a group, we now live in a nation with fear; of just seeing a particular race and speculating a threat. Since September 11, 2001 the government has increased the security checks at the airports, the Mexico border and the Canadian border of the country. This means longer lines to wait in and more time to spend. Some people actually take a plane to work every day, and have to go through a long process just to get inside a plane. American airports are also discretional which means just by seeing characteristics of a Muslim or someone that looks suspicious. They pick that person out of 10 and strictly revise from head to toe to know if they are under good conditions to ride a plane. According to Jean Abinader, Basing Security Procedures are solely on racial or ethnic characteristics which leads to discriminatory behaviors by the officials involved and reinforces stereotypes that damage the governments ability to reach out and coordinate its efforts with the affected communities(Abinader 530). This means that cultures of

certain appearance are widely affected in the sense that theyre constantly being ridiculed on how they look. The increase in security was put into effect mainly to prevent future disasters such as hijacking or other terrorist threats. But do we necessarily have to judge a person speculating their a threat? Discrimination has increased due to 9/11. Not only can it be seen in airports but also in diversity groups such as Muslims and Arabs. It not only affects us but the culture and race that go through this discrimination as well as affecting their health. According to Brett D thombs Studies have attempted to link increased post-9/11 discrimination to psychological and mental physical health consequences among US minorities. In Canada, qualitative studies have shown an upsurge in anxiety among Muslim minorities, assonated with the targeting of their communities globally". They live in the U.S with fear they might be judged or pointed out as a threat because of personal appearance. As the United States points out to be a land of opportunity and respect, just because certain people from diversity committed the disaster of 9/11 does not mean everyone from that culture is the same. We need to see with better eyes and not make them feel uncomfortable; they as well as others should live in a place with no judgment. I disagree with that aspect and think that us Americans should think in another way instead of speculating that a persons face signifies danger. There is new technology evolving in the world, new scanners being put on airports and newer ways to determine safety. Not just concerning appearance. We should be equal with everyone, scan everyone in an airport and have more facts concerning whether a person is a terrorist, because even a defenseless face can be someone of danger. By doing so we are eliminating discrimination towards other cultures and building trust with our fellow neighbors.

Works Cited Abinader, Jean. No, Racial Profiling Is Unacceptable. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument with Readings Edas Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston & Bedford/ st marlins, 2011. 530. Print. Brett D. Thombs, et al. "Perceived Discrimination and Its Association With Psychological Distress Among Newly Arrived Immigrants Before and After September 11, 2001." American Journal of Public Health 101.5 (2011): 909-915. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 Sept. 2011.