To what extent can race, ethnicity, and national origin be used in targeting suspects for stops, searches, and arrests? This has become a growing concern of many since the tragic terrorist acts that took place on September 11th, 2001. Previously looked upon as unethical and almost universally condemned, the use of profiles based solely on race to identify possible terrorists is getting a second look. Both proponents and opponents are looking at the legitimacy and necessity of this practice. The United States has fought a long and difficult battle against racism and discrimination. Lives have been lost and many liberties have been infringed upon in the search for racial equality. Now that the 21st century as arrived, a large percentage of our population believes that the human species is intellectually advanced enough to discard race as a factor for any sort of discrimination or specialized treatment.

Today, terrorism faces...