Profiling in this country is a big issue. There are dozens of stories of people being pulled over on the roads – not for doing something wrong – but because of the color of their skin or the language they speck. With the recent pig flu, other minority groups are being singled out because of their connection to the country of origin of this epidemic.
Is any of this right and fair? No! And, our government is working on ways to combat these tendencies. But, while they are trying to stop racial profiling, they are also creating their own type of profiling.
Recent increases in taxes proves this. They have targeted smokers for tax increases. Further these tax increases are not aimed at helping those smokers nor are the taxes broadly spread across all peoples – they are specifically targeting those who smoke. Smoking is an addiction – thus, they are profiling and targeting those addicted to nicotine. But, it does not stop there.
Tax the rich is the new slogan of our government. Any problem that arises, their first and foremost solution is to simply levy new taxes on the rich. Why not – they don’t pay their fair share – or do they?
Moreover, many state governments are targeting new taxes on fat people or people who like to drink sodas. Is this not profiling?
Are those that fall into these groups not being segregated and punished based solely on their status or an action they take? They speak the same language as other Americans, they look just like everyone else and many were even born here in this country – but they are being forced to take on additional obligations – based on what?
If we taxed the physically challenged for use of handicap spaces or ramps – would that not be wrong? If we taxed gay persons simply because they are gay – would that be wrong? If we taxed politicians for lying – would that be wrong? Yes, it would all be based on some sort of discrimination. And, if we separated them out based on that discrimination – would that not be profiling?
So, what I don’t understand is why one form of discrimination or profiling is OK while others are not? If our local officials cannot pull a person over merely because of the color of their skin – why can they increase tax rates on people just because they smoke or like to eat or simply because they have fatter banking accounts then the rest of us? Is that not profiling? |