Conrad Black says racial profiling is an “offensive” concept, but it may be justified, “up to a point,” particularly when it can help to prevent terrorist acts.
Speaking on CTV’s Power Play, Black was commenting on presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s response to the recent murders of 49 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando.
The shooting suspect, who died at the scene, has been identified as Muslim American Omar Mateen.
Following the tragedy in Orlando, Trump has suggested that the U.S. should consider police profiling of Muslims living in the country, as a means of fighting terrorism.
Black said Wednesday that Trump “made his point” that more security is needed in places such as the “scene of the tragedy” in Orlando, adding that: “Racial profiling in this case, while the concept of it is offensive, I think it may be in certain respects, justified up to a point.
“Let’s face facts: The perpetrators of these acts of terror rarely surprise us by their appearance,” Black said.
“I certainly wouldn’t want that translated into a segregation of visible minorities on grounds of all of them being suspect in terrorism matters, but I think there may be some way of playing the actuarial averages in a way that isn’t offensive to the ethnic and racial sensibilities of a liberal society.”
Black said that, while Trump should present his ideas more clearly, the businessman-turned-politician doesn’t have a “racist bone” in his body.
“He’s an equal opportunity employer, he has absolutely no problem with anyone’s ethnic or religious affiliation or lack of them,” Conrad said of Trump, who he claims to know personally.
“But the fact is, he is calling for a greater public security and I don’t think that is a bad thing as long as it’s not done in a fascistic or undemocratic way.”
