Profiling was the topic du jour on Sunday night’s edition of The Carmichael Show, on an episode titled ‘New Neighbors.’ When spying, from the front room window, on the new neighbors moving in across the street, they see the new neighbors are Muslim. They later learn that they’re from New York and recently lived in Pakistan.
Which of course, according to The Carmichaels, means nothing. Or, it means everything. Anyway, that’s the debate.
Watch:
Maxine: You guys can’t assume the worst. You know, profiling has consequences. If you treat someone like a criminal, they are more likely to become one. You know, the only time I ever thought about stealing was when I was followed around a store by a security guard. What? I've been followed before. Don't think that's so unbelievable. What? I dressed differently back then. Okay, fine. I was with Nekeisha.
Jerrod: Okay. That makes sense. That makes complete sense.
Cynthia: I was gonna say, things are really bad if somebody's following around Maxine.
Maxine: The point is, it was really hurtful. And, you know, I don't want to live in a society where just any crazy person can accuse their neighbor of anything.
Joe: Well, the police couldn't stop that San Bernardino attack. But you know who could? A neighbor who noticed that couple acting strangely and receiving too many packages. But he didn't want to say anything, 'cause he didn't want people to think he was crazy.
That bit about profiling making you more likely to commit an actual crime might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The Chicago Police Department literally banned racial profiling over a year ago. The result? Chicago, one quarter of the way through 2016, is off to its bloodiest first quarter of a year in two decades, and is on pace for 500 murders.
That part about the San Bernardino shooting, was a scimitar to the knees of any argument against profiling. A completely true case, where a neighbor’s desire to not be made to look “hateful” or “insensitive,” literally cost people their lives.
That should have been the end of any debate. But of course, it wasn’t. Maxine (Amber Stevens West) had to make Jerrod pay for not backing-up her clownish PC foolery:
Jerrod: Oh, come on, are-are you really mad at me right now, Maxine?
Maxine: Yes. The only reason that your parents are suspicious of their neighbors is because they're Muslim.
Jerrod: And how is that my fault?
Maxine: It's not your fault, but I would like you to at least agree with me that they're acting crazy.
Jerrod: Well, I'm sorry. I can't agree to that.
Maxine: Well, that's why it's your fault.
Jerrod: Well, look. Maxine, I agree that maybe they're overreacting. But I won't say that I don't understand where their fear comes from. Look, I understand that racially profiling someone is wrong and we need to respect people's civil liberties. But... Turning a blind eye and pretending that their neighbors aren't capable of something bad isn't the answer, either.
Maxine: So what is the answer?
Jerrod: You're asking me to solve terrorism right now? I mean, I really think I can fix our problems with the Middle East, but I'm gonna need at least a Red Bull first.
Maxine: Look, your parents are being xenophobic. And you have to realize the negative consequences of that. If your parents said that we should build a wall around the whole country, would you agree with them on that, too?
Jerrod: Of course I want a wall! I mean, look, Maxine, I'm not anti-immigration, but I'm definitely pro-wall. I mean, walls are amazing. If walls aren't so great, why are we standing in walls right now? I mean, we wouldn't knock down a whole wall just so one of our neighbors could wander in here if they're ever feeling oppressed.
Maxine: I'm sorry, is Donald Trump behind the couch feeding you lines?
Jerrod: I am completely cool with anybody coming to this country. I would just like for them to have been invited first.
Maxine: Jerrod, the only reason that any of us are here is because of immigration.
Jerrod: No, I'm here because of slavery. You know, you got to understand, I was invited. I mean, it... It was an aggressive invitation, but an invitation, nonetheless.
And this is why this show is great, because it can deal with tremendously controversial issues and still be funny.
But Jerrod is absolutely right. Why do the fears of completely normal people never matter? The problem with liberals like Maxine, is that they’re worldview states there’s never a good reason for looking at a group of people and being suspicious of them, regardless of any evidence and facts that show cause for suspicion.
So, at the end of the day, in order for Maxine’s world to make sense, one must completely disregard real life and instead plunge head first into a dune of delusion. Which, is exactly what the San Bernardino neighbors did, with the result that completely innocent people died.
