profiling

[Jonathan Lighter]

The "affadavit of probable cause" filed in Florida states that Trayvon
Martin "then walked back to and entered the gated community and was on his
way back to the townhouse where he was living when he was profiled by
George Zimmerman."   The he was shot.

In this very formal, not to say official, case, "profile" seems explicitly
to mean either "to suspect of criminality solely on the basis of appearance
or behavior" or else "to suspect of criminality solely on the basis of usu.
black appearance or behavior."

SWAG: Current English is the only language in history that has a word for
this concept.  SWAQ: If true, of what Whorfian significance is it?

JL

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