I read an interesting article by Steven Jay Gould, yesterday. The Human Genome project has basically proven that races are equal, and not really that different after all. 98% of all genes are NOT race dependent at all. And of those effecting major cognitive functions, none appear to be. However, what if this hadn't been true? What if there really were a "substandard" race of people that COULDN'T function as another? What would we do? Would they be entitled to "human" rights? Should the "superior race" fund welfare projects for them? Should we attempt separation, forbid intermarriage? Those are the questions Gould raises. I think most of you who are familiar with Gould know that the man doesn't have a racist bone in his body: he's been a FERVENT egalitarian, and has trashed ethnocentric biology articles (all of which were pseudo-science). The question is an interesting, legitimate, hypothetical. What do you think? ------------------ Why is it that everytime BC defeats a major conference opponent, that opponent promptly goes on a losing streak? PS. Notre Dame sucks
Haven, I realise you are just trying to raise an interesting question, but even the conciliatory statement is racially charged. African-Americans have always known that they were equal to European-Americans, yet from an education stand point, they have been held down for centuries from achieving their potential by Europeans, so in a sense the so-called "substandard race of people" did exsist, perpetuated by Europeans. ------------------ I am an invisible man.
I think haven makes an interesting point though, one that is not anti-whatever group unless you thrust that upon his question. For instance, what if it had shown that Caucasians were mentally deficient and Native Americans were not as dexterous (just for example -- not that I'm implying anything)? It's an interesting question. Good thing that this wasn't the case. ------------------ All your base are belong to us
kbm: It's an anthropological question that's been asked by other people, in non-racist settings. I don't think it's a good idea to extrapolate the implications of racism from a racist context to a non-racist context. I think that actually prevents healing by creating "untouchable" issues that actually highlight past strife by their exclusion. Academic integrity *requires* us to try to understand the ethical implications of such ideas, and to decide for ourselves how our moral codes truly deal with tough questions. River: I have read BNW. I'm not a big Huxley fan though... it was a good book, but I'm not sure how well his dystopian world accurately reflects social dynamics. There have been some very interesting articles written on it. Personally, I think that book is sort of a product of poetry like "The Wasteland" which also feared a nihilist hedonist culture. I think it was a "statement" more than anything else. BTW, apes really don't count. Different genus. Let's remove it a step further from race though. What if neanderthals or a different species of man-like creatures HAD survived. How would we handle that? ------------------ Why is it that everytime BC defeats a major conference opponent, that opponent promptly goes on a losing streak? PS. Notre Dame sucks
Argh... never mind . Apes, are, of course, primates. But they're not part of the same genus... which is what I was seeking. This is why you usually see the different varities of man-like skeletons called by genus and species. ------------------ Why is it that everytime BC defeats a major conference opponent, that opponent promptly goes on a losing streak? PS. Notre Dame sucks
Haven, I think you misunderstand what I am saying. My remarks were educational. I think often times European-Americans or people who are not African-American tend to marginalize racism in America. I know perfectly well that you were refering to a race that (for what ever reason) was underdeveloped. I was just pointing out the fact that one could use American black/white racism as an example. ------------------ I am an invisible man.
kbm: I understand. Very interesting when you look at it that way. But in a sense, the movement to expand our "egalitarian" principles to all races was based on the assumption that other races WERE equal in all ways, and that a mistake had been made (which was obviously the case). I suppose I shouldn't have used the term race. Sorry about that... should have restricted my remarks to the hypothetical existence of a different genus. Sadly, I think you're right about how human kind WOULD have treated a less developed genus. But how *should* they? Personally, I think equal rights, of course, should be granted. I just sorta wonder how public welfare, etc should be handed. Or think about the implications for criminal justice? If an entire group of people can't understand the meaning of their actions and act in a completely different context, are they accountable? Heh... I think this discussion was better suited to a late night group of friends drinking coffee . ------------------ Why is it that everytime BC defeats a major conference opponent, that opponent promptly goes on a losing streak? PS. Notre Dame sucks
I don't understand why people want to sit around and talk about race relations. Are they really being sincere? This has nothing to do with words but has everything to do seeing, and feeling. Question yourself. Don't worry about what a human genome project proved. Are Human beings mere projects? Are they experimantations waiting to be proved? Can you prove you love being alive? Love a sunset? love swimming in the ocean? Are Human beings waiting for science to tell them how to think and percieve so they can learn how to feel toward one another? Told how to relate to eachother. What do you see when you look/listen to another human being? A white? A black? A mexican? why and where did we learn these absurd categoricalizations? When we were 2, 3, 0r 10? We certainly didn't come out of the womb crying mamma, daddy look your white, or your black. Of course not. Why on earth, in the first place would any human living human being think their not equal with another human being? Why and who is responsible for conditioning us to think and feel so pitiful toward one another? Man, I dont need any book or philosophy to feel the absurdity of it all. Is another person that diffrent from you? Look strip away all these superfical identitys; the American, the Russian, the Moslem, the Christian, the Hinduism, the capitalists, the marxist, the black, the white, the chinese. can we sit in eachother prescence without all these absurd illusions we have of one another? It's hard, I know, I myself have a tough time trying not to view myself as a Rocket fan and another person as a Jazz fan. COL! ------------------ [This message has been edited by ROCKETBOOSTER (edited February 24, 2001).]
I agree with KBM Honest they do exist . . they are called APES you see how we treat them. When u say substandard what do you mean? Look at the mental r****ded . . .see how we treat them. YOU DO KNOW there was an effort to try and sterilize them so they could not reproduce. . . . . . What *should* we do? Same as everyone else. Humanity is the same for all HUMANS Rocket River ------------------
