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More ugly
Michael Forstadt (forstadt@HUSC.HARVARD.EDU)
Sun, 23 Oct 1994 19:06:12 -0400
Golden writes:
}2. on the whether or not I agree with Sherwin Hicks. I have several
}reactions to his original post. First off, I'm not a historian or a
}biologist so the debate about whether "melanin-deprived" peoples are
}historically more violent, while it makes some intuitive sense to me
}[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] (but not necessarily biologically),
}is not within my academic scope.
(exclamation marks mine)
I suppose this portion of Golden's post requires no further comment, so
I'll just make a few short observations in general. Racism is NOT about
the structural oppression of a minority by a majority (or a majority by a
minority, for that matter). Racism is simply the belief that 1) race is
biologically, not socially defined, and 2) human races differ in terms of
intelligence, violence, or other "genetically-programmed" social traits.
Hicks and Rushton both pass this test with flying colors. I do not
understand the need to defend either of their views. Like Golden, I am
painfully aware of certain issues such as anti-Semitism. Unlike her,
however, my experience with anti-Semitism has not led me to retreat
comfortably to the confines of the "white" category (whose members do not
always consider me to be one of them -- so who needs to join the club
anyway).
In conclusion, I would echo the sentiments of Neels Botha (from South
Africa), who recently issued a sensible call for an end to rhetoric and
senseless posturing. I am now a convert to this position.
_______________________
M. S. Forstadt
Harvard University
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