Re: IQ and race. (IT NEVER WAS The taboo subject.) Stop it.

Domingo Martinez-Castilla (agdndmc@mizzou1.missouri.edu)
Mon, 13 Feb 1995 11:37:47 CST

(This posting limited to sci.psychology,sci.anthropology)

I am amazed at the extent these "race" threads can go, usually following a
couple of strong-worded statements by some people. The lack of references is
very telling: Bell Curve, Gould, I-hate-it, I-love-it make do for most people.

Even mainstream publications (like Newsweek in its Feb 13 issue) have it
better than most posters, offering points of view coming from the different
sides. But not even Newsweek can accept that there exist a biological
definition of race in humans.

If you want to make a statement like "I am better than you", that may be OK,
and it is a valid belief on an individual basis and on a given trait. The
problem is when you derive that statement solely from your genetic background,
and people tend to do just that when they believe that "our group is better
than yours", which most often than not is an almost automatic extension of "we
are different". (I am referring to most people here, not necessarily to the
illuminati that populate the Internet).

It would be extremely dumb, to say the least, to sustain that there are no
differemces among humans. They are abundant in the realms of biology and
culture, but we all share most of the really important, meaningful, traits,
making the differences superficial, and easily changed in a couple of
generations. Examples abound: we humans everywhere love decorating ourselves
(tattoos, warpaints, etc.) to show where our loyalties and beliefs stand; we
extend that decoration to our dress, and tend to make statements with it; we
love noisy gatherings to show those loyalties in an open and loud way (dances
and celebrations, college basketball, etc.); we tend to confront each other
first like peacocks and then like fighting cocks, but we'd rather someone else
do the fighting (most sports, wars); and every group of humans will always
have some internal majority sustaining the heartfelt belief that they are
better than any other group. That is just part of humanity.

So please, let us ignore those postings that come from the talk and alt groups
offering nothing to the sci groups. Cross-postings will always catch us
unawares, and before long we will find ourselves arguing with people that are
not even remotely interested in the advancement of knowledge based on facts
(this last statement sounds really hollow, but I do not want to open here the
topic of what scientific knowledge is, or ain't)

Domingo.

P.S. This is not a call for action, but I am beginning to miss those Aquatic
Ape postings!!!! What after that? Help me!!!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Domingo Martinez-Castilla
agdndmc@mizzou1.missouri.edu
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