D, on 01 May 2010 - 03:51 AM, said:
Epiph, on 30 April 2010 - 05:10 PM, said:
Our society may indeed dictate that a non-Kenyan is not negatively effected by being unable to run a marathon, but genetics hardly cares what our society thinks of the different predispositions it creates, does it? Both cases are a particular characteristic being genetically predisposed favourably for one group and not everyone else, so how are they different aside from one being considered too racist to be believed in by our society?
Because unlike running marathons (apparently), intelligence is apparently equated with worth. According to some of the knee-jerk reactions anyway.
I refute this with - how many dumb-as-dog-shit athletes are worshipped for being able to run/dunk/hit a ball/hit another person/etc and elevated to special status? Pretty much all of them, from primary school onwards. It just gets worse as the crop thins and the standard raises as the years go on. These purely physical specimens (personal character aside) are considered of greater "worth" than others. Geeks in high school get picked on for it, then everyone wonders why they end up doing a Columbine. Now I know sports prowess crosses genetic racial (and yes they do exist, stop saying they don't when the evidence is right in front of you) lines, as does intelligence, but what about that magical word we keep seeing (and conveniently ignoring) - "Predisposition"?
It's OK to be POSSIBLY genetically predisposed to run faster, but not to score higher on an IQ test? OK here I'm going to say I think IQ tests are pointless, because some people can do well for those sorts of tests and it means nothing in the rest of their lives. Just because you can do some basic maths in your head a little faster than most, or figure out which side of the cube the 3 dots are on doesn't mean diddly-squat.
So yeah, is the genetic marker for running (for example) more strongly associated with the genetic markers that decide a kid comes out black? Maybe, who knows? But all of a sudden everyone gets up in arms about a different possible correlation which when you think about it means butt-fuck-all in our modern superficial culture, where let's face it - sportsmen and women are worshipped to a far far greater degree than any scientist, or CEO.
Of course, I'm only a white, straight male, so I'm speaking from the position of ultimate world power ...

/sarcasm.
When it comes to DNA (the National Dyslexics Association


So get off your high horses and STFU already. I'm really sick of people screaming "RACIST!" any time someone dares bring up some sort of possible difference. The woman in question is - ON THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED - guilty of nothing more than a serious error of social-political judgement. She should have known something like that could come back to bite her in the arse (as some of you may remember I am quite well qualified to talk about

And when it comes to so-called "intelligence", I'd much rather have the WISDOM to be able to properly use what I DO have than be able to do pointless tests fairly well. But then again, common sense ain't that common - witness the current storm in a teacup.
(Or should I have said "storm in a Tea Party cup to be all hip and topical?

EDIT:
@Sixty
Well put. I would have repped you, but I ran out.

This post has been edited by Sombra: 01 May 2010 - 06:01 AM