School alleges discrimination by Philly refs

[jbduke]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Eventually, we will all get our heads screwed on straight and realize that thanks to the recent genome project and other scientific studies, there is no scientific support for what we now call "race" - only commonality of genetic tagging. It's a scientific fact that a white male has more in common genetically with a black male than he does with a white woman. If that's the case - and it is - how can their be a white "race" or a black "race"? The entire concept that people have inherited behavioral traits based on their skin color is hogwash.

People are just people. I look at people as individuals and I assume they are all good people until they prove me wrong. Period.

OK - I'll get down off my soapbox now. BTW - my best man at my wedding 31 years ago was a black male and we're still good friends. Also BTW - I know it's not politically correct (and I'm certainly not) but I don't hyphenate the word "American". Every citizen of this country is an American - end of story.

OK - I'll really get down off my soapbox now.

Your recitation of the science (or lack thereof) underlying race is undeniably true, but also completely unhelpful. That there may be scant biological difference between two people of different "races" does nothing to change the perceptions based on that difference.

As long as perceptions hinge even a little bit on differences we can see (and make no mistake, they do), "race" is going to be an important and meaningful category. That it is a cultural rather than biological category doesn't change that.

Racists aren't racists because they think the differences they perceive are biological. Racists are racists because they perceive meaning in physical differences in the first place. "Biology-based" racism was and is simply an ad-hoc justification for prejudices already firmly held. You may be able to dispose of that justification, but that will only be followed by a new one. Honestly, do you think you're going to convince a bigot of the error of his ways by giving him a genetics lesson?

(And writing "end of story" at the end of a post is bullying behavior. Period )