Illuminati-R-Us

Bill, I think you confuse recognizing race with racism. Racism is about making unfair, inaccurate and cruel assumptions about people based on race. Racism is destructive, vile and hurtful.

To tell a doctor (for example) that he/she should not factor race into diagnosis or recommendations could also be harmful. There are scientifically, medically documented differences between races. These differences do not overall make one race superior or inferior to another, but they exist.

To imagine otherwise is, to my thinking, a form of reverse racism.

There are scientifically, medically documented differences between populations.
'Race' is to vague a concept to be of scientific use.
It is a cultural construct that practically didn't exist prior to the Age of Discovery.
When Marco Polo travelled from Italy to China he didn't cross a line en route were he could have said on this side there be white folks and on that side there be yellow folk.
Physical traits vary gradually.

And we are a pretty inbred bunch.
A single group of Mountain Gorillas has more genetic variation then the whole human species put together.

Populations/race, we are not conducting science, we are just folks on the street. There is no white/yellow dividing line any more than there is a hot/cold dividing line. Hot and cold are too imprecise for science generally but they serve pretty well for informal discussion. In the Kelvin scheme of things there is not a lot of difference between the temperatures that make me heat the house and the temperature that make me cool it.

If we use the term race instead of populations, I'd say it is akin to using theory instead of hypothesis. Not good to do in science, nor valid when denying evolution, but close enough when trying to figure out how the potted plant got knocked over in the living room.

Enzo wrote:There is no white/yellow dividing line any more than there is a hot/cold dividing line.

Man, some bastard told me it was cold out today. I'm going to let that liar have it!

That's darn white of you. You think the guy is yellow?

He will be after I get through with him, for trying to sell me a non-existent concept like "cold"!

Halcyon Dayz wrote:There are scientifically, medically documented differences between populations.
'Race' is to vague a concept to be of scientific use.
It is a cultural construct that practically didn't exist prior to the Age of Discovery.
When Marco Polo travelled from Italy to China he didn't cross a line en route were he could have said on this side there be white folks and on that side there be yellow folk.
Physical traits vary gradually.

And we are a pretty inbred bunch.
A single group of Mountain Gorillas has more genetic variation then the whole human species put together.

Ohhh ... kaaay. not being an expert in this field, I will defer, hoping it will be assumed that I am only ignorant, not racist. {Sigh :( }

HD, your point about "gradually" is understood and agreed with. But the human race is not (yet) entirely homogeneous in characteristics.

(Why do these discussions always feel like dancing barefoot on broken glass? I bow ouch ... er, out)