change in electoral college votes for 2024

Quote: Pacomartin

There are probably a million people who make their living one way or another on the concept of "race" in America. if everyone behaved as cavalierly as you they will all lose their jobs.

Good! Let them do something that actually contributes to the economy.

Quote:

Suprisingly enough the concept of "race" the way we use it today, is not really that old. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752–1840) divided the human species into five races in 1779.

I think most people beliefe that our concept of "race" existed at the beginning of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade 160 year earlier.

I'm not sure what your point is, but I don't dispute there are different races. I have posted before about my own genetic test that showed some surprising results. My point is government should not show favoritism to one race over another. Except in some medical situations, government should be blind to race.

Quote: Wizard

I'm not sure what your point is, but I don't dispute there are different races.

Race has no biological meaning. There is nothing unifying about Chinese and Indians that makes them both Asian. It is simply a holdover from a European way to classify people.

Race is purely a social construct invented in Europe.

Quote: Pacomartin

Race is purely a social construct invented in Europe.

I would not say that. Asians can be the most racist people out there. Remember that episode of MASH where they had to drop off the baby that fathered by an American and the mother abandoned? Dropped it with the local monks because it would be shunned for not being full-blooded?

Japan is just as bad, Koreans there do everything to hide that they are Korean else they be treated as second class citizens.

Race and where you come from plays a large role worldwide and always has.

Quote: AZDuffman

Race and where you come from plays a large role worldwide and always has.

I agree! This was said in another thread somewhere, but human beings are hardwired to want to protect their own tribe and destroy other tribes. I don't know if other languages have a word for "race," but everyone knows there are different colors of skin and facial features.

Quote: Wizard

I agree! This was said in another thread somewhere, but human beings are hardwired to want to protect their own tribe and destroy other tribes. I don't know if other languages have a word for "race," but everyone knows there are different colors of skin and facial features.

It's a primal instinct. If you take a monkey from the jungle and paint him green his former monkey friends and family will kill him.
Of course, everyone knows there are different colors of skin and facial features. Certainly the Romans fought the Germans in huge bloody battles, The Spaniards had wars against the Moors since the 9th century.

But "race" is the concept that the human species can be subdivided into a very limited number of sub-species. Originally they were identified with the colors, White, Black, Yellow, Red and Brown. Human beings could have radically different colors of skins and facial features within a race, but those differences are usually considered "ethnic". THAT THEORY OF MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS only dates from late 18th century and German writers.

The concept of "racist" has been extended to any prejudice towards any other people based on some inherent characteristics. We might say that some Anglos are racist toward Latinos, or vica versa, even though they are considered the same "race' in classical race theory.

So when scientists say there is no "race" they are not denying that there are different colors of skin and facial features. What they are denying is that there is any meaningful sub-species of man. Skin color, for instance, comes in hundreds of different shades. The idea that skin color neatly fits into a five fold category of White, Black, Yellow, Red and Brown is an illusion.

Quote: census.gov

The overwhelming majority (97 percent) of the total U.S. population reported only one race in 2010. This group totaled 299.7 million. Of these, the largest group reported white alone (223.6 million), accounting for 72 percent of all people living in the United States. The black or African-American population totaled 38.9 million and represented 13 percent of the total population. Approximately 14.7 million people (about 5 percent of all respondents) identified their race as Asian alone. There were 2.9 million respondents who indicated American Indian and Alaska Native alone (0.9 percent). The smallest major race group was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (0.5 million), which represented 0.2 percent of the total population. The remainder of respondents who reported only one race, 19.1 million people (6 percent of all respondents), were classified as "some other race" alone.

The fact that "Asian" has no biological signifigance is lost because this country has only 14.7 million (5%) of responses on the Census.

Quote: Pacomartin

The fact that "Asian" has no biological signifigance is lost because this country has only 14.7 million (5%) of responses on the Census.

This is getting out of my area, but it's no big secret that some races are more vulnerable to conditions like sickle cell anemia than others. In other words, race is more than skin deep. That's why I said in my OP, I don't oppose disclosing my race if there is a legitimate medical reason.

If your point is that there is no clear definition of any given race, I don't disagree and think that is a good thing. As the races mix, my hope is we become less tribal and have one less thing to fight about. However, I'm sure we'll find something to fight over, even if we taken religion and race out of it.

Quote: Wizard

This is getting out of my area, but it's no big secret that some races are more vulnerable to conditions like sickle cell anemia than others. In other words, race is more than skin deep. That's why I said in my OP, I don't oppose disclosing my race if there is a legitimate medical reason.

If your point is that there is no clear definition of any given race, I don't disagree and think that is a good thing. As the races mix, my hope is we become less tribal and have one less thing to fight about. However, I'm sure we'll find something to fight over, even if we taken religion and race out of it.

You don't have to wait Wiz. Look at the people that are upset now about Covid rule breakers. Every city is convinced that Covid is coming from outside it's own borders. "Those people that don't live here should stay home". No race or religion reasons needed just not part of their tribe.

Quote: kenarman

You don't have to wait Wiz. Look at the people that are upset now about Covid rule breakers. Every city is convinced that Covid is coming from outside it's own borders. "Those people that don't live here should stay home". No race or religion reasons needed just not part of their tribe.

Sadly, I agree.

Quote: Wizard

This is getting out of my area, but it's no big secret that some races are more vulnerable to conditions like sickle cell anemia than others. In other words, race is more than skin deep. That's why I said in my OP, I don't oppose disclosing my race if there is a legitimate medical reason.

Quote: NPR pdcast:July 10, 2019

Is 'Race Science' Making A Comeback?
After the Second World War, when we saw eugenics play out — saw the consequences of Nazi racial hygiene in the Holocaust — the world kind of took a collective intake of breath and tried to put its house in order. So scientists, policymakers, the United Nations all came together and decided race has no place in biology anymore. It's not scientifically accurate. Race is not how difference plays out in the real world.

This scientist talks about sickle cell anemia in particular.

Quote: Wizard

This is getting out of my area, but it's no big secret that some races are more vulnerable to conditions like sickle cell anemia than others. In other words, race is more than skin deep. That's why I said in my OP, I don't oppose disclosing my race if there is a legitimate medical reason.

Exactly. Blacks also get high blood pressure more. Europeans are one of the only races that are not lactose intolerant. Asians get less heart disease. IMHO it goes further. Why do blacks dominate in sports that require speed and reflexes? Why are Germans so good at engineering and organization?

We are so blinded by "it is racist to say...." that we are probably missing that there are actual differences and we would be better to study why they are than keep trying to prove they are not.