So I was watching this programme on Channel Four. They are doing a series of programmes related to race, the most avoided topic. The so-called Race: Science’s last taboo.
So what is race? What is racism?
There have been a fair few discussions throughout the 80 minutes programme with me and my flatmate. He is a biologist, a true believer of science and will only accept science as the fundamentals of life.
I am a statistician and the way we work is we draw a hypothesis, if we can’t prove it wrong then the hypothesis stands. It sounds silly but this is just the way it works.
Of course I am not saying that there is a direct correlation between race and intelligence. People tend to do generalisation without actually examining the more complicated processes of it, such as up-bringing, environment, nutrition, etc. We do this because it is simply easier to accept the concept, like the profiling methods used in HR and management. We pigeonhole people because it is easier to categorise people and manage them. Individualism just doesn’t work, especially in big organisation.
My flatmate was actually quite shocked when he was watching the programme. While on another hand, this is like something casual we talk across the dining table. It didn’t affect me what so ever, it just confirm more to me that a lot of people are simply ignorant and are happy being so.
I am not white, I am coloured. If you define racism as having opinion on people of different colours, then I might be a racist according to this definition. I only read facts and interpret from them, nothing more nothing less. I do not hold any emotions or grudges toward people who “look” different from me. So am I racist or not?
It is so sterile here and people are so afraid to voice their opinions especially when it comes to this taboo. If people can acknowledge the underlying factors of the relevant matters, then perhaps there would be less dumb ass like Nick Griffin. I simply couldn’t believe there is someone like him out there and being a leader of a political party? You must be joking me.
It’s sad but it is true that the society is not made up by intellects. Intellects are not the majority of the society. If so then George Bush wouldn’t have been the president of the United States.
I believe there is no absolute objectiveness in people, everyone is subjective to some extends, and this is all relative.
So why don’t you complain or moan when you see posters in your local GPs such as: if you are of such and such “ethnic groups”, you are of higher risk of this disease? SO it is OK to compromise when there is something beneficial to yourself, i.e. more researches to seek the root of genetical influenced diseases so it can be cured eventually?
People are just all selfish at the end of the day.
