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A lot has changed since the 1950s. Correlation != causation. Besides, race and poverty are so closely linked in the US that, even if this were true, it still d
by drjesusphd 13y ago
A lot has changed since the 1950s. Correlation != causation.
Besides, race and poverty are so closely linked in the US that, even if this were true, it still doesn't say anything about the intrinsic properties of different races. Implying that it does is a racist statement.
- EGreg 13y agoSaying that members of some races are shorter on aberage than others may be "racist" in some sense, but it's also informative. Same with life expectancy. Now how much of it is genetic vs lifestyle and cultural is a different story. It's not easy to tease apart genotype vs phenotype arguments or nature vs nurture. But I don't think I would take offense to ACTUALLY 90% TRUE generalizations about MY race and ethnicity, and I don't think others should, either. That's different than saying POTENTIALY UNTRUE things based on anecdotal evidence, such as that Mexicans are usually bad at physics, that women bad at programming or that Jews are averse to taking low paid menial jobs. Disclaimer: I am Jewish. But I have no issue discussing things dispassionately like that. However I am sensitive to how they are presented, and MORE imporyantly careful ny to perpetuate harmful stereotypes that are possibly untrue or may cause people to actually suffer as a result.