A rational, physically-based idea of race would require distinct, separated breeding populations.  But we don’t observe this except in some very remote corners of the world, and certainly not in North America.

A few years ago I got a questionnaire from a court, probably involving jury duty, which included a question as to my race.  I left it blank.  They actually wrote back demanding an answer (in a form letter—I’m not alone).  I responded to the effect that if they would give me a method for determining my race, I would perform it, and let them know the result.  Naturally there was no answer, because there could be no such method.  If you don’t play the game, you can’t be assigned to a team.

Yes, I am thinking that he might have been recruited early in life by those of the cabal that want to have as many “ethnics” in the front to hide their own Aryan-Nordic Christian base. Most cannot resist the lure of power and wealth. It is just too strong. Only a few individuals can.

I am not down playing the local adaptations by humans but so far they have not deviated to such an extent to create sterile offspring or none at all have they? Now that would qualify as really a new species wouldn’t it?

There are variations. These “minor alterations” account for not just superficial physical attributes, but susceptability to certain diseases, etc. Many geneticists argue that this is significant enough, and prefer to use the term race. Some just say “subset” like you did and play down the genetic differences. Maybe some of my terminology is archaic, but the point I am making is valid and I don’t think we are disagreeing all that much.

Neil Risch is a prominent geneticists who believes that the idea that race is meaningless biologically is incorrect and politically motivated, but when he was asked about genome research that supports there are no human races, he replied, “What is your definition of races? If you define it a certain way, maybe that’s a valid statement. There is obviously still disagreement….Scientists always disagree! A lot of the problem is terminology. I’m not even sure what race means, people use it in so many different ways.”

To get back to what you were saying about Sotomayor, I don’t think it hurts that she comes from a more diverse background, but she is pretty right wing, in politics these things don’t matter much. Obama’s African heritage didn’t stop him from boycotting the UN racism conference like a fool, among other things.

Human taxonomists gave up on finding anything like what Russian Paul is talking about. The nomenclature he uses is from the 1950’s and it is more for geographic than actual biological importance.

Humanity is the set and all the little variations are merely sup-sets of that set of human. Even the Pygmies of the Viringa are too. From 7’ tall to 38” tall. All of these minor alterations still make them human and allows us to survive.

A Latina woman would have some differing experiances from an Anglo man wouldn’t you think and therefor add to her ability to see things in a different and perhaps better way? That was Sotomayor‘s point and Scalia‘s point too.

Russian Paul
‘There are “real, physical” differences between caucasians, negroids, mongoloids, etc and all the variations and subcategories. I agree that the biological differences are tiny, and we are all human, but it’s not all a social construct. Having adapted in different environments, we have become different, it’s in our DNA. Maybe race isn’t the best word, but this politically correct idea that we’re all supposedly the same just isn’t accurate.’

Going by genes, you can divide humans up into as many “races” as you like, depending on which genes you pick.  For instance, you could say all the people with blue eyes constituted one race, and those with brown eyes another.  However, these races won’t correspond with any of the popular social constructions of race, which is that of isolated breeding groups exhibiting significant differences of behavior and appearance.  These hardly exist.  The average American “black” person shares more genes with the average American “white” person than with any set of Africans-from-Africa.  I don’t think it’s political correctness but merely common sense to say that the term “race” is meaningless in the United States, except, of course, as an arbitrary social construction, a game people choose to play.

The differences aren’t the point. Other that what Sotomayor was talking about meaning the different life experiences not tied only to white males could give insights where none were before. That was her point if you listen to the entire speech she gave. Still she needs to reiterate it in that clear concise way I just did.

Such differences should be embraced. Without it we would be so similar both in skin color, demeanor, thought and deed as to keep us boxed in a very narrow place. We would have died out like the Neanderthal. It is thought that they may have been too adapted to the Ice Age and couldn’t cope with the warming or spreading to other places. Flexibility is paramount for survival. For us at least with the minor variations we have within our genome.

Watch PBS “Arthur” to see a world where there are many true different sapient species living together harmoniously. (Ardvark, rabbit, monkey <no tails>, moose, rat, and several others.) They also don’t have war in their present. Now if we could only do that with the same race or species human. Humanity isn’t advanced enough to deal well with other intelligent alien species as a whole. We may never accomplish it in the real world. At least we have fiction to show us a possible way.

I must say that I took a slight bit of offense at the remark made by Sotomayor. Just because she is a Latina she can come to “a better conclusion than a white male”. Well, I am a white male, and I have a hell of a lot more in common with minorities than I do ANY politician in Washington. It just goes to show that white, male politicians aren’t the only ones out of touch with the Public. The only people I know that make race an issue is the media, nobody else cares what color you are. How different would things be if the MSM reported “a man robbed a store” INSTEAD of “(insert racial group here) man robs store”? This country (to most of us) is no longer about color; what divides people now is money. There is a big difference between Clarence Thomas and Fifty Cent; there is a lot less between Fifty Cent and myself. Most of us are just tired of the same ol’ rhetoric. Race is a distraction from the real problems we face.

We have evolved and acclimated differently. You say yourself there are differences in our genome, so although we are all the same species, there ARE different RACES that have developed, no? Neither superior nor inferior, only necessary for adapting to different environments. Just because the differences are small, doesn’t mean there aren’t differences.

Don’t confuse differences in abilities with us as a single species. Minor variations shouldn’t be looked upon as demarcation lines of separation but are. A bad tendency that can be the death of us all. Such variations within our genome are essential to keep us surviving changing environments. It is one of the primary reasons we are still here. That and thumbs and a neo-cortex make us not just the Alpha predator but has made us the Omega predator. We are causing the 6th extinction that is in progress now. Survival is the name of the game in evolution. It takes no prisoners.

Racism is the theory that (1) there are real, physical races (not just social constructions of race)...

There are “real, physical” differences between caucasians, negroids, mongoloids, etc and all the variations and subcategories. I agree that the biological differences are tiny, and we are all human, but it’s not all a social construct. Having adapted in different environments, we have become different, it’s in our DNA. Maybe race isn’t the best word, but this politically correct idea that we’re all supposedly the same just isn’t accurate.

You know that the rabid Republicans were poised to attack anyone Obama picked not withstanding who they were or how they voted. Satomayor is no liberal but she seems to be right around David Souter, maybe even more right wing. We can’t be sure till she is confirmed. The freedom of an unlimited seat on the bench can show her true colors, so-to-speak, of them. So there is still and unknown quantity but she will in all likelihood be confirmed. About the best we can imagine.

As qualifications go she is literally at the top of the class with more experience than any previous judge on the Supreme Court bench. The best we can expect is that she is mostly in the Souter range, and worst be the reich wing decider vote against us.

Racism is the theory that (1) there are real, physical races (not just social constructions of race), (2) some races are superior to others, and (3) political action should be taken in view of point (2).  I don’t know what “reverse racism” would mean; either you have a theory of racial superiority and inferiority, or you don’t.  I don’t know about Limbaugh, but I doubt very much if Obama or Sotomayor have such theories, straight-up or reversed.

However, attempting to provoke the Republicans to attack a Hispanic on the basis of her ethnicity and life experience, and succeeding in the case of the most prominent Republican of the moment, seems to me to be a stroke of genius.  It’s kind of hard to believe the Republicans would fall into so obvious a trap.

With the RNCS out in force lately offending every Demographic while Twisting their ‘logic’ into a pretzel- ‘10 and ‘12 (at least) Will be a Cakewalk for the Dems.
Gotta thank Rush for also slitting his and the Repugs own Throats with the Miltiary,and their Families .Going after the Navy Seals for ‘murdering those poor’ pirate minority terrorists and then Gen Powell. Can’t wait to here Rushs verbal beating on Petraus’ support of closing Gitmo and ending Torture. Bet it will be a Doozy too. Proving the Point we have been trying to make - the Repugs only support the Troops when in works for them politically or economically. Same Reason they Flip flop on the degree of “truthiness” by the CIA too.
“Oh What a Tangled Web we Weave when we practice to Deceive”.
the Repugs have now Kissed Away- Females, people of color, anyone making under 400 million, workers, military, gays, Catholics,people who read, think and remember.. and Very likely their own ‘Armed and Dangerous’ conspiracy Theorists who have always feared the covert operations of the CIA.
Literally the RNC has become an exclusive club of Circle jerkers with likes of Rush, Newt and Cheney as the KY dispensers.

Only the wing nut branch of the far right and the “it takes a village” crowd on the left, would assume that Hispanics are genetically inclined to be liberals. If you assume that, then you accept a nonsensical game, which will completely ignore the fact that under the rules of judicial careers at the federal level, Sonia Sotomayor meets all the criteria for the job. How strange that a drug addled dingbat such as Limbaugh would complain about reverse racism, when he “pals around” with Clarence Thomas, the least qualified idiot to ever be confirmed to the Supreme court.

Absolutely.  Rachel Maddow is… I struggle to define it, dare I say TRUTHFUL.

“Reverse Racism” is a common strategy, or more appropriately…. an illogical framework, that racists USE to supposedly “qualify” their inordinate claims.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had THAT debate either.

Does “reverse racism” exist…. yes and no.  Some of it is simply frustration misdirected, while some in other cases one could, at least presumably… make a valid argument.

However, in both the above scenarios, these same are/were not those in positions of power or authority.  It is easy to aver that Jesse Helms WAS INDEED A RACIST, YET the man held a position of power/authority, and that appears to be “forgotten”.

Additionally, it needs to be noted that Helms (among others), NEVER hid….. “his convictions”.  Blatantly, he blathered…on and on and on and on…..

Is “Maria” (OMG, just shows you where the wing-nut, Mike Huckabee’s idiocy lies…..lol)

(clip is at the beginning, the rest is good too, but hey… if you don’t have the time….either way. Check this out.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#30951606

Yep…. it is SONYA….LOL.  However, I can not resist…... c’mon, jog the ol’ gray matter.

But I agree, Maria....“makes me laugh”.....

The “Sound of Music”:
“Maria makes me laugh!....hmm, hmm, hmm…la…la…la…(Truthfully, I love this song, old memories….but that’s another story)  How do you solve a problem like Maria…How do you catch a cloud and pin it down….  How do you find the word that means Maria….  A flibbertigibbet….?  A willow the wisp….?  A clown….,  Many a thing you know you’d like to tell her…., Many a thing she ought to understand…., But how do you make her stay and listen to all you say…..,  How do you keep a wave upon the sand….?  How do you solve a problem like Maria…., How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand…...

(seriously, 1 min…you gotta see it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_s0-Ujxq1U

Whoa….do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti do!