From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue Aug 07 2001 - 18:51:06 MDT
Brian Williams writes
> One of the problems is that we have not agreed on what "racism and
> Racist" mean on this list. There are for example those who claim it
> has only to do with genetics.
I guess that starting with the definition that Hal Finney provided
would be good:
> From dictionary.com:
>
> rac·ism
> n.
> 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character
> or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
> 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
The word "and" narrows definition number 1 rather nicely (at least I
like it). Thus one may objectively investigate whether various human
groups exhibit statistical differences in various ways without
automatically being "racist".
I'm much less sure about what we are to take "discrimination" to mean.
Lee
P.S. For those who think that we should simply let this matter drop,
I will agree that bitter partisan wrangling should be left for another
time; but if people can remain calm and objective, (i.e., no insults,
innuendos, put-downs, labeling of others that those being labeled would
object to, etc.), then I see nothing wrong with proceeding.
Lee
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