Aj you wrote:
Quote:
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So my construction is not 'humans are xenophobic and therefore we can do nothing about racism'. Rather it is 'humans are xenophobic, racism is just a special case of xenophobia, therefore we are going to have to work hard as both individuals and as a civilization to give racism no haven or quarter in our lives, in our laws, or in our institutions. It will be hard work because we are fighting a somewhat uphill battle but it is doable.'
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and I'm just using this because it's the crux. And as a primatologist, I actually do agree with the above statement .... BUT then I'm agreeing to a principle statement that genes can be overcome and then we get back to the "gay gene" again. "you could help being gay if you really tried hard enough" thing. Honestly? yeah,
I could. I could be semi-miserable in a marriage with someone and be monogamous and be damply unfulfilled but function ok. But again yes, as you said below, it's two different issues - the gene and the moral value of the behaviour.
I do recall a petition that was sent around the globe through the journal of primatology, back in... 95? 96? that yes, they all agreed humans had xenophobic biology for certain group reasons but that it was no fucking excuse for shitty behaviour (A mate of mine tried to leave vietnam and the horror she experienced was unfathomable, even in her experience with globe trotting quite a bit and being a black masculine looking lesbian). I forget who they sent the signed results to, several countries I believe. I doubt it made any impact.
but then, if I agree to it...it's no excuse for being gay.
and I do
utterly agree with
I understand why people in the gay community want their to be a genetic basis for homosexuality but it does not buy us what many people think it does.
and your example is exactly why.
I suppose my beef is more in how the "message" gets twisted by people to suit their argument. I find almost all science reporting in newspapers rather upsetting for that reason.
and for that reason, I can empathise with people who follow spiritual teachings but get the lessons "bent" by the teachers and how fucked off they must feel about it. How the responsibility to the twisted message of assholes seem to lay at the feet of those that have nothing to do with what's being twisted - but still are under the same "label group". I'm wording poorly. excuse me if that's not clear.
probably why the non-hierarchical/philosophical teachings had more interest for me in study. not here or there though. just a random comment.