vin@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Vincent J. Erickson) (02/10/89)
Let's please stop this pointless discussion about the "weakening" of the human gene pool. The gene pool is not "weakened" by the survival of those individuals who in the past would have died. There are far, far too many individuals in the species for that to ocurr. There is only one way to weaken a species' gene pool. Kill off all but a few of the individuals of the species (ala the California Condor). Limiting the gene pool to a few, inbred individuals is how a gene pool is weakened. The wide variety and range of human individuals guarantees that the human gene pool remains digustingly strong. If there was a way to keep certain individuals from reproducing, it would not be those who are unfortunate enough to suffer from rare hereditary diseases, but those who post enormously callous and stupid things about how such individuals are to be seen as "weakening" the overall health of the human species. I have never ceased to be amazed at the shallowness of some "educated" people. So easy it is to lower other people's status, until they are "infections" in the gene pool. If sick or disabled people make you uncomfortable, see a psychiatrist. If Hitler had, maybe the dream of a "master race" would have saved some millions of "substandard" people their fates in the gas chambers.
ethan@ut-emx.UUCP (Ethan Tecumseh Vishniac) (02/14/89)
In article <1277@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG>, vin@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Vincent J. Erickson) writes: > Let's please stop this pointless discussion about the "weakening" of > the human gene pool. Let's *not* shut it down prematurely. This discussion has been a classic example of how a stupid suggestion can spark a number of interesting and intelligent postings. > > If sick or disabled people make you uncomfortable, see a psychiatrist. > If Hitler had, maybe the dream of a "master race" would have saved > some millions of "substandard" people their fates in the gas chambers. Alternatively, we could start a discussion on the very low success rate of modern psychiatry. :-( In any case, Hitler did not hold a gun to the heads of millions of Germans and force them to murder so many innocent people. The seductiveness of racist mythology to otherwise normal people seems pretty well established. -- I'm not afraid of dying Ethan Vishniac, Dept of Astronomy, Univ. of Texas I just don't want to be {charm,ut-sally,ut-emx,noao}!utastro!ethan there when it happens. (arpanet) ethan@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU - Woody Allen (bitnet) ethan%astro.as.utexas.edu@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU These must be my opinions. Who else would bother?
morimoto@intvax.UUCP (Alan Morimoto) (02/15/89)
From article <10491@ut-emx.UUCP>, by ethan@ut-emx.UUCP (Ethan Tecumseh Vishniac): > In article <1277@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG>, vin@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Vincent J. Erickson) writes: >> Let's please stop this pointless discussion about the "weakening" of >> the human gene pool. > > Let's *not* shut it down prematurely. This discussion has been a classic > example of how a stupid suggestion can spark a number of interesting > and intelligent postings. You supposedly educated people are hilarious to read! Who are you to judge what is and is not acceptable discussion material? If your narrow mindedness is truly as strong as it seems, you should consider becoming a politician. Scientists should be open to many ideas and prevent their personal prejudices from clouding the discussion. But go ahead and make your crude comments if you must, I enjoy a laugh now and then! Alan -- { Humans are the only animals that } { don't breed to improve the species. } --Alan
ethan@ut-emx.UUCP (Ethan Tecumseh Vishniac) (02/16/89)
In an article I wrote: (in response to the double quoted message) > > > > If sick or disabled people make you uncomfortable, see a psychiatrist. > > If Hitler had, maybe the dream of a "master race" would have saved > > some millions of "substandard" people their fates in the gas chambers. > > Alternatively, we could start a discussion on the very low success rate > of modern psychiatry. :-( > > In any case, Hitler did not hold a gun to the heads of millions of Germans > and force them to murder so many innocent people. The seductiveness > of racist mythology to otherwise normal people seems pretty well established. I have since received a private mail message acusing me of comparing Nazis and third world nations, and making excuses for the Nazis. I can't understand the first part, but maybe I should amplify my point about the Nazis. For the record, I think my comments can be interpreted as insulting to modern psychiatry (but not very), but the primary point was that the holocaust was not entirely, or even primarily, due to Hitler. Otherwise normal people succumbed to an insane set of racist beliefs and went out and murdered people. The holocaust is generally considered to be unique due to the number of victims and the allegedly civilized nature of the German nation, but smaller incidents with disturbingly similar elements are not uncommon in history. To call on psychiatry to treat this problem is a little like calling on a local fire department to snuff Mauna Loa. Eugenics was used to rationalize many elements of the Nazi atrocities. I think what disturbs many of us about Mr. Morimoto's comments is the memory of this connection. -- I'm not afraid of dying Ethan Vishniac, Dept of Astronomy, Univ. of Texas I just don't want to be {charm,ut-sally,ut-emx,noao}!utastro!ethan there when it happens. (arpanet) ethan@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU - Woody Allen (bitnet) ethan%astro.as.utexas.edu@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU These must be my opinions. Who else would bother?