posted on Sep, 28 2015 @ 02:49 PM
While I understand the underlying reasoning for those in support of the out of control “political correctness” plaguing our society today; humans
have a history of victimizing minority and vulnerable sectors of the population. Slavery, persecution of minorities, and infringement of basic human
rights are but a few of the plethora of incomprehensible injustices various social groups have endured over the millennia.
However, I do not believe that circumventing the root cause of the issue of those in power preying on the weak, and instead forcing the general
populace to moderate its language and thinking, is the solution to this dilemma. This form of Orwellian forced thinking not only hinders advancements
in science and innovation, but it cannot be sustained over the long term. Society as a whole should not deny, or at the very least, suppress valid
debates on various topics that have currently been deemed too controversial or taboo to explore in a public setting. We are forced to discuss them in
hushed tones behind closed doors. As such, it stifles both science and innovation when certain elements of the natural world, human nature and
genetics cannot be adequately studied, researched, peer-reviewed and debated. Modern political correctness is on track to set science back decades, if
not further.
This issue is similar to those who deny climate change due to the fact that they do not want a carbon tax introduced. Even in the face of
overwhelming evidence, some deny climate change due to the fact that they fear greater governmental control over their lives in the form of carbon
taxes. One should understand that it is possible to both accept the evidence in favor of climate change and simultaneously be opposed to a carbon tax.
Similarly, it is possible to educate the public of not infringing on others’ personal freedoms, yet be open to exploring controversial and
uncomfortable subjects. Education, not denial, is key; as it is with ATS, mainstream society should be encouraged to deny ignorance.
I will briefly explore a few topics that have been deemed too controversial and therefore, will not be investigated by the vast majority in
academia:
Slave Selection (United States of America): It is the term given to natural selection of African Americans due to slavery. Natural selection in
the animal kingdom occurs when those individuals most fit to survive produce a greater number of offspring, and thereby pass on more genetic
information to the subsequent generation, in comparison to those less fit to survive. Keeping that in mind, in conjunction with the fact that many
African slaves perished aboard slave ships on the voyage to America, it is reasonable to conclude that the largest, strongest and healthiest were
statistically more likely to survive the journey than those possessing other traits. It has been argued that this is a potential explanation of the
disproportionate representation of African Americans in professional North American sports such as basketball (NBA) and football (NFL). However, this
is a topic that hasn’t garnered too much attention due to the fact that slave selection implies that human beings were potentially selected similar
to natural selection in the animal kingdom. It is believed to be unwise to equate humans of any race (and rightly so) to animals, however, that is no
reason to deny the mistakes of the past and not explore the consequences of those travesties on present day society.
Heritability of Intelligence: As with any heritable trait such as hair color, height, dimples, freckles, baldness, etc. it is logical to
conclude that intelligence is also inherited from parents to offspring. It has been demonstrated that various inheritable diseases such as
phenylketonuria (PKU) have an influence on one’s intelligence, leading to intellectual disability. While intelligence is a polygenetic trait
(multiple genes effect it), the very nature of it being genetic allows for it to be inherited. While intelligent quotient (IQ) is not an infallible
measure of intelligence, it has been demonstrated to be sufficiently accurate for scientific research. It is conceivable that similar to red hair
being prevalent in certain areas of the world, Scandinavian men averaging close to six feet in height and curly hair being predominant in other parts
of the globe, who is to say that certain races of people do not possess genes that make them on average more intelligent than those of other races (an
idea first proposed by James Watson, Nobel Prize winner and co-discoverer of the structure of DNA)? I understand that this notion brings about
horrendous memories of Adolph Hitler, atrocities of World War II and the notion of the superiority of one race over others, but it is a topic worth
exploring in our quest to better understand human heritability of genes, and diseases plaguing our species as an extension.
Genetics of Homosexuality: From the minimal number of twin concordance studies conducted on the subject, there is some evidence to suggest that
genes on the X-chromosome are responsible for homosexuality in males. Research into this issue brings about debate on whether human sexuality is a
choice or not. Controversies such as these and a potential for career suicide results in scientists refraining from pursuing research in this field.
This too is a polygenetic trait, and other factors such as environment have also been correlated to sexuality. It is a complex topic worth discussing
and not shoving under the rug due to our reluctance to confront it.
Crime Rate among Races (United States of America): On multiple occasions and through countless studies, it has been shown that African
Americans perpetrate more crime as a percentage in comparison to the percent represented by the group in the population as a whole. Many socioeconomic
factors such as poverty, cycle of violence, unstable homes and other causes complicate this matter. Nevertheless, it is a widespread issue for the
American populace, yet politicians are unwilling to discuss it and very few in the mainstream media even acknowledge it as a problem. Education of
both, those in impoverished communities and others in the general population is vital, rather than denying a problem exists. On a similar note, the
issue of the benefits and detrimental effects of drugs has been considered too controversial to be sufficiently studied for many decades. Not only
does the War on Drugs disproportionately affect those of lower socioeconomic standing, but it prevents legitimate research on the benefits of
these substances for the treatment and alleviation of countless diseases.
In conclusion, I understand that the examples I have mentioned aren’t black and white, and that a myriad of factors also come into play, what I am
merely stating is that these, and countless similar concepts are worthy (and in some sense, crucial) of being explored and discussed; however, that is
not possible with an unnecessary imposition of political correctness on the public. This is not political correctness, it is pure cowardice; we know
the troubles of the past and are terrified of our potential for evil. However, fear should never impede the potential for greatness.