[Air-L] racist comments by James Watson?

Michael Baron webbaron at gmail.com
Fri Oct 19 20:09:45 PDT 2007


While I have no doubt that Dr. Watson was trying to present his scientific
hypothethis rather than to make a racist statement, it was very incensitive
of him to do so. As researchers, we know - there are times when particular
statements/publications (even if true) are totally inappropriate.

Unfortunately I am pretty sure that racist groups and organisations will now
take the Watson's statement on as a banner and use it widely out of the
context.


On 10/20/07, Heidelberg, Chris <Chris.Heidelberg at ssa.gov> wrote:
>
> Marcela:
>
> You are touching the tip of the iceberg. I was reading Andrew Sullivan
> blog today and a response talks about some of the same research that I
> have seen in my research and the research of some of my colleagues. The
> research indicates that oppressed minorities are traditionally lower
> 20-30 points lower in their homeland and their scores soar when out of
> that environment which is why Muslims in France and Christians in
> Nigeria score better when they come to the US away from the deadly
> oppression of death.
>
> Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
> [mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Marcela Musgrove
> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 3:08 PM
> To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
> Subject: Re: [Air-L] racist comments by James Watson?
>
> Oh wow. This article was a very interesting read, especially after all
> the research I have been doing into biopsychiatry and the fieldwork I
> have just completed which showed me how much it is being abused in the
> current American mental health system. I have met a fair number of
> people with diagnoses on the autistic spectrum or with schizophrenia and
> the way Watson  talks about these conditions exclusively in terms of
> genetics is chilling in terms of its potential for reviving the eugenics
> movement.  I am currently reading "The War Against Children of Color:
> Psychiatry Targets Inner-City Youth" by Dr. Peter Breggin which talks
> about how some of the anti-violence research that was planned during the
> 90s was going to target intervention with African-American children to
> start them on psychiatric drugs as early as 4 years old in order to
> supposedly curb crime and violence.
>
> Marcela
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