Why is the white race so different?

by Crazyguy 133 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Bungi Bill

  That there are differences between the world's major racial groups should come as no surprise when you consider the differences that occur even within one racial group; or often, even within the same country.

  For example, when we first arrived in Papua New Guinea (where the expatriate community of 25,000 was dwarfed by the local population of over 5 million), all Papua New Guineans looked the same. However, before very long, one got to be able to identify by their appearance which part of the country a person came from. (The capital city, Port Moresby, contained people from all over the country, with the customary land owners - the Motu people, being quite marginalised).

  These regional differences include hair colour; one whole tribal group - the Tolai people of East New Britain - are often blond haired, as are their neighbours across the channel in New Ireland (Only the nose gives the Tolais away. Theirs is a typical flat, broad, Melanesian nose - while the people of New Ireland have a straight, almost aquiline nose). Amongst other Papua New Guineans, red hair is by no means uncommon. And before some smart-@$$ suggests that this all came about because "Granny went out with sailors", blond-haired people were already resident in Papua New Guinea when the first sailors arrived there.

  Other physical differences include size and shape, from the sturdily built people of Enga Province to the pygmy-like Watut peoples of Morobe. These differences aren't all physical, either. People also vary considerably in nature . Those, however, could fill a book, and I won't start now! Then there is the tremendous variety of languages spoken in that country. By the last count that I heard , these number at least 806.

  So as to whether there are greater variations within the white races than any others, I am not at all sure.
• 

  LoveUniHateExams

  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WHITE RACE - then there is likewise no such thing as a black race?

  On the plus side, the UK could then get rid of the whole racism industry, no?

  So nature acts to remove freaks with white skin - but, us freaks are still here!
  

  PS - Try walking down Brixton High Street and saying there's no such thing as a black race, lol ...
  
• 

  TD

  Race is recognized both medically and under the law, so claiming it doesn't exist is simply daft.

  Or perhaps that one has formally studied the subject?

  Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary gives 10 separate definitions for the word, "Race." By and large, these fall into two categories: The quasi-scientific and the perceptual.

  The former represents past attempts to scientifically classify variations of the human species into finer divisions within Linnaean hierarchy. In other words, an additional name clapped on to the binomial designation for humans, like H. sapiens v. euorpaeus for example. Anthropologists rejected that idea as unscientific a long time ago.

  The latter is less reminiscent of eugenics, but when the word is defined subjectively, it is no longer a scientific designation, at least not in the strict sense of the word. Every minor variation in skin tone and facial structure potentially becomes a separate "Race." -And that is a social rather than a scientific construct.
  

  As a simple example, what race are the three young ladies below?

  If you find yourself resorting to descriptors of ethnicity, extraction, nationality, culture, heritage, language, etc., then I would submit that whether you realize it or not, you are defining the word, "race" along those lines as well.
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
• 

  redvip2000

  Of course race exists. This idea that race is a social construct is a meme that social justice warriors love to evangelize, but it's based on nothing but their dreams.

  Now, of course in a country like the USA for example, the differences between races become more tenuous, because there are so many different races living together and interbreeding.

  But human races are different from each other in many ways, and why is this bad? There is no need to force physical equality between people. The goal should be to respect our differences instead.
• 

  ttdtt

  Why are Apples so different?
  We need to get to the bottom of that!
• 

  TD

  redvip2000
  

  Of course race exists.
  

  Then you should have no trouble identifying the "race" of each of the three young ladies above, as they are fairly typical representatives within their respective ethnic groups.

  I suspect that like most people, you are defining race in terms of ethnicity, and not along the lines of what it actually meant in anthropology.
  

  
  
• 

  Simon

  As a simple example, what race are the three young ladies below?

  1. OK

  2. 100% Cute

  3. Cougar.

  I suspect that like most people, you are actually defining race in terms of ethnicity, and not along the lines of what it actually meant in anthropology.

  I think for most people's interactions when it comes to race, it's what people understand it to be - ethnic origin. It impacts many things - law enforcement, employment law, you name it. If it doesn't really exist then there is a massive fraud being perpetuated and someone needs to tell BLM.

  I don't care if "technically" it exists or not. I think it does, because I can see the differences and there are other unseen differences. The arguments against it all seem to focus on the fact that categorizing people has been misused in the past but that is a weak argument for the categories not existing.
  
• 

  Etude

  Race exists because we (collectively) have defined it. The problem is that we (lay people as well as scientists) have defined it in dozens of ways and the definitions accumulate as time and understanding increases. Some of our definitions or the ones we agree with can be subjective. Throughout this conversation, I've seen attempts at definitions (some more accurate than others) and the superimposition of someone's understanding of race over a different explanation. Unless there's some consensus, the conversation is doomed. I suppose that's what happens in the larger world, away from this microcosm, and why race is such a touchy issue. Only real knowledge can help.

  Etude.
• 

  Mad Irishman

  What a numb nuts you are. There are different color hair and eyes and skin variation in every race. It simply has to do with genetics and who has children with who.

  Were you awake in biology class in school? You're very ignorant.
• 

  redvip2000

  Then you should have no trouble identifying the "race" of each of the three young ladies above, as they are fairly typical representatives within their respective ethnic groups.

  You think the way to identify a race is based on a visual observation? Even so, and despite you picking images of people who could perhaps be a mixture of different races, I could likely make an educated guess.

  As i said before, in many places the differences between races is more tenuous because there is interbreeding between races.

  If i show you a picture of a mix breed dog and I ask you to visual identify the breed of the dog and you can't (understandably), does this mean that dog breeds don't exist?

  Or, if i show you a picture of a Lakeland terrier and an Airedale Terrier, and you can't visually tell which is which, does not mean they are the same breed? How would you know then? Ahhh yes, by the lineage right? there is your answer.