Did anyone watch “The Human Family Tree” recently on the National Geographic channel? One of the most fascinating facts found out, after checking the DNA of 350,000 human beings from every corner of the planet, is we all come from the same area of Africa.
200,000 – 150,000 years ago: The genetic journey of everyone alive today began with one woman — “Scientific Eve” — who lived in Africa and passed along her DNA through special cell structures called mitochondria, which only women pass down to further generations. What that means is, we are all related: Black, White, Yellow, Brown . . . we’re all the same. Our DNA varies by 1/10 of 1%, and that small percentage is what gives us our individual identities.
The color of a humans skin comes not from DNA, but where our ancestors migrated to. European ancestors lived in cold climates, so skin pigmentation lightened over generations. Those living in warmer or hotter climates retained the darker characteristics. It makes it interesting, then, how much race (which actually doesn’t exist) plays the role it does in society. I wonder how racists would actually feel if they knew they were hating their brothers and cousins? My guess is they would not believe the evidence when presented to them. All one has to do is look to people like Linda Jenkins, Bill O’Reilly and their ilk to understand facts have little meaning to them.
So, readers, how do we change the minds of people bent on destroying race relations, when the evidence of DNA points to the non-existence of race? Is it even possible?
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
I always wondered about these fine Evangelical Christians who take the Bible as literal. If the literal part is true, then why have they never questioned how the entire world’s population came to be in existence from just one couple – Adam and Eve?
And how did Cain find his wife if there was no other woman but Eve around?
See, this is why I had to leave the Fundies movement – I asked too many damn questions..
Seriously folks, I do believe there is a God (but my God does not sit on some Golden Throne in Heaven) but he is more of a positive energy source of enlightenment and love.
And with that enlighteninment – God expects us to be wise enough to learn the true facts of science.
But to the original question of how to change the minds of those bent on destroying racial relations – we have tried using facts before and these people just ridiculed us for it. So, why bother?
I don’t think it is because Jenkins, OReilly and the rest of them don’t know the facts – they just don’t care. These people know that keep the racial tensions alive and well in society benefits their side politically.
Race is just another wedge issue with Republicans. It’s just like abortion and gay marriage – they use these issues again and again and again to garner power.
Race relations will cease to be much of an issue, as will gay rights, over the next generation as the post-civil rights population comes of age and the older, pre-civil rights citizens die off.
I never went to school with nor even had a conversation with a black person until I went to college in 1970, despite the fact that I grew up just north of Detroit. In the Sixties and Seventies, the suburbs were not integrated above Eight Mile Road, hence the movie of the same name.
April 4, 1968 I became aware of just how deep the racial divide was in America, at the age of fifteen. Intellectually, I made a decision for myself not to be part of the racist element. My parents were of the benign, but insidious racist thought that demeaned blacks as “colored folks.” My attitude caused many conflicts in our household. (Over many other issues as well.)
My lack of racism is a product of intellect, but it is not a natural, ingrained POV. Today’s generation will lack a racist attitudes because they grew up in an integrated society, went to school and worked with people of many “races” and generally live in an environment that is non-racist among their peers.
God willing, by the time this current generation reaches my age, racism, homophobia and sexism will be a thing of the past, ancient history.
God willing.
I hope you’re right. But with the excellent health care those pre-civil rights citizens get because of our socialized government-run Medicare, more of of them are living longer…
And, that issue – health care, I think will become an issue of contention between the young and old in the next few years.
If Obama and the Democrats lose on reforming health care this time, I believe more and more young people and minorities are going to be developing a real hatred of having to work harder just to pay for all those pre-civil rights citizens to enjoy their health care while denying the same to the working people.
Oh, no! We can’t all have nearly the same DNA! Nope! How will some maintain their superiority? Some people deserve greater privilege than others and I’m pretty sure skin color is one of the things that determine who is and who isn’t deserving.
Of course, there will still be the moral high ground of having been lucky enough to be born into wealth. Maybe that will be enough.
If not, they can default to the lack of enterprise in some — ya know, it’s their own damn fault they’re poor and it’s a sign of poor character — if only they worked harder!
My father said once, during the riots in Los Angeles, that them colored people were all lazy. I told him he was damn lucky he wasn’t born black then. He failed to see the irony in that statement.
What I have found is how enterprising these Republicans are when they use taxpayer money in the form of susbsidies and tax breaks in order to create their wealth and then fight to deny others the same opportunity.
I think this is what their opposition to health care is really about.
Republicans don’t want that government trough to be used for ALL Americans. They want the trough reserved for their special little fat piggies that continually oink their way to the taxpayers trough to get even fatter.
Power, control and money are the three axis of evil in the Republicans’ war chest.
“We’re all mutants, say scientists
Each of us has at least 100 new mutations in our DNA, according to research published in the journal Current Biology.
Scientists have been trying to get an accurate estimate of the mutation rate for over 70 years.
However, only now has it been possible to get a reliable estimate, thanks to “next generation” technology for genetic sequencing.
The findings may lead to new treatments and insights into our evolution.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8227442.stm