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PBS lies in an attempt to prove that race does not exist
In April of this year, PBS screened a show titled Race: The Power of an Illusion
In order to "prove" that race is merely a figment of our imagination, the argument is made that there is no single gene or small set of genes that are unique to any racial group. It is also stated that two members of the same race may differ from each other more at a specific gene locus than they do from someone of a different race. This is true, but it's also meaningless. It's like saying that your brother is not really your brother because his eyes are not the same color as yours. You might as well argue that family is an illusion. Of course, the program fails to mention that when enough genes are considered, race becomes undeniably real. The idea that a race must be characterized by specific genes that are found only in that race and in no other is a straw man put up by those who wish to knock it down for political reasons.
The main event on the program is a misrepresented DNA test. A group of students of different races are tested for similarities between their mitochondrial DNA, and it is found that there are more similarities between the mitochondrial DNA of students of different races than those of the same. What the program fails to mention, however, is that mitochondrial DNA is completely useless in determining race at the individual level, or for comparing the racial ancestry of one individual to another. This type of DNA is inherited exclusively from the mother, so if you are black, and there was someone white on your mother's side of the family tree at some point, your mitchondrial DNA will be 'white'. To tout this kind of DNA test as some kind of proof of the non-existence of race is outright deception.
In order to "prove" that race is merely a figment of our imagination, the argument is made that there is no single gene or small set of genes that are unique to any racial group. It is also stated that two members of the same race may differ from each other more at a specific gene locus than they do from someone of a different race. This is true, but it's also meaningless. It's like saying that your brother is not really your brother because his eyes are not the same color as yours. You might as well argue that family is an illusion. Of course, the program fails to mention that when enough genes are considered, race becomes undeniably real. The idea that a race must be characterized by specific genes that are found only in that race and in no other is a straw man put up by those who wish to knock it down for political reasons.
The main event on the program is a misrepresented DNA test. A group of students of different races are tested for similarities between their mitochondrial DNA, and it is found that there are more similarities between the mitochondrial DNA of students of different races than those of the same. What the program fails to mention, however, is that mitochondrial DNA is completely useless in determining race at the individual level, or for comparing the racial ancestry of one individual to another. This type of DNA is inherited exclusively from the mother, so if you are black, and there was someone white on your mother's side of the family tree at some point, your mitchondrial DNA will be 'white'. To tout this kind of DNA test as some kind of proof of the non-existence of race is outright deception.
at caligastia.
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