Acting White: Intelligence and Genes

I have been known to make statements about race and intelligence that have earned me both praise and vilification. A large part of the vilifying is my own fault, for not heeding the taboo restriction on the subject. I am also to blame that my perspective has undergone a shift that makes a big difference in how my words are formed and perceived, and I have not made that shift clear.

This post will begin the task. I do not believe that race or genetics drives the disparity in intelligence between blacks and non-blacks. However, the disparity is real, by modeling and empirical observation, and most visible by race. This visibility, through the convenient lens of race, leads us to focus on superficial physiology differences as evidence of the drivers of difference, even though they drive nothing.

I do believe that intelligence is inadvertently responsible for the different ethnicities, or races (if we must continue to use that word). With a few possible exceptions, there is only one distribution of inherited intelligence for humankind and it cares nothing about race. It established itself in Africa long before the events that precipitated the races. That same distribution of intelligence exist to this day, beyond the contorted optics of race. It is the distribution of intelligence that allowed certain Africans to walk off that continent and around the globe over 7,000 years ago.

The fact that those exiting Africans would change skin color, hair and eye color, and other superficial features during their two thousand year journey explains why our dissected brains show no difference that can explain the disparity in intelligence we experience. The Ashkenazi Jews of Northern Europe and the Aborigines of Australia are the only candidates (I know of) for enhanced brain physiology that could lead us to believe that they are more intelligent by virtue of their genetics. The Ashkenazi’s have mean IQ’s well above all other groups as the possible result of the same disorders that cause Tay Sachs. The Aborigines have phenomenal memories, a vital factor of intelligence, as the result of, or caused by, the lack of a written language.

While the lens of race distorts our understanding of intelligence, it (measured intelligence) nonetheless accurately captures outcomes of performance for groups relative to each other, and for this reason should not be dismissed. However, inherited intelligence is only one factor influencing the level to which a person can be educated and contribute to themselves and society. Once we are past the distortion of race views, perhaps we can better go about the effort of supporting development of all people, and away from the notion that one size of education fits all.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: 2008 Cluelessness vs. Floppiness

Two different friends sent me these YouTube's on the presidential candidates. I take each with a grain of salt, but I will let you decide how big each of those grains needs to be. Enjoy.





James C. Collier

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Acting White: US Congress Apologizes For Slavery

My son is thirteen. When he was four, he took a poke at his mother. His seventeen year old sister did the same when she was three. Each was a tense moment, but we got past it and everybody is fine now. No apology is required now that they are mature on the point of not hitting people, especially their mother.

For thousands of years people enslaved each other without batting an eyelid. In the 1700 and 1800's, humankind finally began questioning the morality of it. After a skirmish called the Civil War, America began grappling with its new position. In essence the country matured past it, like my kids hitting their mother. No apologies needed. Just keep on grappling.

That's how I feel about apologies for slavery. I'm past it. My enslaved ancestors are dead, and so are the people and system that enslaved them. I can't un-ring the slavery bell, nor would I want to. But symbolism don't feed the bull dog, so I'd rather Congress spend time on fixing real problems, rather than making hollow gestures.

Now some people will try to make the apology less hollow by attaching reparations and slavery-era disclosure requirements, to generate dollars to line the coffers of certain un-named so-called civil-rights leaders/groups we wish would retire, but this is adding insult to injury. It is extortion, and we should not allow it.

Personally, I don't need or want anyone to apologize to me, I was never a slave. If anything, I apologize daily to the memory of our ancestors for people wasting the day's opportunities earlier denied, including that which is unavailable to those ancestral kin in West Africa. I try to show respect by practicing community-mindedness, lawfulness, work-ethic, patriotism and positive spirit. The rest will take care of itself.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: Lewis Hamilton Leads Formula One

Over half way through the Formula One racing season, 23 year old Brit and 2nd year racing phenom Lewis Hamilton, leads the sport in driving points. He recently signed a five year deal with his team, McClaren, for $75 million (US). People don't know whether to compare the bi-racial driver to Tiger Woods or Barack Obama, but it is clear he is setting the racing world on its edge. McClaren first signed him up at the tender age of thirteen, when he was beating the socks off of adults in competitive radio controlled (RC) car racing. From there he climbed his way to F1 by winning in every category and level. So far, this season he has had four first place wins including the British Gran Prix earlier this month. He has set numerous records for being first, but most importantly he has crushed the notion that blacks cannot drive at the elite level of racing where billions of dollars line up behind the best. Go Lewis!


James C. Collier

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Acting White: Affirmative Action Hot Potato

I don't understand politicians and their responses to affirmative action. Philosophy aside, if you care about results you are against it, because it simply has not worked the way it was supposed to. It's like a 40 year old wearing braces - good idea, but way too late in the game. Now if you want to replace it with something better that identifies recipients by objective need, rather than arbitrary color of skin, then go stand with Senator Obama. Or if you want to do away with it in sum and cast the disadvantaged, of all colors, to the wind, then go stand with Senator McCain - I think. When politicians say they are against it does this mean abolish or replace? Part of McCain's audience, wealthy conservatives want is abolished, while poor conservatives quietly know they need help too. So John, who just wants to get elected, ends up dodging two-way traffic and hoping not to become road-kill on the issue. Heads up, hot potato!

James C. Collier

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Acting White: All's Fair In Cheap-Shots And Politics

It's McCain's turn to catch that which passes for satire these days. But I am getting the hang of this, I think. Somewhere, there are Americans concerned about his age, his wife's past drug use, his respect for the constitution, and relationship with the Bushes. Of course there are some who will notice that certain of Vanity Fair's jabs hit 'center mass' for the McCains, but proximity to fact is not important. I told the Obama's to buck up, and I will say the same to the McCains. Besides, John's got bigger worries, like getting people to pay attention to him, other than about his health. Politics ain't for weaklings, regardless of race, age, sex, et al.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: CNN Black In America

Over the past few weeks I have gotten plenty of calls from friends and family beckoning me to watch CNN’s Black in America, presented by Soledad O’Brien. I have perused the series web site many times and watched portions of the shows. The show has value, especially to blacks who suffer the main stream media’s (MSM) penchant for ignoring them or showing them almost exclusively at their entertaining worse,
ala’ BET.

So why haven’t I jumped on the bandwagon of this show? Last week I saw Harvard economist, Roland Fryer, talking about paying black kids in NYC for good grades. Nothing new. I have blogged about this and that I think he is a very smart, frustrated, and desperate man flailing his arms in the wind. Last night I listened to the plight of Black women lacking eligible suitors. Again, nothing new. I hear of drop-out rates, HIV/AIDS, crime, drug-abuse. All bad – nothing new. I see interracial couples, no nirvana, still not new.

What I do not hear are solutions, beyond talk that black people really need to get it together and the rest of America needs to help them. But how would a real solution look, if it were to walk in the door? Would anybody recognize it? What would it purport to do to make a real difference in 40 million lives?

Well first off, any solution has to recognize and offset the gap in intelligence between blacks and non-blacks. This subject must be un-tabooed. The universal one standard deviation difference in intelligence makes blacks non-competitive with their socio-economic counterparts of other races, and all that follows this disparity. The way to challenge intelligence difference is with skill-building through more education. Better education is good, but more of it is the only way to beat your competition from a point of deficit. Blacks need more and different schooling than non-blacks, to ever catch up. This is true at every level.

Second, blacks display a gap in work ethic where they labor for themselves the same way their ancestors worked for the white man, poorly. Hustle to a great number of blacks does not mean moving faster, but rather gaming the system to get more for less. Of course this self-investment strategy works against skill building, and competitiveness.

Lastly, it is human nature to value that which is earned and to devalue gifts, no matter the spirit of the giver or recipient. The energy invested in getting someone to give you anything of value, is wasted. Wrestling away what is rightfully yours is another thing. Equal opportunity must be truly equal and not rigged. That which is not given to blacks will be won, and fully appreciated to deliver much more.

This is some of what I would talk about.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: Hey New Yorker! Nevermind

I got all hot under the collar behind the New Yorker cover, like a lot of America, but now I realize that we got punk'd. No, it wasn't by the NY'r, but rather by the taboos of race, religion, et al. In short, Obama and his supporters risk the (Tom)'Bradley Effect', where supportive whites fail to follow-through with voting across racial lines, because concerns are kept locked away in the taboo closet and not confronted. Satire is one of the ways those concerns come out. Thanks to the New Yorker for braking ranks and 'keeping it real' instead of giving Obama a satirical pass. That cover introduced subjects that if avoided will doom him for sure in the privacy of the voting booth. So I say to all the people, including me, afraid to have the out-in-the-open serious conversation lurking in the humor of a turbin-wearing, fist-bumpin', no-flag-pin-wearing, tough-black-woman-loving, big-eared, fitty-per'cent-skinny-ass-brainiac-black-man - get over and on with it. And finally, blinking at the race-card ain't gonna put anybody atop of the free world - nor should it!

James C. Collier

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Acting White: New Yorker Magazine Falls Into Gutter

If the editors of the New Yorker really think that Barack Obama is some sort of threat because of a religion that he has never claimed, or that Michele Obama is a terrorist, because, like John McCain she dares to speak of her personal patriotic awakenings, then so be it - the First and Fourteenth Amendments gives them the right.

On the other hand, if they think that this is just harmless satire, then they need to pull their heads out of their NY asses. Good satire requires that the audience get it as such. A poll by worldnetdaily.com had over 60% of the respondents agreeing with the the authenticity of the depiction in the satire, and that is not funny. Not one bit.

I don't care if the editors are Democrats or Republicans (if you turn off the sound and just watch the behavior, I can hardly tell the difference). The cover smacks of fancy playing of the race card (from the bottom of the deck), and that is not cool whatever your color. The New Yorker needs get out of the race sewer, or stop pretending to write words for intelligent people.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: Rev. Jesse Steps In It, Again!

I can’t believe Obama’s good fortune. Every time the good Reverend Jackson makes a below-the-belt attack, Barack’s stock goes up with Americans of all ethnicities, but especially white voters. Jackson’s a spoiler and he is equally good at it even when the result is the opposite of his intention.

The Reverend still has not figured out that the world is on to his racial gamesmanship. And no one from the Obama camp is going to spill the beans to him either. He is the opposite of the canary in the coal mine. When Jesse says someone or something is bad, we all think we better take a second look for the good.

The most recent comment about the cutting off of Obama’s reproductive apparati was gruesome, especially for a man of the alleged cloth, but then again Jesse does not discriminate, he wants money and attention from wherever. The good Lord can attest to JJ’s commitment to by-any-means-necessary.

Looking further, it’s a funny thing about politics. We want our leaders to be responsive and reflective, but not to waffle. We want them to tell us the truth, but not to preach. We don’t want to be talked down to, while we wallow in the muck, and yell for help from above. And the waffling accusation only pertains to the other candidate, not our own (of course).

James C. Collier

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Acting White: National Anthem Kidnapped, But Found Safe.

Officials in Denver learned a valuable lesson for anyone putting on a public event, know where the power switch is, and be ready to turn it off in an emergency. Denver singer Rene Marie created such an emergency at the Mayor’s state-of-the-city address the other day, when she changed the lyrics to the national anthem she had been invited to sing.

As disrespectful and attention-grabbing was her stunt, I am amazed that officials present, including Denver’s current mayor, stood there with their mouths open and DID NOTHING! How about interrupting her? Had she exposed her breasts would they also not have known what to do?

This is not about Marie being black, or what she sang in place of our anthem. She is a selfish bozo who deserves to start her singing career at the beginning, where artists establish the trust of their sponsors and audience. She speaks poorly for no one but herself. She revealed no secret feelings of blacks towards this country. Anyone who pays this woman to sing deserves red ink and the unemployment line, right behind her.

And I am not worried about the anthem. It's lasted this long. For those who want to blow this into a race issue – forget about it. Sometimes people just do stupid things. Rene Marie is just stupid.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: DOG The Bounty Hunter is back!

How surprised I was to see a rerun of DOG, while channel surfing past A&E last night. Recall that his son sold his N-word laced phone conversation to a tabloid, thereby getting Dad and Family fired last year from the popular series. Well all is forgiven at A&E and the DOG is more or less back chasing down bail-jumpers.

As a sidebar, I’m not sure if partner Tim ‘not-a-real-relative’ Chapman will be back, since he was busted for terrorist behavior and indecent exposure during the hiatus. It seems Tim was trying a less acceptable outlet for the build-up of testosterone he normally reserved for the bad guys. I think they should have an episode where Tim jumps bail and DOG tracks his ass down, YEAH!

Anyway, I think DOG deserves another chance to act stupid while entertaining the world. That’s America. All my new NASCAR buds should not be deprived of one of their favorite shows forever. Its not like he said somebody famous and black should get lynched – like that golf lady. He did his time, said he is sorry, so let him back in the house already.

Now I ain’t saying that I want to go fishin’ with DOG, or anything like that, but black folks shouldn’t be treating the N-word like somebody just drove through a school yard of children either. If he messes up again, revoke his ass, but in the mean time I'm willing to look at his transgression in the greater scheme of things.

James C. Collier

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