# Race and DNA article on NYTIMES.com

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 12, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076 "2007-11-12T01:50:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076/1 "2007-11-12T01:50:11Z")

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The subject of race and DNA has come up here before, so this article may be of interest:

‘In DNA Era, New Worries About Prejudice’

> **[In DNA Era, New Worries About Prejudice (Published 2007)](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/us/11dna.html?pagewanted=1&ref=science)**
>
> Research is exploring how DNA explains racial differences, but it could give discredited prejudices a new potency.

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076/2 "2007-11-12T14:28:57Z")

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I read that. It’s sad how people just don’t get the concept that it’s OK for people to be different, and all people deserve respect.

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**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076/3 "2007-11-12T16:10:34Z")

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[QUOTE=ratatoskK]  
I read that. It’s sad how people just don’t get the concept that it’s OK for people to be different, and all people deserve respect.  
[/QUOTE]

It really is sad that people not only can’t understand that it’s okay for people to be different, but assume that scientific evidence that people are different (after all, not everyone is a brilliant and special snowflake-- there have to be dumb and ugly and average people to make the brilliant ones brilliant) is going to be used to directly oppress people at a widespread level.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-and-dna-article-on-nytimes-com/426076/4 "2007-11-12T17:10:45Z")

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I read this yesterday, and it was interesting, but yes, depressing. I think it’s been like this throughout history, if that’s any encouragement - consider the development, and eventual discrediting, of eugenics. It’s frustrating to me that people think biology can support notions that are entirely cultural. I’m also frustrated by some people’s inability to grasp the concept that people do not have to be _the same_ to be equal. But some people are desperate to believe they are the best and will seize on things like this as proof. As someone in the article says, it’s something scientists need to explain better - in fact, race as a whole needs to be explained a lot better. Maybe that would help.