November 03, 2007

Saturday Forum

A Texas Hispanic Reader With Advanced Degrees Objects To Generalizations About Racial IQ Differences; Steve Sailer Promises A Reply; etc.

From: David Vallejo (e-mail him)

Re: Pat Buchanan’s Column: The Recantation of Dr. Watson

I am a frequent reader of VDARE.COM because, despite being an immigrant of Hispanic background, I support illegal immigration control.

After reading Buchanan’s column and other previous articles by Steve Sailer (here and here) on the subject of IQ and racial background, I decided to write to you to respectfully express my comments and perhaps get some of my questions answered.

I do not disagree with Sailer's reports about whites (i.e., people of European descent) having, on average, higher IQs than peoples of other races except for northeastern Asians. Although I haven't investigated the numbers myself, I assume that they are accurate, even though IQ tests as an indicator of intelligence is still the subject of considerable debate.

I don't know what the reason for this is: differences in evolution, differences in education and/or culture, etc. This would be the subject for a different debate.

However, my question is: assuming that Sailer is correct, what is the purpose of promoting this information and making sure everybody knows about it, as he would like see happen?

What good is it going to do for non-whites? Advertising different levels of intelligence among the races, even if is true, would strengthen stereotypes about certain races being "stupid", which would certainly create more harm than good.

In my personal situation, I am negatively affected if the concept that Hispanics have, on average, IQs lower than whites is promoted since whites, especially the poorly educated ones, would treat me as if I am stupid…which I am not.

I have two engineering master's degrees and have always been a straight A student.

Neither is my son. His IQ is above 140 and he's in the gifted student program in his school, so he's for sure not stupid.

So, I’d like Buchanan or Sailer to tell me if making generalizations about the Hispanic intelligence level (or other races) as being lower than that of whites is detrimental for those of us who are actually more intelligent than the average white person?

The only fair way is to judge every person as an individual, independent of his race, ethnicity or national origin.

If you want to test the IQ of people as a basis for hiring, providing a scholarship, or joining a club membership, I'm okay with that.

But please, don’t make generalizations, because it's unfair to people like me who do not fit the stereotype.

Vallejo is a consulting engineer.

Steve Sailer promises to answer Vallejo’s question in his column this Sunday.

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An African-American Reader in Chicago Says Sailer Misses The “Obvious” Solution

From: Braveheart (e-mail her)

Re: Steve Sailer’s Column: James D. Watson—A Modern Galileo

I guess the obvious solution for Watson and Sailer is to rid the African continent of those dumb black people.

First, it is estimated by some that between 60-120 million Africans lost their lives over the course of the history of the Atlantic slave trade, both on the continent through brutal slaughter because of the forced cross-continental marches of enslaved Africans, and from death on the slave ships from inhumane conditions.

Included were those who built the earth’s first university in Timbuktu, and the people who raised up the Egyptian, Mali, Songhay, and Benin empires, prior to invading Muslim hordes who forced Africans into Islam, and then made deals with their indoctrinated African Muslims to sell non-Muslim Africans into slavery, mostly to whites.

Both Watson and Sailer ignore the issue of western white colonization of Africa.

Whites destroyed African civilizations for their own advantage.

As far as some whites are concerned, Africans are not as important as they are. Whites encouraged vicious bloody tribal rivalries, with the help of murderous Arab slave traders, who to this day enslave non-Muslim Africans, while pilfering the continent of its natural resources.

The systematic western technique of depopulating Africa has been in effect for hundreds of years. So it is not surprising that white "scientists" like Watson would continue to suggest that there is no hope for those dumb Africans.

After all, "superior" whites need the yield of African lands, and certainly would put those critical resources to better use than those "inferior Negroes.”

To give credence to and give proof of the white supposition that whites are "superior", Watson and others must continually spout the bleak IQ statistics for African Americans.

They chant this while carefully setting aside the facts—like hundreds of years of culturally enforced black illiteracy (it was against the law for black people to be taught to read); Jim Crow laws, separate and unequal schools, generations of no books; gerrymandered school districts.

America was founded upon the supposition that an African is not equal to a white.

That was codified by the U.S. Constitution—Africans were declared 3/5ths of a human being. 

Yet somehow African-Americans are expected to magically overcome these hurdles.

The idea that any black man, woman or child would be educated in a fashion equal to whites has been, and still is, repugnant to large segments in America

Are we to believe that hundreds of years of systematic, societal and legally supported isolation, humiliation, degradation, debasement, disenfranchisement, physical assault, lynchings, rape and murder has had no bearing on the differences in the IQ scores between European Americans and African Americans?

Should we conclude that if people come from Africa, they are inherently dumb?

After all, it has to be true, because a white "scientist" said so; and we all know whites would never skew the truth to serve their own interests.

Braveheart has opposed illegal immigration for 30 years. Born in Chicago into a blue-collar family, Braveheart is the product of the Chicago public schools. After graduating from Harvard University, where she lived across the street from Julia Child, Braveheart became (as she describes herself), a domestic diva with a strong attachments to Ray Charles, Martha Stewart and, of course, Child.

Her first letter, “An African American Patriot Demands A Fair Shake From VDARE.COM” is here. Other letters from and about Braveheart are here.

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A Texas Reader Says Sailer’s Reply To A Pennsylvania Reader Came Up Short

From: Michael W. Johnson (e-mail him)

Re: Wolfgang Zernik’s Letter: A PA. Reader Says We Can’t Deal With Racial Differences, So What’s The Point? Steve Sailer Replies

Sailer's response to Zernik left much to be desired. There are at least two things that he should have said, but didn't:

1  Americans believe that, "The truth shall make you free". Most of us would rather know the truth, however unpleasant and whether or not we can do anything about it. We’re aware that we'll never be able to learn the truth if society takes reprisals against those who express unpopular opinions. That's why we used to have free speech here in America.

2  As Sailer said, we already deal with racial differences now. What he didn't say is that we deal with them stupidly. Consider affirmative action, for example. If we recognize the truth about racial differences, we could abolish racial quota systems and deal with individuals on their own merits.

America is, after all, a place where anyone can go as far as his talents will take him. If the totalitarians among us insist on quotas, then at least we could compute them more intelligently, using the number of qualified minority candidates, rather the raw minority population, as a basis.

As long as Americans are afraid to speak the truth, our government will continue to base its policies on lies that lead to waste, fraud, and eventual disaster.

Let the Europeans be deceived if they wish. This is America; we speak out.

Well, we did until recently, anyway.

Johnson’s previous letters about untrustworthy Democrats are here and here.

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A California Reader Sees A Pro-Hispanic Non- Enforcement Pattern On The MTA

From: Ray Rogers

Re: Claire Winston’s Letter: The LA Metro System Caters To Aliens

I'm glad Winston addressed the issue of the L.A. metro system’s preference for Hispanics.

I can add to her experiences. When I had the bad luck to get picked for the jury of an interminable civil case downtown, I took the Red Line subway from the San Fernando Valley almost every day at different times, depending on the trial’s starting time.

I noticed an interesting phenomenon. During certain hours of the day the Red Line is filled with white-collar workers, mostly Anglo, going to their downtown offices

At other hours, it is virtually 100 percent Hispanics who, judging by their attire, are working at other types of jobs.

Here's my point: Every single time I rode during the all-Anglo hours, the Sheriffs boarded the train along the way and checked to see that everyone had a ticket. Free riders got conspicuously hustled off the train and cited.

But during the hours when the train was standing-room-only Hispanics, the Sheriffs never, ever came on to check tickets. Not once!

This pattern continued for weeks.

I cannot believe that this was a mere coincidence. According to the Sheriff's Department, passenger checks are random. I'm certain that Metro and the L.A. Sheriff know very well how the ethnicity of the passenger load varies at different hours. You’d have to be blind not to see it.

I’m convinced they have concluded that if they verified tickets when Hispanics rode, they would have to pull many people off the train, write several citations, and, most importantly to them, offend Hispanics—obviously their preferred target market when it comes to riders.

The evidence shows that Metro has made an unwritten, internal decision to restrict ticket enforcement to only the hours when any violators are sure to be Anglo.

Rogers lives in Hollywood. Send him mail c/o witan@vdare.com

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A California Reader Tells About How She Helped Out During The Fires…And the Illegal Aliens Who Abused Volunteer Kindness

From:   Maria Hansen (e-mail her)

Last Tuesday I helped out with the animals sheltered in The Rock Church and Academy in the Point Loma section of San Diego County. I was impressed with how our community came together on such short notice.

The biggest shelter was at Qualcomm Stadium that held up to 12,000 at the height of the crisis.

Unfortunately, some greedy and ungrateful illegal aliens were arrested at the site.

Scads of donations piled up at Qualcomm to be given to the displaced people. My mom and I brought in bedding and a stack of good quality T- shirts.

On Wednesday a pickup truck drove into the parking lot twice and loaded up a large collection of donations. By its third trip, the people in charge of the donations became suspicious and contacted police security. As the story unfolded, it became clear that the alien thieves were reselling the goods.

The Border Patrol showed up at once as they were also providing stadium security. At least two were arrested and held for deportation. One was released as he had minor children in his care.

Some bystanders complained about racial profiling, but what else can you think if the suspects look Mestizo and don't speak English?

All of which brings up some questions:

1. Will the aliens be charged with looting?
    
2. What about the guy with the anchor babies? Isn't teaching your kids to steal a form of child abuse?
    
3. Will they be tried on theft charges or just deported to Mexico?
    
4. Did the driver have a valid license?

Please ask your readers to e-mail me with any questions they may have. I plan to follow up with the Border Patrol next week.

Maria is a fifth generation Californian. Her mother’s family arrived in Napa in 1840. She is a graduate of the University of California San Diego and has worked as an English as a Second Language teaching assistant.

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Another California Reader Warns Not To Hire Illegal Aliens To Rebuild Fire Devastated Areas

From:  UP2HERE

The usual numbers of illegal aliens outside Home Depot in my hometown of Oxnard has thinned dramatically in the last few days. Many are headed south hoping to take advantage of the upcoming rebuilding boom.

Just as so many volunteers have helped out during this disaster—our own helping our own— we need to hire American to rebuild.

Every citizen that is hired for a rebuilding job helps keep that money in California where we need it the most.

The best thing the federal government can do to help us get our community healthy again is to enforce our immigration laws and police the illegal hiring areas.

I know scores of unemployed construction workers shut out by illegal scabs that would love to have a job.

Help us recover...hire a citizen!

Send UP2HERE mail c/o witan@vdare.com

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A Maryland Reader Notices More Fraudulent Mainstream Media Claims About Agricultural Worker Shortages

From:  Odinsman

First off, thank you as always for all of the great work you at VDARE.COM do.

If it were not for you and the folks at NumbersUSA, the “comprehensive immigration reform" package would have passed the first time, and no one would have known just how shady its contents were.

As you may have seen, MSNBC had a front-page article on its site about raids that allegedly cut off vital farm workers and left crops unharvested. [Immigration raids hurting farmers - BusinessWeek.com - MSNBC.com, By Moira Herbst, Oct. 26, 2007]

What follows is a sob story from Maureen Torrey, a vegetable farmer in upstate New York, about rotting crops

My wife is from upstate, and she has told me numerous times that the vast majority of farms up there are small operations, and often employ local high school kids. It is largely an old-fashioned area, where schools still close for the first day of hunting season.

What's more many of the small farmers, who have been severely hurt by big agribusiness, have converted to organic produce that is far more profitable.

Wegmans, the large grocery chain, takes great pride in selling local produce.

The MSNBC story, like all the others on the same topic, is overblown. There is a great deal of unemployment in upstate New York so there is no shortage of native workers.

What's more, there is a big market for all the area’s produce as Wegmans has expanded into Pennsylvania and Maryland in large part because if offers the wonderful New York fruits and vegetables in its friendly and clean stores.

Torrey is most likely a "gentlewoman farmer" unlikely to be dependent on illegal alien labor.

Again, thanks for everything you do. When I do my Amazon shopping for Christmas, you can bet that I will get to the site through VDARE.COM's portal!

Send Odinsman mail c/o witan@vdare.com

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A Pennsylvania Reader Asks A Good Question

From:  Gerald Johnson

Re: Joe Guzzardi’s Column: Rebecca Aguilar, Other “Journalist” Advocates Out—But Too Late For The MSM?

I hate to sound stupid, but what does MSM stand for?

Joe Guzzardi replies: Far from being “stupid,” Johnson’s question is frequently asked. “MSM” is a term invented by internet users for the “mainstream media,” referring to daily newspapers in major cities and the leading national television networks. Although we sometimes fail, we try to spell out “mainstream media” when the reference is first introduced in columns. After that, we simply use “MSM”

Now that I think about it, since “mainstream media” is only two words I suppose we should use “MM”—but those initials are permanently reserved for a more famous figure.

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A Montana Reader Wonders What’s Up With All The Charges By Mexico Of “Racism” and “Xenophobia”

From:  Tim McCoy

What's with all these Mexican morons crying racist and xenophobe?

Weasel-faced Vicente Fox looks like a 1930's movie rustler in a B-western.

The population of Mexico is over 100 million. How do you think Mexico would greet 20 million white Americans sneaking across the border illegally and taking up residence, jobs and resources?

Not with smiles and handshakes, that’s for sure.

Of course, since most Mexicans are not white, their actions could never be viewed as racist or xenophobic.

They would be considered victims.

McCoy is a retired data processor. His previous letter calling for a political purge of all incumbents is here.

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