Thursday, June 13, 2013

Guess Which Supreme Court Justice Does Not Believe in DNA...

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that human genes cannot be patented, a decision that could shape the future of medical and genetic research and have profound effects on pharmaceuticals and agriculture.  (But of course, companies are still free to patent NEW genetic material that mimics human DNA, so they still have some wiggle-room in the decision.)

But within the context of that decision, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took exception to one part of the ruling... The part where the ruling defines DNA in the first place.

Scalia notes: "
I join the judgment of the Court, and all of its opinion except Part I–A and some portions of the rest of the opinion going into fine details of molecular biology. I am unable to affirm those details on my own knowledge or even my own belief."

Antonin Scalia is Catholic and a sometimes hunting partner with former Vice President Dick Cheney. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan and he is widely thought of as the religious conservatives' surest advocate against abortion in the Supreme Court.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

A brief note to young white liberals who just attended their 1st Tim Wise lecture...

"White privilege"... We get it.  We have it.  You don't need to keep lecturing us.  Telling other white people about how privileged they are in American society does not make you exempt from the same phenomenon.

It's great that you are suddenly so interested in working to end racism but it's not a competition.

This message has been brought to you by white people who are not racist and tired of being treated like we are in facebook conversations just because you feel like lecturing somebody.

Thanks.