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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2011)
Books ‘Fatal Invention’ “Race is an invented political system, not a natural biological division. The Human Genome Project has confirmed that the human species cannot be divided into genetically distinguishable races. Race is a political grouping created to support slavery and colonialism, and its boundary lines have shifted over time and across nations to suit political ends… For the last three centuries, science… has been instrumental in justifying the concept of biological races—and this century’s genom- ic science is no different… Despite the sci- entific and political evidence, some scien- tists are attempting to modernize the myth that race is a biological category... What’s new is that today’s racial science claims to divide human beings into natural groups with more accurate precision and without the taint of racism.” —Excerpted from Part I (pgs. 20-27) T he mapping of the human gene has established, scientifically, that there is only one race, the human race. So, one might naturally expect any arbitrary groupings by experts of individuals along color lines to cease. Think again. Regrettably, this is not the case, according to Professor Dorothy Roberts of Northwestern Law School. She is the author of Fatal Invention, a cau- tionary examination of the current state of affairs in terms of the intersection of ethnic- ity and bioethics. In the book, she issues a dire warning that researchers are repackag- ing outmoded notions of race by hiding behind benign-sounding euphemisms like “geographic ancestry” when they should really be disposing of such baseless catego- rizations entirely. For example, you may be familiar with television commercials being run by ances- try-testing companies offering to determine what percent white, black, Asian and Native-American you are based on a DNA sample. However, the perspicacious Professor Roberts warns that these ads erro- neously “reinforce the myth that human beings were originally divided into pure races that exist in our genes.” Perhaps more problematic, she suggests, is the way in which the medical community seems to be “searching for genes to explain racial disparities in health care that are actu- ally caused by social inequities.” In this regard, Roberts indicates that “In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first race-specific drug, a heart failure therapy that was targeted to black patients for marketing reasons.” A seminal appeal for the findings of the Genome Project to be applied not in service of separation and exploitation but to pro- mote the ideals of inclusion and equality among all members of the human Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics and Big Business Re-Create Race in the 21st Century Dorothy Roberts, Esq. The New Press Hardcover, $29.95, 400 pages ISBN: 978-1-59558-495-3 We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? July 20, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 7
