James Watson Is A Racist

Let's get blunt here.

The man who basically ripped off the woman's work on DNA and got a Nobel Prize for it, is now blathering about intelligence?

Whoa Nelly! What kind of guy would steal another person's work then have the gall to accuse people of color, specifically Africans, of being less intelligent than whites?

I can tell you what kind. The unethical, conniving, demented kind. This is a man, who with his fellow researcher, got a copy of Franklin's DNA X-ray data (probably without her knowledge), and the manuscript by Pauling and Corey, which gave them the crucial insights into the DNA structure that they needed to write their own article. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin) They based their entire work on other people's research, and unashamedly took credit for it.

Now, honestly Rosalind could not have received the Nobel Prize, she died of ovarian cancer in 1958. The rules don't allow for posthumous awards. Despite this, I think that Watson's Nobel Prize should be revoked.

Anyway, Watson has gone on, year after year, peddling his racist, bigoted, homophobic beliefs to the world under his false credentials as "a Nobel Prize winner". Huh.

Yeah, I know he's back peddling now. Like I care at this point.

He'd better backpedal! His job has suspended him. He's being made to look like the ass he is. LOL, his pride must be suffering as the media is having a feeding frenzy at his expense.

Fellow scientists are busily refuting this preposterous theory of intelligence as fast as they can issue press releases (or be tracked down by reporters). For example, quote: "And further critical comment of Dr Watson's views has come from Dr Craig Venter, the scientist/businessman who led the private effort to decode the human genome, and who, by coincidence, is also visiting the UK to promote a book. 'Skin colour as a surrogate for race is a social concept not a scientific one,' Dr Venter said. 'There is no basis in scientific fact or in the human genetic code for the notion that skin colour will be predictive of intelligence.'"

Yay, Craig! Speak it!

I'd like to give Watson a break, just because I'm nice and he's old and could be slipping into dementia. But I'm afraid his past history of ugly remarks, racist and homophobic beliefs, don't allow me to be that kind to the old coot.

No matter how respected or old he might be, there's NO excuse for this kind of stupidity in today's world.

Yes, this is America. He has the benefit of freedom of speech. He's allowed to make himself look like an idiot. And I'm allowed to call him on it.

James Watson is a racist. And in his fading years, he's finally shown his true colors to the entire world.

Who says there's no justice in this life? Rosalind has been vindicated. And Watson reviled.

Huh.

A few interesting links:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071019/lead/lead6.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7052416.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin