Dr. James Watson’s Racist Comments
Daniel Laroche, MD
The Empire State Medical Association condemns the racist statement of Nobel Prize winner DNA authority of Dr. James Watson. (www.nyesma.org)
Dr. James Watson made an appearance in London to promote his new book and apologized for his remarks, saying he did not mean to characterize Africans as genetically inferior, British media reported.
In the interview Watson was quoted as saying he was "inherently gloomy
about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours -- whereas all the testing says not really."
The newspaper also quoted Watson as saying people should not discriminate on the basis of colour, because "there are many people of colour who are very talented but don't promote them when they haven't succeeded at the lower level.” While he hopes everyone is equal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true," Watson is quoted.
"The comments, which were attributed to Dr. James Watson earlier this week in the London Times, are wrong, from every point of view -- not the least of which is that they are completely inconsistent with the body of research literature in this area," Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.
"Scientific prestige is never a substitute for knowledge. As scientists, we are outraged and saddened when science is used to perpetuate prejudice," Zerhouni said.
"The Federation of American Scientists is outraged by the noxious comments made by Dr. James Watson that appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine on October 14th," said the group, founded by Manhattan Project atomic physicists.
"At a time when the scientific community is feeling threatened by political forces seeking to undermine its credibility, it is tragic that one of the icons of modern science has cast such dishonour on the profession," added Federation of American Scientists President Henry Kelly.
Physicians of the Empire State Medical Association are outraged at the
irresponsible comments by Dr. Watson. Although Dr. Watson is an Icon in his studies of DNA, clearly he is oblivious to the 400 years education and health and economic disparities and caused by slavery, colonialization, apartheid, and corporate exploitation by American and Europeans against African’s and African Americans. Unfortunately, Dr. Watson is ignorant of the contributions by Africans to civilization such as the many early scientific achievements of Imhotep the first physician who was African, the African builders of the pyramids and sphinx, the great Black Leader Toussaint Louverture who abolished slavery in Haiti by defeating Napoleon’s army. This began the
dismantling of slavery around the world.
The Empire State Medical Association recommends that all persons remain
vigilant to recognize the great contributions made by Blacks to the world, stop discrimination against Blacks, and provide ongoing reparations and affirmative action to Blacks to address the ongoing disparities in health and education due to the trauma of the slave trade, and corporate exploitation and ongoing economic disparity and discrimination.
Watson, who won a Nobel Prize in 1962 for his description of the double
helix structure of DNA, was suspended as chancellor of the Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory in New York on Thursday. |
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