Alien Heredity

The other day I was discussing evolution with some coworkers. One woman made the remark that she refused to believe she came from a monkey. Later on, when the two of us were alone in the lunch room, I asked her if she really thought that no people evolved from monkeys. She said: “Well… maybe some black people.” I chuckled to myself. She responded, “No, I’m serious.” So I asked her where she thought she came from. Her reply was that, presumably, white people (or at least non-blacks) are the product of extraterrestrial or angelic miscegenation. Very Lovecraftian, unbeknownst to her of course.

My point here isn’t about subversive racism or any other nonsense, as this lady is, per my observation, perfectly tolerant and accommodating to all peoples, but that there is a whole other discussion about race going on that the media is completely ignorant about. These personal beliefs seem not to reflect the popular PC, scientific or religious ideals discussed in mass media but more personal superstitions which harken back to ancient times. These ideas are stifled by the prevailing structure of taboos, which threaten the financial wellbeing of anyone with an opinion differing from the status quo. This is sad because such ideas serve for much more interesting conversation.

Shayne