Race adds extra controversy to anything; in that sense, it's obvious what difference skin colour makes politically. However, just because this attitude is common, should not cause us to overlook its insanity.
You can thank the Nazis for making race so political that it won't be touchable for generations. You can also thank the segregationists for irritating that political gland and making race untouchable for more time.
Francis Galton brought a lot of ideas to the world, but the one that was amplified to the point where it will take centuries for the controversy to die down was "eugenics." And when people hear the word "eugenics" I bet you that they also hear "master race." I read a lot of science fiction, and I believe that there have been very few novels that discuss eugenics as anything other than a project to make "supermen." Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country and Sawyer's Hominid trilogy are the only ones that come to mind at this time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Galton
Weasel words: I use "thank" purely out of sarcasm.
You can thank the Nazis for making race so political that it won't be touchable for generations. You can also thank the segregationists for irritating that political gland and making race untouchable for more time.
Francis Galton brought a lot of ideas to the world, but the one that was amplified to the point where it will take centuries for the controversy to die down was "eugenics." And when people hear the word "eugenics" I bet you that they also hear "master race." I read a lot of science fiction, and I believe that there have been very few novels that discuss eugenics as anything other than a project to make "supermen." Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country and Sawyer's Hominid trilogy are the only ones that come to mind at this time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Galton
Weasel words: I use "thank" purely out of sarcasm.