Many people seem not to understand the underlying concept behind "the bell curve," as it applies to demographics. If I say, for example, that the average IQ for Lithuanians is 95, that is not an indication of any prejudice on my part, or any reason for any individual Lithuanian to feel insulted. A Lithuanian might be a genius or a dullard, and the observation - assuming it's true - is only that a randomly selected Lithuanian is slightly more likely to be a dullard than a genius.
In my own family, among my five siblings, there are three with IQ's below 100 and two with IQ's over 140. Not easy to explain, but true. Smart mailman? Who knows? The principals are now all deceased.
Anyone with sufficient interest can confirm that the average IQ of Blacks living in Africa is very close to 85. Hence, no passage of time will result in Africa becoming a latter-day copy of Western Europe. Ain't happening.
And as with the hypothetical Lithuanians, there are high-achieving Black geniuses in Africa and there are dullards. Our former President would seem to have been sired by one of the former. As for African-Americans generally, most are of some level of mixed race but the overall average IQ remains below 90. And unfortunately, the "Black" population is trending toward more "inequality" as low-IQ, non-achieving Blacks are reproducing much faster than high-IQ, high-achieving Blacks.
As a result, our urban Blacks are basically at the same intellectual level (IQ) as their ancestors and distant cousins in Africa. Some are quite intelligent and accomplished, but they are a smaller portion of the urban Black population than, say, of the prosperous suburban populations, Black and white.
What does this mean, as it impacts public policy?
Well, essentially every urban area in the country with a large Black population deals perennially with what is euphemistically called an "achievement gap." For some unmentionable reason, the "Black" students are at a remarkably lower level of academic achievement than the GenPop. They all promise to work on it, they all spend money to develop special programs, and emphases, and whatnot, and - surprise, surprise, surprise - the achievement gap never goes away. But IT CAN NEVER GO AWAY, because it is caused by the urban Black population generally having a dramatically lower intellectual potential. It's not that the teachers and the schools aren't doing the Right Stuff, it's that the raw material they are working with does not have the Right Stuff.
And the danger is that in taking measures that are intended to reduce the Achievement Gap, the schools will start doing things that actually harm the high-achieving Blacks, and those who want to do their best in school. Tests and standards will be watered down so that the difference between the achieving students and the non-achieving students is not so stark. Grading will be compromised for the same purpose. Suspensions and expulsions for anti-social behavior will be reduced, thus allowing the bad actors to prey on those trying to get an education. Poor and disruptive students who would like to drop out will be incented to remain, having the same deleterious effect.
The solution is easy but makes ACLU-types uncomfortable. Students should be taught with other students having the same potential, and not all thrown together in the same classrooms. Race should not even be considered; this should be based entirely on intelligence and aptitude testing. Curricula should be appropriate for the intellectual potential of the stratified student groups. It should be recognized that many students are simply not "college material" and they should be directed to subjects and a level of academic rigor where they can succeed. And if that means they are learning very basic things, so be it.
The result will - of course - be that the lower-level curricula will be primarily populated by "people of color."
And therefore, our societal do-gooders will stand in the way of this logical approach, claiming that some students would be stigmatized and prevented from achieving their full potential. Yes, better to drag everyone else down, so that the dullards won't feel badly about themselves.
The most difficult and intractable problems are the ones where we know the solution, but are too timid to implement it. Like this one.
In my own family, among my five siblings, there are three with IQ's below 100 and two with IQ's over 140. Not easy to explain, but true. Smart mailman? Who knows? The principals are now all deceased.
Anyone with sufficient interest can confirm that the average IQ of Blacks living in Africa is very close to 85. Hence, no passage of time will result in Africa becoming a latter-day copy of Western Europe. Ain't happening.
And as with the hypothetical Lithuanians, there are high-achieving Black geniuses in Africa and there are dullards. Our former President would seem to have been sired by one of the former. As for African-Americans generally, most are of some level of mixed race but the overall average IQ remains below 90. And unfortunately, the "Black" population is trending toward more "inequality" as low-IQ, non-achieving Blacks are reproducing much faster than high-IQ, high-achieving Blacks.
As a result, our urban Blacks are basically at the same intellectual level (IQ) as their ancestors and distant cousins in Africa. Some are quite intelligent and accomplished, but they are a smaller portion of the urban Black population than, say, of the prosperous suburban populations, Black and white.
What does this mean, as it impacts public policy?
Well, essentially every urban area in the country with a large Black population deals perennially with what is euphemistically called an "achievement gap." For some unmentionable reason, the "Black" students are at a remarkably lower level of academic achievement than the GenPop. They all promise to work on it, they all spend money to develop special programs, and emphases, and whatnot, and - surprise, surprise, surprise - the achievement gap never goes away. But IT CAN NEVER GO AWAY, because it is caused by the urban Black population generally having a dramatically lower intellectual potential. It's not that the teachers and the schools aren't doing the Right Stuff, it's that the raw material they are working with does not have the Right Stuff.
And the danger is that in taking measures that are intended to reduce the Achievement Gap, the schools will start doing things that actually harm the high-achieving Blacks, and those who want to do their best in school. Tests and standards will be watered down so that the difference between the achieving students and the non-achieving students is not so stark. Grading will be compromised for the same purpose. Suspensions and expulsions for anti-social behavior will be reduced, thus allowing the bad actors to prey on those trying to get an education. Poor and disruptive students who would like to drop out will be incented to remain, having the same deleterious effect.
The solution is easy but makes ACLU-types uncomfortable. Students should be taught with other students having the same potential, and not all thrown together in the same classrooms. Race should not even be considered; this should be based entirely on intelligence and aptitude testing. Curricula should be appropriate for the intellectual potential of the stratified student groups. It should be recognized that many students are simply not "college material" and they should be directed to subjects and a level of academic rigor where they can succeed. And if that means they are learning very basic things, so be it.
The result will - of course - be that the lower-level curricula will be primarily populated by "people of color."
And therefore, our societal do-gooders will stand in the way of this logical approach, claiming that some students would be stigmatized and prevented from achieving their full potential. Yes, better to drag everyone else down, so that the dullards won't feel badly about themselves.
The most difficult and intractable problems are the ones where we know the solution, but are too timid to implement it. Like this one.
