All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[Kirby101]

Hard to know whether to laugh or cry at the stupidity.

https://www.scarymommy.com/anti-vax-...-from-measles/

[Tami]

Help me understand this.

I am fully aware of issues relating to cultural appropriations, or doing things that mock people (like wearing blackface), but how is it that taking a DNA test that indicates that one of your ancestors was from a particular racial group considered a slur or attack against those people?

If I took a DNA test that said that one of my ancestors was from Asia, would I be insulting Asians by finding that out? Or is it just making it public that I found out I had an Asian ancestor?

And yes, I am talking about Elizabeth Warren. Not saying what she did by publicizing it was smart, but I don't think she did it with any intention of causing harm to any of the Native American peoples.

[PaulBullion]

Help me understand this.

I am fully aware of issues relating to cultural appropriations, or doing things that mock people (like wearing blackface), but how is it that taking a DNA test that indicates that one of your ancestors was from a particular racial group considered a slur or attack against those people?

If I took a DNA test that said that one of my ancestors was from Asia, would I be insulting Asians by finding that out? Or is it just making it public that I found out I had an Asian ancestor?

And yes, I am talking about Elizabeth Warren. Not saying what she did by publicizing it was smart, but I don't think she did it with any intention of causing harm to any of the Native American peoples.

MAGA folks falsely claim that she wrongly claimed Native American ancestry to get into college. She checked "Native American" on a form that was for statistical purpose only once, saw no advantage from that. She says she believed family folklore that her great-grandmother was Native American, Trump never believed her (because she dyes her hair blond, I guess?). She took the test and found out the NA ancestor was actually 3 or 4 generations further back than she had assumed. Birtherism 2.0 ensued.

[Jack Dracula]

Clinton was in a different era.

He probably wouldn't be able to get elected today with the Juanita Broderick allegations.

Well, he might if he were a Republican.

The allegations largely had dead ends (the main ones being a party with a handful of high school kids at an unknown time at an unknown place and another college party), so there weren't many people for investigators to go to who would be able to give any useful testimony. The main criticism I've heard about people who wanted to speak to investigators who weren't called were people who had heard vague rumors but didn't have anything useful to contribute.

The allegations we know of had dead ends. My point is that there may have been leads that were ignored or set aside due to the unnecessary expediency imposed by the Republicans. Garland was left hanging for a year, but suddenly Kavanaugh needed to be appointed ASAP, allegations or not. Do you honestly believe that a week is enough time to perform a thorough investigation when the position to be filled is so important?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

MAGA folks falsely claim that she wrongly claimed Native American ancestry to get into college. She checked "Native American" on a form that was for statistical purpose only once, saw no advantage from that. She says she believed family folklore that her great-grandmother was Native American, Trump never believed her (because she dyes her hair blond, I guess?). She took the test and found out the NA ancestor was actually 3 or 4 generations further back than she had assumed. Birtherism 2.0 ensued.

I don’t think Warren meant to offend anyone by claiming Native American heritage, but Trump gleefully jumped on that with both feet, basically saying a blond haired white woman had no business making such a claim, and he’s been running with the “Pocohantas” insult ever since. Now that Warren has declared, Dolt45 will be haranguing her at every opportunity, just like he had Obama with the first round of birtherism.

[PaulBullion]

I don’t think Warren meant to offend anyone by claiming Native American heritage, but Trump gleefully jumped on that with both feet, basically saying a blond haired white woman had no business making such a claim, and he’s been running with the “Pocohantas” insult ever since. Now that Warren has declared, Dolt45 will be haranguing her at every opportunity, just like he had Obama with the first round of birtherism.

Which might actually not be a bad thing. I can't imagine his handlers are happy about more opportunities for Trump to be more racist and less presidential.

[Darkspellmaster]

As others have said it causes a birther 2.0 situation. However, from what I understand there are rules that are guides for being considered a member of a tribe, and it has to be like a 2nd or 3rd person direct to you. You have to have like higher than 3/4th blood or something like that, although I don't know the exact numbers.

So for some in the native America community what she did comes off as an insult of sorts to them as she would not be considered a Native American. She could say she has Native American blood, but she can't say she is Native American by some tribes rules.

Like, Tami, if you found out you have some Japsnese DNA in you, unless your family is directly Japanese you would not be considered a Japanese person. You could claim you have some Japanese heritage but you would not be seen as Japanese.

At least that's as far as I understand it.

[Iron Maiden]

I think everyone has some kind of story about their ancestry that was strictly word of mouth from the days when there were no sophisticated DNA tests. My British mother used to tell a story some of great grandfather (or maybe further back) that had met a young lady of some standing (daughter of a local lord I think). They fell in love and married without the father's permission and the daughter was disowned. But I bet that story or something similar floats around in Great Britain a lot. Probably going back to the days of kings like Edward III, who had a lot of dalliances and bastard offspring.

[Dalak]

I think everyone has some kind of story about their ancestry that was strictly word of mouth from the days when there were no sophisticated DNA tests. My British mother used to tell a story some great grandfather (or maybe further back) that had met a young lady of some standing (daughter of a local lord I think). They fell in love and married without the father's permission and the daughter was disowned. But I bet that story or something similar floats around in Great Britain a lot. Probably going back to the days of kings like Edward III, who had a lot of dalliances and bastard offspring.

My Dad told me that we were related to Abraham Lincoln, 2nd Cousin twice removed IIRC through his Mom's Sister. I have no idea if it is true or not, but there's also theories about how many people on the planet could claim to be related in some way to Genghis Khan so who knows.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Which might actually not be a bad thing. I can't imagine his handlers are happy about more opportunities for Trump to be more racist and less presidential.

I doubt Trump gives a rat’s ass what his handlers think, otherwise he wouldn’t have done a fraction of the crazy shit he’s responsible for. As long as his knuckledragging followers enjoy Trump being racist and less presidential, he’ll continue giving them what they want. And Warren’s candidacy is manna from heaven when it comes to insult hurling.

[jetengine]

I think everyone has some kind of story about their ancestry that was strictly word of mouth from the days when there were no sophisticated DNA tests. My British mother used to tell a story some great grandfather (or maybe further back) that had met a young lady of some standing (daughter of a local lord I think). They fell in love and married without the father's permission and the daughter was disowned. But I bet that story or something similar floats around in Great Britain a lot. Probably going back to the days of kings like Edward III, who had a lot of dalliances and bastard offspring.

Remember this man is a direct descendant of of William the Conqueror and King Edward the Third.

[Kirby101]

So do I have this right. Trump and the Right can throw sh*t at Warren for (accurately) claiming Native ancestry, but no push back for Trump making light of Wounded Knee or the Trail of Tears?

IOKIYAR

[Kirby101]

Remember this man is a direct descendant of of William the Conqueror and King Edward the Third.

I don't understand the problem with what he said.

[jetengine]

I don't understand the problem with what he said.

Danny Dyer is something of a joke in the British acting scene. He's a terrible actor who desperately tries to push his cockney roots to lift hinself into a " 'ard man" when he's very much not so. Plus he's a piece of shit

[Kirby101]

Danny Dyer is something of a joke in the British acting scene. He's a terrible actor who desperately tries to push his cockney roots to lift hinself into a " 'ard man" when he's very much not so. Plus he's a piece of shit

Oh. Not really heard of him in the States.

We did have G W Bush, a man born to wealth and elitism, given break after break through life, who passed himself off as a regular guy from Texas.