Why do you describge yourself as "intelligent"? What is your
definition of intelligent?

Has the study of genetics ever been at your expense? What does "at
my [Mira's] expense" mean? Has the study of genetics ever been at
the expense of your liberty? What does that mean? How has the
study of genetics ever been at the expense of some other person's
liberty, if you believe it has?

Give an example of how research on intelligence (or genetics) would
be at your expense?

I believe there is private funding for research on intelligence. Do
you object to public funding for research on cancer and other
diseases? How is research on intelligence used to dominate and
manipulate others?

Employers use intelligence tests to help in evaluating job
applicants. Employers buy all kinds of tests to help choose
applicants who are more likely to do a job well. But anti-testing
critics have tried to stop such testing. Do employers have a right
to try to figure out which employees will be better employees?
Don't some jobs involve complex, abstract thinking? Is everybody
equal in the ability to do every job?

An example of how schools use IQ tests is to try to figure out why
students are not achieving at higher levels. Is there reason to
think the student should be achieving at higher level or is he
achieving at a level that one would expect for a student? For
example, a parent may go to a teacher and say his child is an "A
student". Why did the teacher give the child a grade of "C"? Is
the teacher prejudiced against the child? What does the teacher
say? The teacher might say the sutdent's performance was average.
He did not demonstrate that he had learned certain ideas as well kas
some of the other students. His achievement was not up to the
achievement of the "A and B students". The parent might say "whose
fault is that"? I know "my Mira is intelligent. I have seen her
school work and I know she is an A student. Are you discriminating
against her because she is black (or whatever). What does the
teacher say? She might say. "We were not sure if Mira was not
achieving up to her ability. So we asked you to allow us to
administer an IQ test to her. You consented. According to IQ
tests, your daughter is in the average range of intelligence and her
achievement correlates with her IQ score." What if the parent
says, "You are using that IQ test to discriminate againt my Mira.
She is an A student and by God, you had better change her grade."
The school and the teacher are trying to use some objectivity in
this matter. The parent is trying to manipulate and dominate the
teacher, it seems to me.

Some taxpayers realize that higher education requires higher
ability. Why should taxpayers pay to educate students in
institutions of higher education if the students do not have the
ability to learn at higher levels?


--- In thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com, Mira <mirah@...> wrote:
>
> ozarkheretic wrote:
>
> > Let me ask you if you consider yourself to be an intelligent
woman?
>
> Intelligent, beautiful, charming, sweet, and rich. However, most
people
> don't agree with me...
>
> > Do you think rocket science is a field
> > that people should not study? Because the Nazis misused their
> > knowledge of rocket science?
>
> I do not object to either the study of rocket science nor of
genetics,
> as long as
> A. It is not at my expense; and
> B. It is not at the expense of my liberty (or anyone else's).
>
> > Why do we need research on intelligence?
>
> I have no objection to people who believe that intelligence is
> researchable and should be researched doing so, as long as, again,
> A. It is not at my expense; and
> B. It is not at the expense of my liberty (or anyone else's).
>
> Research into real products, like air-conditioners and computers,
is
> done privately. People pay for it willingly by buying the
products.
> Research into "intelligence" and "heredity" has to be funded by
the
> taxpayer because nobody wants it except the parties who use it to
> manipulate and dominate others.
>
> Mira
>