Justice and Injustice (Thomas Sowell)

Jewish World Review ^ | May 25, 2010 | Thomas Sowell

[jazusamo]

A heartbreaking social statistic is that children on welfare have only about half as many words per day directed at them as the children of working-class families-- and less than one-third as many words as children whose parents are professionals. This is especially painful in view of the fact that scientists have found that the actual physical development of the brain is affected...

Even if every child entered the world with equal innate ability, by the time they were grown they would nevertheless have very different mental capabilities. Innate ability is the ability that exists at the moment of conception, but nobody applies for a job or for college admission at the moment of conception. Even between conception and birth, other influences affect the development of the brain, as well as the rest of the body.

The mother's diet and her intake of alcohol or drugs affects the unborn child. Differences in the amount of nutrition received in the womb create differences even between identical twins. Where one of these identical twins is born significantly heavier than the other, and the lighter one falls below some critical weight, the heavier one tends to have a higher IQ in later years. They may be the same weight when they become adults, but they didn't get the same nutrition back when their brains were first developing.

Inequalities have so many sources that this fact undermines the simple dichotomy between believing that some people are innately inferior and believing that discrimination or other social injustices account for economic and social differences. Yet people who are afraid of being considered racists, or believers that the lower classes are born inferior, often buy the notion that only the sins of "society" can explain why some people end up so much better off than others.

[jazusamo]

*PING*
Thomas Sowell

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[stephenjohnbanker]

Excellent commentary as ALWAYS

B U M P

[Islander7]

Thanks for ping. Dr. Sowell hits yet another home run.

[Parmy]

This has been know for decades. Why do you think that the Nazi's, Communists and others confiscate children at a young age before the brain is fully developed?

Because they know if they get them young enough, they can set the course of their lives. Young brains are easier to control, influence and brainwash.

[rockinqsranch]

Thanks for the ping jaz. Excellent perspective as usual.

[GeronL]

A heartbreaking social statistic is that children on welfare have only about half as many words per day directed at them as the children of working-class families

Dad's always working but I get more talking to than if dad stayed home drunk?

[altura]

That’s one smart dude.

[oldbrowser]

A heartbreaking social statistic is that children on welfare have only about half as many words per day directed at them as the children of working-class families

With the welfare families I have observed, the children get a constant stream of words directed at them, by the television. I think the quality of the words are just as important as the quantity.

[XHogPilot]

Let me fix this for you.

Why do you think that The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Nazi's, Communists and others confiscate children at a young age before the brain is fully developed?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

BUMP!

[Tax-chick]

Iirc, the research has observed that speech by a living person is important, rather than broadcast speech. An older child or an adult may learn vocabulary from television or radio, but very young children are not learning from those media in the way they do if a parent (sigh, or “other caregiver”) is speaking.