Watch out extremists!

Society is being rent apart by the pronunciations of right wing bigots. The internet, which in many ways is a great boon for those who need to keep in touch with others, is also a valuable tool for those who wish to promote their extreme views. Prominent among them are the preachers of white superiority and hatred against people of other races and different faiths. It would seem from their rantings that they believe their countries would be better places if only white males were in charge and immigration were banned. White racism usually goes hand in hand with misogyny.

Another aspect of modern society, and especially of the large retired demographic, is the obsession with genealogy. Tracing back one’s ancestors seems to be important to well-being. Also, thanks to the advances in biochemistry it is now possible to submit a sample of one’s DNA (a little spit is all that is needed) and find out roughly where one’s antecedents derived from. From my point of view, knowing who the 16 people were in my Great grandparents generation, or the 32 in the generation before that has little relevance for me. And finding out, perhaps, from my DNA that I have ancestors who came to Europe from Siberia, is of no more than passing interest. The world is a vast melting pot in which various peoples meet and breed, and unless the promoters of Brexit, supporters of Trump and other right wing populists get their way, the intermixing will continue unchecked.

But putting these two trends together, perhaps we have the answer to the white supremacists. Wouldn’t it be a lark to secretly obtain a DNA sample from a beer glass or other utensil they have used and check their origins. With 16, 32 or 64 contributors to their genealogy, it is very likely there will be someone, perhaps several, whom they would not want to acknowledge as contributing to their existence. A good example would be the genetic contribution of black African slaves to the genealogy of ‘white’ Americans and Europeans. Interestingly, would they then claim that researching their antecedents without their permission was an attack on their human rights; even while they remain free to attack the rights of others?