If there is ever a question as to how to avoid putting your foot in your mouth, one need look no further than 1962 Nobel prize winner James Watson. Whilst casually browsing the CNN website, I found this little gem:
'Race Row' Nobel Winner Suspended. On October 14th, Watson was interviewed for a London newspaper and was quoted as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, whereas all the testing says not really." He went on to state that there was no reason to believe different races separated by geography should have evolved identically, and that while he hoped everyone was equal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true." As a result of his comments, he was suspended from his post at a research laboratory and his British book tour was canceled.
A few days after the fact, Watson issued a public apology saying:
"I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said. . . .I can certainly understand why people, reading those words, have reacted in the ways that they have."
"To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologize unreservedly. That is not what I meant. More importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief."
As much as he apologizes, it is clear that he meant what he said, and while I truly believe that he did not mean it quite the way that it sounds. . . he should know better by now that if one is in the public eye, they cannot just speak about controversial matters that are not first well thought out. He had to know that these comments would not be received well no matter what his intentions were. This is not the first time Watson has been under fire. He won the prize for discovering the double-helix structure of DNA in 1962 and has been known for making controversial public statements ever since.
In 1997, Watson was quoted as saying that if a gene for homosexuality were isolated, women who find that their unborn child has the gene should be allowed to have an abortion. In 2000, he suggested there might be links between skin color and sexual prowess and between a person's weight and their level of ambition. In a British documentary aired in 2003, Watson suggested that stupidity was a genetic disease that should be treated.
Most of the outlandish things this man has said are not really that far-fetched if they are closely analyzed. Therefore, it is clear to me that he means well, but is just really bad at getting his point across. So. . . I guess my point is that if you are not known for being the most articulate person, the best way to avoid negative media attention is to not speak at all.
