"Liberal Queer"

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Are your parents gay?

The jury's out on dear mama, but if I'd have to make a call, I'd say yes for her.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

The jury's out on dear mama, but if I'd have to make a call, I'd say yes for her.

I know I wrote that like a joke, but seriously. I think she is.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

The jury's out on dear mama, but if I'd have to make a call, I'd say yes for her.

Whatever, the point is genetics don't work that way. It's chance and probability. (here's one for you, Chernabog). Everyone in CPs immediate family has brown eyes. That's 2 parents, and 3 brothers. So by your genetic logic, if she doesn't have brown eyes, that proves that eye color isn't genetic at all. Well, she's got blue eyes. Does that mean eye color isn't genetic? No, it just means that different genes were expressed in her genome than her parents. She still go the genes from them, they just weren't the dominant genes in their chromosones. So having 2 alcoholic parents does not guarantee alcoholic children, it just increases the chances.

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

So having 2 alcoholic parents does not guarantee alcoholic children, it just increases the chances.

But are the increased odds due to genetics or is it because they watched mom and dad slug down the booze day after day and they know no other way?

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

But are the increased odds due to genetics or is it because they watched mom and dad slug down the booze day after day and they know no other way?

That's the question on all of these issues. Are they learned behaviors, genetics, or a combination?

That's scary territory if you ask me. If you have parents that are obese, can insurance companies charge you more for health insurance? Can health insurers refuse coverage if you are unwilling to be "genetically screened" in the future? What if insurers refused to give coverage to gay men because the rate of AIDS is higher? What if a "genetic therapy" could be offered to any gay person who no longer wants to be gay? There are hundreds and thousands of such questions.

I don't think I want them answered.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

But are the increased odds due to genetics or is it because they watched mom and dad slug down the booze day after day and they know no other way?

I'm not going to get into this. The same arguments of nature vs. nurture can be had for alcoholism, homosexualtiy, philanthropy, disney fan-dom, gambling addiction, philately (no, not that), or any number of personality traits. It's becoming more and more clear that the answer lies somewhere in between, that genetics lays out a path of possibilities and predispositions and environment/experience shapes which paths are taken. But neither is a guarantee of anything and it's a complex interaction.

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I'm not going to get into this. The same arguments of nature vs. nurture can be had for... disney fan-dom

Dammit, I was BORN a Disneyfag

(OK that adds nothing to the argument but I'm in a goofy mood today.)

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

But are the increased odds due to genetics or is it because they watched mom and dad slug down the booze day after day and they know no other way?

Well, I have a little experience in this catagory and in this question in particular.

The odds of becoming an addict are stronger if it is in your genes, according to the many counselors we've 'chatted' with. In this family, in particular, the Indian issue comes into play but we won't go there as I don't know enough to substantiate it.

Another issue that we dealt with was depression and that perhaps in the past the 'alcoholics' were actually depressed people who self medicated.

I think, from what I have experienced in my own life, showing the kids that you don't drink or that you drink in moderation and keep your standards up in as many areas as possible {honesty,working, etc.} when/if they do start to drink and maybe start to become addicted, they are less likely to just say 'There is nothing wrong with this'. I don't know that having parents drink around you increases your chances but it lowers your resistance and sometimes your ability to see right from wrong. And your ability to pull yourself out of the addiction if the people around you aren't trying or don't see a reason to try.