"Racism claims that the content of a man’s mind (not his cognitive apparatus, but its content) is inherited; that a man’s convictions, values and character are determined before he is born, by physical factors beyond his control." 

The desire for Humans to be able to control everything is that of Communists. Complaining about "physical factors beyond control"? Of course physical factors are beyond control! And, of course, we are dependent on them. If we could control all of nature, Communism would be right! But we cannot, so it is not. Just as we cannot control all of nature, so too we cannot control all of human nature, for they are one and the same. This quote makes the argument weak and incoherent. 

Racists today do not, in fact, argue that all content is inherited - rather, their arguments are based on the apparatus. The implication, of course, is that those with different apparatuses and abilities will form different cultures over time. This is true and natural, and it is a result of genetic differences and different human interactions with different geographies. 

To pretend as if everyone is the same, or as if everyone can simply choose who they want to be, is not grounded in reality. We cannot choose much of who we are. Some, yes, but only some. It is reasonable to say about half of our life experience is not due to choice, but due to birth. One's career, nation and culture are the easy examples of drastically different lives due to birth. This is the way of nature, and of reality. The answer is not to pretend that everyone is the same, or that everyone can choose to be whoever they want, but that every man and woman should use their own abilities as best they can. 

We are all one body - with different characteristics, different abilities, and different destinies. One of the most important choices in life is to accept that. The founding fathers themselves believed that there was a "natural aristocracy" - those who are born with superior abilities. Their qualm was with the idea of trying to encode this aristocracy into a single organization, for they feared that it would be inefficient. ([https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch15s61.html…](https://t.co/iwh965xTds)) 

If you read that article, Jefferson mentions that the natural aristocracy is made up of two traits - virtue (chosen) and talent (not chosen). Jefferson, as do I, treats biology as half of a person's life makeup. Of course, we must avoid blaming all problems in society on a single race, which hopefully we can all agree is a reductive and foolish simplification. But it does not mean that all races are equal, or the same, or that differences should be swept under the rug. America can end its toxic relationship with race and biology when we give it its proper place - not everything, not nothing. Simply - something.