Marry your cousin

[House of Mustard]

So I heard a coule of days ago (and, unfortunately, this was on the radio so I don't have a website to direct you to) that new studies have been done about marrying your cousins.

This new study, done by some government agency that I can't recall--sorry, says that the old data is incorrect, and that there is no significant increase in birth defects or retardation in children born to kissing-cousins.  They said, actually, that there never was a whole lot of data on the subject anyway -- people just assumed that these nearly incestuous relationships would result in birth defects.

So, there must be some other explanation for West Virginia now.  And Gemm.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I refuse to give up my established prejudices over some stupid scientific study!

Besides, I wouldn't want to marry any of my cousins.

[Tage]

Well, at least that explains how Noah and his family were able to repopulate the earth.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

Hey hey. Hey. Whats that suppose to mean? Bugger.

[House of Mustard]

I'll retract it if you fax me a copy of your family tree.

[fuzzyoctopus]

Well, logic would dictate that it wouldn't be a huge deal if it happened once, unless the family had some kind of recessive disease. Repeated inbreeding with cousins in the same family could and probably would lead to genetic problems, (and let's not forget to mention a rather nasty-yet-unforgettable X-files episode.)

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

yes, X-Files! That's what I'll use to support my prejudices! Fiction!

[fuzzyoctopus]

Hey, it's not my fault that's the first thing that comes to my mind when you talk about inbreeding.

Seriously though -  I don't thin that cousins marrying each other is that common of a thing.  Or if it is, it's something where they're not blood related, just through a remarriage or something, and there shouldn't necessarily be a stigma against it.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I just want to be prejudiced against something. If it's so rare, I can safely be prejudiced, right?

[fuzzyoctopus]

Sure you can.  I thought you were accusing me of being prejudiced because of my x-files comment.

[Onion of Death]

Interesting...