ABC, 9:00pm CDT.

This may seem like déjà vu because this report was first scheduled to air a couple months ago but was bumped because it was the day of the Martha Stewart verdict. I'm glad it is finally airing.

From Stossel:

Nice.

cousins breeding once is fine, it's when it's happened for a few generations that problems start happening

I'm sure that given enough interbreeding, problems can occur (like the hemophilia in males in European royal families) but I think it's all been greatly exaggerated. I think that's what we're going to hear on tomorrow's show.

if there are any recessive genes in the family they'll show up pretty quick with inbreeding

Sounds interesting. Thanks for the heads-up.

I just checked Stossel's book out of the library. Can't wait to start it.

Most recessive genes aren't particularly damaging (like blue eyes or the alleles which make for Type O blood when present from both the mother and father). If traits are connected to the x/y chromosome pair, they're quite likely to show up in males, but many of them are not particularly damaging either (like red-green color blindness which I have myself without the benefit of inbreeding). Now hemophilia is determined by the x/y pair and it definitely is damaging like what happened with European royalty.

As I said, I think the dangers are greatly exaggerated.

Don't mind me, I'm just making sure no Kentucky jokes are told.

Speaking of Arrested Development and incest I'll spoiler this for people

Whoa!!!

Keep the political crap out of non-political threads

That would be great! If you're dying to read the spoiler you better do it because it may never happen and then you'll miss out on a good joke

So it's a whopping 2-3% increase in risk of birth defects for cousins over the general population. But it's 10% if the woman is 41 years old. Perhaps there should be a law against women over 40 having children. Or perhaps it's time for all the states that have laws against cousins (of whatever degree) marrying should repeal them.

When I was researching my family tree, I found first cousins who married on both sides -- my fourth great-grandparents on mom's side, and my third great-grandparents on my dad's side.)

As a result, I am my own 6th cousin and 7th cousin.

I missed this, though a bunch of were just talking how in Maryland there's no specific law banning cousin marriages (I'm in law school). Would have been curious to find out what Stossel said.

I'm just curious (in a detached, slightly disturbed way) as to why there's such interest in cousin-marrying in this forum. Is there something I should know? Or shouldn't?

There are a lot of people here from Kentucky...

Naw, it's a Freudian thing. Everyone wants to secretly bang their cousin. Right?



....nevermind. Forget I said that.


to the Arrested Development spoiler. Genius.

So I guess I should've gone after that one hot cousin I always sort of had a thing for?

Damn.

This kid from Kentucky, Billy-Bob, marries his high school sweetheart, and they go on their honeymoon.

A couple of days later, he comes home alone. His family is surprised, and asks him what happened.

"Ever'thin' wuz jist going fine, until I gets her on the bed to consoomate the merrij. And then I finds out she's a vurjin."

His dad looked surprised. "A vurjin? Whut in tarnation is wrong wit' her beins a virjun?"

And Billy-Bob replied: "If she ain't good enough fer her own family, she sure as hell ain't good enough fer ours."

OK Tsohg that's one.
I guess you were napping.

Very interesting report. I guess we never think about the prevalence of this overseas. What I also found interesting was the legal/illegal map. Look at the SE - legal. Usually the South (and I am certainly guilty of this) is considered backwards. Is cousin-marriage considered backwards or progressive?

The even more interesting question is why don't states where this is illegal erect barriers like you see with gay marriage?

I'm willietheshakes and I say Gimme a Break!