From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Mon Mar 6 17:37:46 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k270bkjb011048; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:37:46 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k270bgg9002014 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:37:42 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k26M7eFI026695 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:07:40 -0500 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k26M7ekJ026694 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:07:40 -0500 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k26JawFI026347 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 14:36:58 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k26M6oYO003518 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 15:06:50 -0700 X-Envelope-From: Kith-n-Kin@cox.net Mon Mar 6 15:06:50 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k26M6ojb003509 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 15:06:50 -0700 Received: from fed1rmmtao03.cox.net (fed1rmmtao03.cox.net [68.230.241.36]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k26M6ms9003482 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 15:06:48 -0700 Received: from TOWER ([68.0.155.47]) by fed1rmmtao03.cox.net (InterMail vM.6.01.05.02 201-2131-123-102-20050715) with ESMTP id <20060306220509.MOYT20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@TOWER>; Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:05:09 -0500 From: "Kith-n-Kin" To: "'Patti'" , Subject: RE: [ROOTS-L] Legal & birth father Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 15:06:35 -0700 Message-ID: <009301c6416a$3cd8d560$6501a8c0@TOWER> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 In-Reply-To: <9627990.1141675807098.JavaMail.root@mswamui-backed.atl.sa.earthlink.net> X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by admin.rootsweb.com id k26M6ojb003509 X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by lists5.rootsweb.com id k26M6oYO003518 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by roots-l.rootsweb.com id k26JawFI026347 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Patti With respect, I disagree with you. I, for one, do this to better understand a family history, as the family culture that is passed down that makes us what we are. While I agree that some personality traits and tendencies appear to have a genetic component, as do physical characteristics, whether or not these play out depends at least in part on the family environment. For example, there is a genetic component to some diabetes. But, if you eat a diet that doesn't lend itself to diabetes, you probably won't have it manifest itself. Oh, and as to criminal behavior? Not on your life does that have a genetic component that has ever been proved. My guess is, when a person following a line finds out that "his" ancestor may have been adopted in to the family in 1765, the researcher does not generally stop following that line. But, may, if the bio parents are known, will follow both lines. It is true that genealogy "used" to be all about blood -- usually for the purpose of being related to some famous or royal personage -- it is now much more about the family culture. Frankly, if I've raised a child, 98% (I made that up, put in your own figure, over 50%) of what that child is comes from me, not from some never seen bio parent. It is my cultural values, cooking, and sense of humor that the child gets. Just not my green eyes. But, the point of the letter, as I recall, was what the person's surname should be in our documentation. THAT has nothing to do with following the line. You can follow as many lines as you wish, but to keep them straight, you better keep the names straight. Pat (a Túcson) Cuándo usted posee conocimiento de su antepasados usted gana comprensión de su mismo. (When you possess knowledge of your ancestors you gain knowledge of your self.) |-----Original Message----- |From: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com |[mailto:roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Patti |Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 13:10 |To: ROOTS-M@rootsweb.com |Subject: [ROOTS-L] Legal & birth father | | |Just my 2 cents worth on this subject. Most of us (I think!) |are involved in this hobby to trace our genes. To me, that |means the birth father. I agree that the legal father is the |man who raised the child, etc. etc., gut the GENES were |contributed by the birth father. And if genes turn out to be |more and more important in time -- contribute heavily to |criminal behavior, alcoholism, depression, etc. -- then the |genes are the line I want to follow. | |Personally, I find the stories of twins separated at birth, |with absolutely no knowledge of each other, who turn out to |both be fireman, with wives named Agnes, having the same |hobbies. That's got to be genes. | |I very much realize that the emotional bond may be massive |with a legal father and he may have given his child all he |had, but the one thing he could not give is genetic make-up. | |Patti |Lakeville, MI | |