Gifted EducationMain heading: GIFTED EDUCATION/CIVIL RIGHTSEducation of gifted students, a civil rights issue? and Is the inclusion of racial and ethnic groups in educational programs for gifted students a civil rights issue? » The author does a more than adequate job of presenting the arguments on both sides of the issue and drawing logical conclusions. The article seeks to identify the real dilemma and proposes possible approaches to resolve it. Much of today's school system has been shaped by civil rights laws of the past. The author notes that the link between these rights and education is the guarantee of an equal opportunity for all children to learn and be educated in this country. Schools must accomplish this without regard to race, creed or gender. The author notes that gifted programs have been referred to as just another subtle form of segregation from the white upper middle class. These concerns arise from the fact that the representation of sexes and ethnicities within gifted classes reflects precisely such a phenomenon. Unjustified beliefs about the genetic inferiority of certain races have long been denounced. These unfounded beliefs have been replaced by research that indicates that the genetic component of intelligence is increased by a child's nurturing environment (or lack thereof). The article cites twin studies, which give credence to the genetic component of intelligence, and notes that these differences apply within different ethnic and racial groups. The author attributes an almost equal role to the child's environment, referring to education as the "crystallization of intelligence." native capabilities. » Noting the differences between the sexes in terms of mathematical and verbal skills, the author seeks to validate this concept. The author views the cultural values ​​of society as an inevitable encroachment on gender, leading to these differences. I disagree, because molecular and developmental studies have shown that there are structural and biological differences in the brains of men and women (Zhang, 1995; Palego, 2000). As a molecular biologist, I would be more inclined to attribute the differences to biochemical aspects of development. The author then addresses inequalities in intelligence tests and accurately identifies them as simple predictors of future academic performance..