Eugenics

Last class' discussion and accompanying videos on eugenics were horrifying, and it seemed a lot to swallow all at once. It's hard to believe that at one point our great nation could have possibly allowed the coerced, mandatory sterilization of thousands of Americans, regardless of their rights, wants, or needs. Researching eugenics I came upon a newspaper article from Jan 10, 1914 from the Boston Evening Transcript. In this article, a certain Dr. J. H. Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan proposed a eugenics registry office for the purpose of developing a race of human thoroughbreds during a speech at the National Conference for Race Betterment. Dr. Kellogg compares human beings to horses, cats, and dogs, stating, "It only takes four generations to make a thoroughbred when the principles of eugenics have a fair chance to operate." It's appalling to imagine that people used to believe and support these ideas. Modern day scientists would be condemned as criminals if they said anything along these lines. Thankfully modern science does not allow for these outrageous principles. Probably the closest thing to eugenics would be preconception testing, but in no way is that as horrifying as the eugenics in America during the 1920's which groups of people were sterilized, or of course the horrifying experiments of race "cleasning" during the Holocaust.