The Shame Element of the History of Eugenics

Secret Shame of the World

There was a time and many places in the world where people came to believe in things that were blatantly horrible. Famous and educated people placed into the heads of common people ideas that were radical, yet which became accepted by most throughout the world. It was supposedly an idea for its time and one that few people today are even aware of. This was the grand idea of “eugenics”. Eugenics was born out of social and economic chaos like many similar concepts. It persisted far too long. People were promised many things by using this method of betterment. It was promising to get rid of criminals and the feeble-minded ones. It was thought that the “feeble minded” (which could also be someone who was undereducated or homeless instead), drunkards, criminals, alcoholics, mentally ill and retarded could be thwarted by sterilizing; even killing or placement into special institutions could solve the problems of all mankind and its “wild” untamed bad genes.

Francis Galton, a British scientist and cousin of Charles Darwin, one of the founding fathers of eugenics, John D. Rockefeller, Winston Churchill, Margaret Sanger, Theodore Roosevelt and many more intellectual people supported this eugenics theory. Galton thought that even seeking and having accomplishments alone could be inherited. He and others did family studies for years and some of the families were considered to have good “fruit” from their loins while others were completely disregarded for many reasons. Even being a “harlot,” which prostitutes were called at that time, was thought to be inherited. The public believed and accepted the theory of defective propagation. People believed in their leaders and scientific experts of their time.

In America in particular, contests were held at fairs vying for best family, basing it solely on their looks and appearance of healthiness. These contests were very popular and perpetuated this theory.

Amy Lowell Shaw founded a home for “weak minded females”. Some of the residents had already bore illegitimate children. They were separated from society because men could easily lead a feeble woman astray. She herself called these women “imbeciles”. Children of women like these were regularly separated from other school children and placed in special classes. It was hoped it would make them efficient workers and nothing more. Tests were given to peoples all over. One of the conclusions reported that children of Italian and other heritages were of low average intelligence. (US schools loved giving these tests, which of course were very biased.)

The United States Congress in thwarting defectives, placed a racial quota on immigrants. The whole world feared that the Latinos, Africans and Jews were all racially defective. College courses appeared in curriculums on eugenics. The world thought they could solve all their problems this by this manner and method.

Out of all of this came untold tragedy. An institute in Indiana regularly sterilized people as they saw fit. If people were born a particular way thought not to be conducive to society, then they would nip it in the bud so to speak. In the 50s a Canadian, Ewen Cameron, was elected president of the American and Canadian association supporting this type of thinking. He had worked for the CIA and was purported to have reduced one individual to a vegetable with his ECT (Electro Shock Therapy) therapy. People lost memories and functions. He even cut apart the cognition part of brains. He experimented on subjects with LSD without their knowledge.

Then there was the crusader for birth control, Margaret Sanger. Thought to have women’s interests in mind she has been hailed. The dark truth is that she did it for the sake of eugenics for the most part. She claimed, “Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race.” Also, “The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” And showing her support of eugenics, “Eugenic sterilization is an urgent need. We must prevent multiplication of this bad stock.”

Many places were halls of horrors. Scores of people were killed by gas or injections. This reminds one of Hitler, who also had the same idea. In fact, Germany and John D. Rockefeller united to do experiments. He provided them with millions to conduct them.

Churchill also helped establish an organization for psychiatric eugenics. So-called race proliferation experts took part. The Macy group conducted mind control experiments and also killed many “unworthy” people.

It is time people learned of this travesty. The uneducated, homeless (for whatever reason), retarded, disabled, criminals and many others were recipients of these horrific times and experiments. Many were basically summarily killed. All of this was supposedly to better the world and rid it of chaos, defective people and bad economics. The entire world must take the blame and the innocents recognized.