1. Review the pamphlet, You Wouldn't Expect..., created in 1950 by the Human Betterment League of
North Carolina, an organization formed in 1947 to encourage sterilizing sure Americans. What is/are
the message(s) of the pamphlet? You wouldn't expect...?
The pamphlet,
You Wouldn't Expect...,
was created by the Human Betterment League of North
Carolina in 1950 to encourage sterilizing certain Americans. The pamphlet's message is that sterilization
is a necessary and humane way to prevent people with "undesirable" genetic traits from reproducing.
The pamphlet begins by describing the case of a young woman named "Mary" who is "feeble-minded."
Mary has already had two children, who are also "feeble-minded." The pamphlet argues that Mary
should be sterilized to prevent her from having any more children.
The pamphlet then goes on to discuss the benefits of sterilization. It claims that sterilization
prevents "mental defectives" from passing their "bad genes" to their children. It also claims that
sterilization can improve people's lives with "undesirable" genetic traits by making them more
independent and productive. The pamphlet argues that sterilization is a humane and necessary way to
protect society from the dangers of "mental defectives." It claims that sterilization is painless and does
not harm the person being sterilized. It also claims that sterilization is less expensive than caring for
people with "undesirable" genetic traits.
2. What ultimately do you think was the goal of the Human Betterment League of North Carolina?
The ultimate goal of the Human Betterment League of North Carolina was to improve the
"human race" by discouraging Americans with "undesirable" genetic traits from reproducing. The league
believed that people with "desirable" genetic markers should be encouraged to breed, while people with
"undesirable" genetic traits should be prevented from having children. The league believed that
sterilization was the best way to achieve its goal. Sterilization is a surgical procedure that prevents a
person from having children. The union argued that sterilization was a humane and necessary way to
prevent people with "undesirable" genetic traits from passing on their "bad genes" to their children.
3. What is your opinion of the policy of compulsory sterilization during the twentieth century?
I believe that the policy of compulsory sterilization during the twentieth century was a violation
of human rights. Sterilization is a serious medical procedure that should only be performed with the
consent of the sterilized person. Compulsory sterilization is a form of coercion and should never be used.
The policy of mandatory sterilization was also based on a flawed understanding of genetics. Eugenics is
the belief that humans can be improved by selectively breeding people with "desirable" genetic traits.
However, no scientific evidence supports the claim that specific genetic characteristics are superior to
others.
The policy of compulsory sterilization was also used to target marginalized groups, such as
people with disabilities and people of color. This shows that eugenics is not just a scientific theory but
also a social ideology that can be used to justify discrimination and oppression. In conclusion, I believe
that the policy of compulsory sterilization during the twentieth century was a harmful and unethical
practice. It violated human rights and was based on a flawed understanding of genetics.
