Persuasive Essay

The idea of eugenics made it possible for involuntary sterilization. In order to improve the human race, it meant regulating reproduction. 1907 Indiana passed to sterilize the mentally insane and inmates. Their plan was to eliminate “defective” genes. By 1960 63,000 people were involuntary

Once the Eugenics Board of North Carolina was eliminated, the sterilizations stopped. For many though, the damage had already been done. One victim said “I think my rights have been revoked in a way, it’s just like if you go to prison for something that you ain’t done”(Gannon para. 3). This theme of regret and injustice carries on for most victims still alive today. In recent efforts to right the wrongs of the past the state has started the process to compensate the victims of sterilization. Once a legitimate case has been established and approved, victims could potentially receive up to $50,000 from the State of North Carolina. This in no way reverses the tragedy that they dealt with but it is a start to apologize and attempt to make

Written by Justice Holmes, the infamous Buck v Bell opinion, gives a summary and an analysis of how the court reached the decision to uphold Virginia’s sterilization statute. The case involved Carrie Buck, an 18 year old women in a Virginia institution for “feeble-minded” individuals, she was to be sterilized after being found to be feeble-minded. In addition to the summary of the case, Holmes raises his concerns with having more “feeble-minded” individuals and criminals parading the streets which justifies coerced sterilization.

Eugenicists used this information to reaffirm the existing class and racial hierarchy. They saw that middle and upper classes were predominantly white. In contrast, they saw that poor person consisted of genetically inferior individuals and deemed it to be unfit. The movement was widely accepted by the public and was the reason why eugenics legislation got passed. Laws such as compulsory sterilization were passed at the state level that required the sterilization of unfit individuals. The goal of this was to eliminate “unfit” in order to produce the most “fit” family.

As previously mentioned, the Supreme Court case of Buck vs. Bell in 1927 was a lawsuit that entailed state-enforced eugenic sterilization for individuals regarded feebleminded or somehow genetically substandard. Carrie Buck, the plaintiff, together with her mother had been devoted to the Virginia Colony of Epileptics and Feeble Minded in Virginia (Eugenics Archive, n.d.). The two were judged to be genetically inferior or feebleminded and immoral since they had children out of wedlock. Moreover, Carrie Buck’s child

The American eugenics movement is characterized by the implementation of sterilization laws in over 30 states that led to over 60,000 sterilizations of those deemed “disabled” by the regulating entities. This movement began in the early 1900’s and many argue that this movement was the base for eugenics programs all over the world, including the infamous eugenics movement in Germany. Proponents of this program believed that the

Part Two covers the years 1900-1950. It describes the rise in popularity of eugenics, and the resurgence of physical therapies and remedies for mental disorders. Whitaker stated that the rise of eugenics caused a degradation in moral treatment of mentally ill patients, and eventually gave way to forced sterilization of patients deemed to be mentally incapacitated to prevent the spreading of the genetic disorder of insanity. The American public as a whole seemed to embrace forced sterilization by the 1920’s.

Discrimination – According to Showalter (2012), The guaranty of “equal protection of the laws is a pledge of the protection of equal laws”. When the law lays an unequal hand on those who have committed intrinsically the same quality of offense and sterilizes one and not the other, it has made as invidious a discrimination as if it had selected a particular race or nationality for oppressive treatment. It is also an unmistakable discrimination to sterilize those who committed larceny but provides immunity to embezzlers (p.

There are many things that have happened behind closed doors in our great nation. In fact, even today with all the technology and possibilities to learn, the people of this nation still fall ignorant. We don’t know the evils that occur in our nation, not to mention the ideas and blueprints that caused them to come to action. There are many great sins that have been committed, and currently in the process of committing, of these I believe Eugenics to be one of the most abominable. How did eugenics start, where does it come from and who authored and supported it? I hope to delve into this during this essay.

Many people have heard of the case Buck versus Bell. This was a land mark supreme court case in 1927. This case basis is eugenics, which is the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding. Most people today would disagree with this on premise alone. In the case Buck versus Bell the decision being heard was can doctors sterilize patients that were feeble minded or have epilepsy. As Carrie’s story unfolds you will see not only is feeble minded a broad term She was wronged not only on the merits of the case, but in the process of justice.

Due to this “promiscuity” and “feeblemindedness,” she was placed in Virginia Colony for Epileptics and Feeble-Minded, where it was decided she would be sterilized. Up until this point, Albert Priddy, who ran the institution, had been performing illegal sterilizations. When confronted, Priddy essentially hand-selected this case with the intention that it go to the Supreme Court to set precedent, which it did (Lombardo, 2012). In 1927, Chief Justice Holmes said “It is better for all the world, not necessarily Carrie Buck, but the rest of the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for a crime or starve them for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind…Three generations of imbeciles are enough” (Buck v. Bell, 1927). Holmes’ words in the Buck v. Bell case were later used by the Nazis to defend themselves at the Nuremburg Trials. Yet, as a nation, we have not taken accountability for this in a substantial way. (Lombardo,

These "science"-based eugenic influences break through the lines of science in to the world of politics, promulgating anti-humanistic views of poor women of colour in the form of legislation fraught with bigotry and baseless generalizations. This political view flows through the judicial system, as courts apply eugenic philosophies in determining who should be sterilized and for what reasons.

Ethical barriers prohibiting the practice of eugenics today include principles provided for in the American College Healthcare Executive code of Ethics (Board of Governors, 2016). The principles outlined in the code help protect the patients’ interests through guiding

Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Health, United States, 2002. Flegal et. al. JAMA. 2002;288:1723-7. NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, 1998.

“Your assignment is to write a persuasive essay and present it to the class in a week. You will be graded based on how convincing it is. Today we will be choosing topics,” announced Mr. Bowerbank, my 7th grade English teacher and ruler of classroom 110. My class simultaneously groaned at the prospect of work. I simply lifted my head with intrigue as it was already May and about time we had our first essay. He then proceeded to give examples of topics we could choose and gave us some time to think before we had to tell him our topic. My classmates were already rushing to tell the teacher their idea lest someone else steal it. That meant the usual abortion, death penalty, or drug use topics were out. I really couldn't think of anything and the teacher was slowly making his way through the remaining students like an executioner beheading criminals in a line. I have always thought that he would make a marvelous supervillain if he had a curly mustache, a tophat, and a cape. Eventually my name was called. I slowly dragged myself over to his desk. Even sitting down, he still seemed to tower over me. “What is your topic Cindy?” As usual in such desperate times, my mind turned to food. “Waffles are better than pancakes.” I figured that a waffle was just a differently shaped pancake with a nicer texture. “Hmm. Excellent topic. I look forward to your essay!” I survived to live yet another day.