Eugenics

I have always been fascinated by eugenics since I first heard about it. My knowledge has always been limited, mostly to the race hygiene movement of the Nazis and Americas work to eradicate its indigenous nations, but not much beyond. As I grew older, I realized that there were many more victims of eugenics and genocide than I ever wished to imagine, and have made a rather laymans study of the subject. Mostly I am curious about the intergenerational effects of genocide on my fellow humans and genocides that occur historically and today.

"Mitakuye Oyasin Radio Collective" member, James Craven (Blackfoot Solicitor General to the Traditional Government and Economics Head at Clark College) made mention on the program of the book by Edwin Black (author of "IBM and the Holocaust," a must read) called "War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's campaign to create a Master Race."

I have heard and read some about the eugenics movement. In Oregon, there were many sterilization programs for various races, handicapped, and those deemed "feebleminded." Thus far, some five years ago, Oregon apologized to the folk with down syndrome for sterilizing them for the "master race," so far...not to Indians or the others they attacked with eugenics, at least not that I recall. No reparations, no taking of responsibility, no justice, no healing, no making amends... "Sorry about trying to wipe you people off of the face of the earth so we of the master race wouldn't have to deal with you. There, all better (for us of the master race)."

Anyway, the introduction and first chapter of the book are rather disturbing! One thinks they know a rather lot about the disgusting behavior of the nation they live in when they make a study of it can still be shocked and disgusted at new discoveries they make. Example: It is mentioned that the Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations heavily funded the eugenics movement even during the Nazi regime. Harvard and Yale universities and many other institutions of academia were involved in this alleged pseudoscience.

The first chapter, and maybe if white folk read it they can get an understanding of what I've been talking about all these years, is called "Mountain Sweeps." It deals with the "hill billies" being rounded up in Virginia in the '30's by the sheriff, taken to various hospitals, and sterilized. Many of them were not told what was happening, just that it had to happen. These poor folk were seen as "feebleminded" and thus were slated for sterilization.

Over 50,000 documents were studied in creating this book with more researchers helping on this project than can fit in the ackowledgements section. The research was so thorough, that they checked it with other well known research and found that there were many errors in the research already done.

Edwin, in the intro, has asked that his book be taken as a whole, not picked at and bits of info used to create points of discussion in favor or against one thing or another, thus, until I am finished with this book, you will find occasional reviews of it here and there on this blog.