Eugenics

In the late 19^th century, a pseudoscience called eugenics appeared. The word comes from Greek roots meaning “born well,” but it is a set of beliefs and practices that “betters” the quality of human genetics. The goal of the eugenics movement in America was to reduce the reproduction rate of those with undesired traits. The list of undesired traits is extensive but it includes those with mental handicaps, physical disabilities, and people of color.

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Pseudo sciences are a parasite to the human race. They form conclusions with little to no evidence and works backwards trying to make their claim valid. For the most part they are not open to criticism and they are unchanging in their “conclusions.” While masquerading as a valid science, it works itself into the populations conscious and cements itself there, taking decades to disprove and undo.

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Eugenics is definitely something that took decades to disprove and undo. The Ultimate goal of the eugenics movement was to leave to population with a “pure” gene pool of Nordic and Aryan races. Methods included forced sterilization, forced abortion, euthanasia, birth control, genetic screening, marriage restriction, propaganda, and genocide (though genocide was never used in the American eugenics program). While outright mass killing may have never happened (although the discussion of local gas chambers was frequent), depending on your view on genocide the combination previous methods listed may qualify.

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The eugenics movement in California was by far the most effective in America. From 1909 to 1964, 20,108 people underwent forced sterilization in the state of California. The state’s broad implementation of eugenics was partly due to the concentration of eugenicists working there. Those targeted usually fell into one of three categories, them being “dependency, delinquency, and mental deficiency” (Bruinius)

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Hitler was a major proponent of eugenics. In fact, it was the American eugenics movement that inspired the ethnic cleansing of World War II.  Eleven million Jews, Gypsies, and undesirables were murdered because of the inspiration Americans caused.  American eugenicists even advised the early Nazi government on how to implement a eugenics program into their country. When the war was finished and war trials began, almost every Nazi with ties to concentration camps cited the American eugenics program in their defense.

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The pseudoscience that is eugenics is obviously invalid as reducing the gene pool makes the rate of birth deficiencies much higher. The movement destroyed many people’s opportunities to have families and fulfilling lives. Although eugenics is not well known to the American population, it is still a rather large scar on the face of our history.