Applied Eugenics
Ashley Harris
PHI 103 Informal Logic
Instructor Eric Maass
Ashford University
September 11, 2014

Applied Eugenics P. Propene and R.H. Johnson approach the ideology of eugenics and present information that would promote the “racial betterment” of humanity and the Caucasian race. They emphasize the chance of “imbecile” and “unfit” children are high when races are mixed and this this is the reason that eugenics is a positive change for the world. The flow of immigrants from inferior nations in Europe, Africa and Asia are seen as a threat to the work that the “patriots and forefathers” put forward to make America into a flourishing nation. Eugenics is seen as a solution to a population boom and unwanted pregnancies in poor and overcrowded communities, the majority of which is made up by minorities. . In impoverished communities it would be a god send in order to keep mothers form having children they cannot afford to take care of while also keeping the unfit and inferior community at manageable numbers. The authors also mention the overcrowding of Asian countries and recommend legal restrictions to prevent the same issue in the United States. Propene and Johnson also mention that though there are races that are compatible with the Nordic line, there are still some who are unfit to procreate. This excerpt is inductive and deductive in nature, though it can be seen as valid or invalid, weak or very strong; the audience of the discussion would be the judgment of this. The usage of “scientific data” and intelligence to write this piece and stir up the emotions and acceptance of some, yet be seen as propaganda hog wash by others. Counter Argument
Sir Francis Galton created the study of Eugenics in 1883, believing that desirable traits are obtained hereditarily. He saw eugenics a moral philosophy to improve upon humanity by promoting the procreation of the healthiest and most able of the population. This Gastonia ideal became known as positive eugenics. In the 20th century, eugenics became a movement that would sweep the world and accepted by many notable people including Margaret Sanger and Alexander Graham Bell. It was promoted under the premise of strengthening and betterment of the human race by removing the chances of disease, retardation, and deviant behavior, yet it took a much sinister tone. 20th century Eugenicists believed in white superiority and the suppression of any other race; the mixing of races is seen as creating “mongrels” that would alter the strength of the Nordic race. What eugenicists have failed to acknowledge is the fact that Native Americans are homogenous to the Americas, and in the tradition of conquest and conquer, they were considered to be inferior to the white man. History has shown that when truth is found that finds the Caucasoid to be inferior in any way, it has either been destroyed, denounced or defaced. The troubling truth is that while behavior, mental and physical deformities are seen as the cause, the physical features, skin color and socioeconomic status of a group are a main factor.
The United States of America has been built up by immigrants from all over the globe whether forcibly or voluntarily. While Johnson and Propene claim that only the strongest were able to able to make the voyage, there were many types of people; old, infantile, sickly and the demented who made the transoceanic voyage. The genealogy of people may vary through race, but mental issues and physical deficiencies is a problem that happens in all races. DNA has many variations and there is no perfect genetic model. But the perseverance, and the will to live is what makes us all human. Whether the motives are the same, every human seeks happiness, love and the opportunity of prosperity.
Margaret Sanger, the founder of what would become Planned Parenthood of America provided the first of many black women’s clinics in Harlem, New York. She believed that safe abortions should be made available to low income families in order to prevent more unfit and vagrant members of society. It was seen as a movement for the woman’s right to making choices about her body, But Ms. Sanger felt that it was better for the minority of the community to be restricted in number and this was mainly in communities that were poor and had a minority majority. The “health and betterment” of the people was the all too common ploy used to coerce and sway the people
The biggest conundrum of Eugenics is the HeLa cell line, which was unwittingly taken from a black woman by the Name of Henrietta Lacks, which has now been sold to millions of people and help to create cures and vaccines for many health issues. Africans are considered to be a subspecies, therefore Africans are inferior. The cells of a black woman has been given to people of all races, including whites. Instead of weakening the line, the HeLa cell line has helped to better the health of all humans.

The Nazi use of Eugenics showed how dark the cause could truly become. After the world became aware of the adaptation of Nazi Germany’s use, many began to distance themselves from the subject. Compulsory sterilization was forced upon mainly European Jewish women and men who were held in concentration camps. Euthanasia came in the form of gas chambers when the SS became aware that the use of bullets was costly to their cause. A cause that maliciously murders more than 6 million people for any reason cannot truly be considered a cause. While eugenicists in did not expect to use their practices on such a grand scale, Nazi Germany showed them the true extent of their studies.
Propene and Johnson state, “The first result may be disregarded, for the various races of man are probably already much mixed, and too closely related, to give rise to much hybrid vigor in crosses.” This oxymoronic statement acknowledges that all races have assimilated in some way and has been going on for centuries, yet Eugenicists have no answer as to how to purify their race from the others. Being that humans have mated with different cultures, how is it that they believe that they are purely white. It is now known that a black man can have white lineage and a white man can have black lineage. For example, black Americans who claim they have Native American lineage in their blood are quite mistaken; their lineage carries the traces of white slave-owners and family.
With Eugenics still on the law books in the United States, minorities and criminals are still at risk for being coerced and exploited. The California Correctional System came under fire when it was found that between 2006 and 2011, Female prisoners were being pressured or forced into having tubal litigation without their consent or the use of proper procedure. North Carolina recently settled with victims who were unknowingly or forced to undergo tubal litigation, the majority being black women.

References

Carlson, E. (n.d.) Scientific Origins of Eugenics. Retrieved from http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/html/eugenics/essay2text.html Propene, P., & Johnson, R.H. (1918). Applied eugenics. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19560/19560-h/19560-h.htm#Page_368