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History of Feminism

In reply to the discussion: Margaret Sanger... [View all]

PassingFair

(22,447 posts)
8. From the same Wiki article you linked below:
Mon Apr 9, 2012, 08:01 PM
Apr 2012

Eugenics
An advertisement for a book entitled "Woman and the New Race". At the top is a photo of a woman, seated affectionately with her two sons.
Sanger's 1920 book endorsed eugenics.

As part of her efforts to promote birth control, Sanger found common cause with proponents of eugenics, believing that they both sought to "assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit."[72] Sanger was a proponent of negative eugenics, which aims to improve human hereditary traits through social intervention by reducing reproduction by those considered unfit. Sanger's eugenic policies included an exclusionary immigration policy, free access to birth control methods and full family planning autonomy for the able-minded, and compulsory segregation or sterilization for the profoundly retarded.[73][74] In her book The Pivot of Civilization, she advocated coercion to prevent the "undeniably feeble-minded" from procreating.[75] Although Sanger supported negative eugenics, she asserted that eugenics alone was not sufficient, and that birth control was essential to achieve her goals.[76][77][78]

In contrast with eugenicists who advocated euthanasia for the unfit,[note 9] Sanger wrote, "we [do not] believe that the community could or should send to the lethal chamber the defective progeny resulting from irresponsible and unintelligent breeding."[79] Similarly, Sanger denounced the aggressive and lethal Nazi eugenics program.[74] In addition, Sanger believed the responsibility for birth control should remain in the hands of able-minded individual parents rather than the state, and that self-determining motherhood was the only unshakable foundation for racial betterment.[76][80]

Complementing her eugenics policies, Sanger also supported restrictive immigration policies. In "A Plan for Peace", a 1932 essay, she proposed a congressional department to address population problems. She also recommended that immigration exclude those "whose condition is known to be detrimental to the stamina of the race," and that sterilization and segregation be applied to those with incurable, hereditary disabilities.[73][74][81]


I didn't say she was a Nazi, I said she was involved in the "eugenics" politics of the time.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Margaret Sanger... [View all] Violet_Crumble Mar 2012 OP
I believe it's Elizabeth Cady Stanton orpupilofnature57 Mar 2012 #1
Sanger died in 1966 PassingFair Mar 2012 #2
please .... iverglas Apr 2012 #6
From the same Wiki article you linked below: PassingFair Apr 2012 #8
wiki is a handy reference for many things iverglas Apr 2012 #9
It wasn't meant to be negative. PassingFair Apr 2012 #10
for me, it is one of those, it is what it is. whatever that may be, lol seabeyond Apr 2012 #11
we really need to stop this iverglas Apr 2012 #13
thank you Scout Apr 2012 #14
Love this post. redqueen Apr 2012 #15
exactly! iverglas Apr 2012 #16
Thank you for this, Iverglas! PassingFair Apr 2012 #17
we must thank VC iverglas Apr 2012 #18
Violet reports that she has the flu iverglas Apr 2012 #19
People opposed to choice and freedom love to drag her name through the mud Warren DeMontague Apr 2012 #3
No, not really. redqueen Apr 2012 #4
Ugh. Ford was a HORRIBLE anti-semite. Warren DeMontague Apr 2012 #5
remember that weird nun and her leaflet? iverglas Apr 2012 #7
It seems like MadrasT Apr 2012 #12
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