And yet...in 2011 , there are attacks on gays and rampant bullying in our schools.....but worse, a group of wanna-be Presidential candidates are fully committed to imposing archaic disciplines on us.

did you not read the story, 40% were non white that means 60% were white stop using the race when it does not fit. sorry Rick.

60% of this eugenics experiment were WHITE....40% were minorities ( not all black) This is a terrible thing , and yes racism exsists, but lets get the facts correct. I knew a woman ( now in her 60's) who had this done and she was very pleased ----but she and her parents were given the chance to have informed consent. THat is the difference, people have a right to their own bodies.

Scott,

Clearly Rick is exaggerating but I guess the question is then what percentage of people in NC were white/black during that period. This happened nationwide by the way; not just in NC.

Dont words like Gene pool, sterilization, Eugenics go hand in hand with Gas chamber, hitler, pure race, holocaust, final solution, judenraampe?

Shame on you North Carolina....no f*ckin excuse for this....

@amado:

"This is what they meant by Southern Charm and hospitality." Read the story again- or for the first time perhaps. There were 31 State that took part in this program. There are only 15 Southern States- so what that means, dear poster, is that 16 of the States taking part were not in the Soiuth. Sounds like an American issue to me.

• !

Misinformation gone bad. All that needed to happen was some common sense and available birth control. In cases of rape, there needs to be an option for abortion, which Cain will not give. Remember that in 2012.

It is likely that these figures are doctored (pardon the pun). It is not hard to see that the statistics are for those who were "sterilized" (apparently the state was involved), but the issue is about those who were "involuntarily sterilized."

Of the 60% who were white and sterilized, how many of them actually were "feebleminded" and had parents consent or were simply done with having babies and consented themselves?

What we need are the figures for those who were "involuntarily sterilized" rather than just how many were "sterilized through a state program." And, by the way, a lot of the "nonwhites" will be Native American as well as some of them being African American.

In any case, even if the numbers we are being given are correct, we would need to know the population of the state at the time--if it was 15% non-white, then non-whites were targeted at least twice as often. But, I seriously doubt that these numbers are correct--it would be very hard to determine the distinction between "voluntary" and "involuntary" to begin with, and they cannot even match records with the people who were victims, which tells me that the records probably aren't terribly accurate to begin with.

Still, it's fairly obvious that there's a distinction to be made here between just "sterilization" and "involuntary sterilization."

@Jamey, yes it was. But in North Carolina's specific case, eugenics increased after WWII instead of decreasing like with other states. So, it wasn't necessarily a Southern thing, and that is a dumb sideswipe comment to make, but it certainly was a North Carolina thing.

Now, if you listen to the governor of North Carolina, what she is doing is awesome. She is making sure that the evidence of this program is on the books so this horrible thing in history can never be denied the existance of. It really is the first step in making sure nothing like this ever happens again. As she says, you can't change the past. But you can move forward and you don't do that by denying that there was a problem. You do it by making sure people know what happened.

Eugenics was NOT a "scientific theory".

Eugenics is pseudo-scientific claptrap not supportable by science. The Third Reich bought into it big time, and the opinion mongers opposed to immigration are its biggest supporters in the US today.

You have it mixed up mr. rogers.the American eugenics programs were started in Germany in the 10's and 20's and then brought back to America by doctors who studied there because at that time, Germany was the cradle of modern medicine. America isn't perfect, we took alot of things from the nazis at the end of the war. There were as many american nazis as there were german.

amadeo122

This is what they meant by Southern Charm and hospitalitality

Mon Nov 7, 2011 9:59 AM EST

This isn't just about southern states...the article pointed out that 31 states had these laws...not just the southern states...NC was probably one of the most active in sterilizations, but they were not the only place these things were happening...it is just another example where if you are poor and uneducated...black or white...that the upper 1% and their minions in control...seek to keep the status quo.

"The white folks over in Raleigh would really like to see this puppy disappear...I've been here more than 20 years and they are still playing patty cake with the issue as they wait for these women (nearly all black) to kick off..."

I guess in all your outrage you missed the fact that 40% of the "victims" were "non-white" that means that the majority 60% were white!!! Maybe you shouldn't be in such a hurry to play the race card it just makes you look like ignorant and full of hate.

What all of you seem to be forgetting in this whole sick-minded experiment in 'man's inhumanity to man' is, that IT happened, period! You all seem so fixated on 'race' but the point isn't race at all, it what we human's do to each other.. The excuses we use don't matter, it's that we do it at ALL!

Only when we start to accept each other, no matter WHAT the differences between us are, will these kind of atrocities stop..

The article said 60% of those serilized were WHITE.

amadeo122

This is what they meant by Southern Charm and hospitality.

I was born and raised in the south still wished I could live there..but it's people like you and some others that give everyone from the south a bad name !!! YES. There are prejudice whites and blacks in the south..but also all over this U.S.A. ...Hell I am a 55 yr. old lady living in Calif. and have seen more here then when I was raised in Texas My dad was in the army so I interacted with a whole lot of different ppl. BUT NOT ALL WHITES ARE PREJUDICE. Take a look at my profile pic., my grand-kid are of mixed race ( Mexican ) ..I have a nephew-in-law who's black and they live in the south ( Arkansas ).. So ya'll don't spout off that just because you have " Southern hospitality and charm " and white that they are prejudice..I know a whole lot of Black women who have the same qualities and that are not prejudice.. For those who think I am talking out my behind..look up McGee Arkansas..It's predominantly black, they still get treated unfairly (Black student had to share Valedictorian award)..but I loved when we got to go to visit my Aunt and Uncle who had a grocery store there right where most of the Black community was......Moral.....DON'T JUDGE ME ON MY SKIN COLOR, WHEN CUT WE ALL BLEED RED..

Wow. That's switch. A story for a change about more than likely poor white people getting the short end along with the minority crew.

commonsense, where did you get that statistic that 10-15% of the population was African American? Currently, it's just below 25% and there was an explosion over the last 40 years where the white percentage far out gained the African American percentage. However, the source was a graph so I don't know the exact year over year. Regardless, if the program targeted poor, and the poor had a larger representation in the African American community, then it makes sense that the percentage would be slightly higher. Regardless, this wasn't a race issue as much as a State (and several states beyond North Carolina) over-extending their authority in a gross manner.

People seem to have a math problem.

If a third (or whatever specifically high) percentage of eugenics sterilization were done on blacks, well a third of the US population isn't, and wasn't, black at the time. That is the point about it being racist. NOBODY said whites didn't suffer. Nobody, in fact, didn't say men didn't suffer. The article is simply pointing out the biase in which eugenics sterilization was done, and it is as accurate as it can be, backing up the statistics with the states as the resource.

There's a whole lot of not reading coming from posters here. Not all the posters, but a lot. Are people reading the article?

What's really sick is that there are actually people prasing this abomination.

Most of the 'votes' here seem to be going to people trying t sweep things under the rug.

Then there are the monsters who want to do the same thing today....

Glenn Davis,

Your posts are filled with hatred, ignorance, and spite! However, I truly believe that you think of them as 'truthful'. They are not! They are tainted in many ways, too many to comment on in one short post. One thing you may have going for you is that you will always have someone to love you; that one person would be yourself! Have a GREAT day!

Jesus. When i first read the title I assumed this was happening in Africa.

One more disgrace to add to America's history books.

The 40% who were minorities can claim racism, but the 60% who were not minorities has no basis of discrimination other than the corruption of the concept of eugenics.

Eugenics was supposed to be applied Darwinism, but is was a failed interpretation and application. Our society operates on the individual understanding that all men/women are born equal in the eyes of the law.

Perhaps we should sterilize those who are rich. The economic system in this country breeds scoundrels and economic sociopaths whose only motivation is not to create wealth for all by working, but to siphon off the productivity of others. They are the true leeches. But alas, that will never happen.

I would say that those in power who subscribed to the jaded philosophy of eugenics deserve Hitler status in our historical assessment.

Who this targeted was the poor. It targeted those with less education. It targeted those without the means to give consent. It targeted women. It likely targeted homosexuals.

This is what happens when conservatives believe in evolution. They twisted it into a policy for breeding out what they saw as undesirable traits. They did this with a complete misunderstanding of biology and evolution, but never the less they had the desire to impose their hard headed vision of perfection on society by trampling those that didn't measure up to it. The word fascist gets tossed around a lot, but I think this is one place it truly fits.

This chapter is a terrible tragedy in this country's history.

this wasn't a race issue

Baloney. It wasn't/isn't a race issue for so-called 'white' people, because nobody was/is picking on them as a group.

moshuluu - some of the most racists - openly racist - people I have known are people of color. Racisim is everywhere and I'm sick of hearing how it's only whites that a racist. To top it off, this article said that 40% of the victims of this horrid crime against humanity were non-white which means that 60% were white. This kind of thing is wrong no matter who it was done to.

.

So 60% were white, and 40% were non white.

The real question is, how many whites were given all the info and allowed to make a choice, vs how many non whites were given all info and the choice.

I'd bet that the non whites got rushed thru as quick as possible, and many weren't given all the info and/or choice.

Not to say that there weren't poor whites who weren't treated the same, but it's a safe bet that non whites got the shaft a hell of a lot more than whites did.

That is what highlights the mistreatment along color or racial lines, on this issue.

commonsense, the program initially targeted whites only. So, how can you say nobody was picking on them as a group? Because, if your white, nothing constitutes racial targeting?

Rick-I hear ya, I would be willing to bet the majority of the board members were male WASP's. If this doesn't forewarn the rest of the countries citizens of how quickly your government can shake you down and destroy everything near and dear to you, nothing will. It seems now, more than ever, that the shear thought of interfering with what goes on between a woman and her doctor is no business of the state or any other organization within any state in the USA. Church and State members need too find other issues too spend time on with what few months they have left. Many in legislative positions will need to find a "REAL" job. and god help those that go to work for the lobbyist firms that bent their ears for many a year.

This selective sterilization program is in line with the Nazi mentality of ethnic cleansing and any of those that spent a minute of time on those boards should be prosecuted at length for crimes against humanity. A womans womb, belongs to her and NO ONE else, Not the church, the government or any other person walking this planet. Her body, her rights. It's as plain as day and is carved in the granite of our Constitution....Peace

Rick -

they are still playing patty cake with the issue as they wait for these women (nearly all black) to kick off...

No one deserves that kind of treatment. That said, this author tried a racial spin to give the article more interest, but their own statistics do not support their claim.

The article states:

It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but over time, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and more blacks than whites.

But the statistics they provided do not support that claim:

During that time period, 7,600 people were sterilized in North Carolina. Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white.

If 40% were non-white, then it follows that 60% were white (3040 black, 4560 white).

Just pointing out that, when it comes to our media, it isn't always 100% honest.

Affirmative Action, giving preference to one race over another, is wrong. Yet it is openly supported. Anyone for big government and having less freedom wants the government to do as they please, like they did in this poor woman's case.

The American government is the champion of morality, liberty, freedom, peace, and human rights.

Only once in awhile America's government tortures prisoners; openly assassinate unpopular Americans living abroad; boasted the assassination of alleged 'terrorist' globally; wage three 10 year wars that have killed millions of civilians from Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and Vietnam; borrowed and spent $1.2trillion from the Chinese and then blame them for America's economic demise; reward the rich at the expense of the poor; crush the OWS protesters in the name of 1st Amendment; conduct secret syphillis experiments on African Americans; and now as the practitioner of eugenic.

Holy mackeral! What has happen to Ameria's government!

Didn't the Nazis impose forced surgery on people?

Didn't the Nazis imposed forced surgery on people?

It likely targeted homosexuals.

Quick question, radagast, what would be the point in sterilizing homosexuals? Not to be overly contentious; if it was done, then hey, it was done. Just why would anyone want to sterilize homosexuals? Homosexuality seems to me like the most humane form of birth control and population reduction that the human race could come up with. Carp, if it were actually endorsed by the governments of the world it could be even more effective at reducing the excess population than eugenics, wars, or disease!

Think about it in an unbiased fashion for a minute. If homosexuality were encouraged in China or India rather than punished how large of a chunk of the population wouldn't be producing children? And what about adoption? Most heterosexual people who can have kids would rather do that than adopt, and there are so many kids out there that never get adopted. If homosexuals who what to raise kids were allowed to adopt it would ease that burden. Furthermore there is the chance that kids raised by homosexuals will adopt not only their ethical values, but gleaning sexuality from their parents, as all kids do whether you are aware of it or not, might become homosexual themselves thus adding to the pool of people who don't reproduce. Now I'm not saying all kids raised by homosexuals will become homosexual, that's just absurd. If that were the case then all kids raised by heterosexuals would be heterosexual, and we all know that's not true. No, what I'm suggesting is a greater portion of the population, statistically speaking, would be homosexual. Thus a greater portion would adopt kids rather than reproduce.

But, then again I'm a big fat hypocrite for typing all that since I'm a heterosexual with kids.

ok wow , 7,600 people 60% white 40% non-white , how ever it does not say what % on the 40% were black , Asian, mixed race of what ever it does say 60% white that would be 4560 whites out of 7600 . another key factor is that what you the Pop. of the state of N.C. at the time what was the % of the pop. that this happen to? what was the pop. of the USA at the time?

and JeanBaptisteRochambeau, the Nazis did it on a very large scale you can compare the to.

All of you folks on here blasting white republicans and N.C need to quit race baiting and use what little intellect you have to do some research on politics of the that time period.

Its like these people are Media trolls that sit in a dark corner of history just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on any topic. You're the driving force that keeps racism alive.

SHAME ON YOU!

Having mentioned that, people who continue to stay on welfare for years, who've been in and out prison for repeating violence and drug offenses, should not have children. Its a fact that the demographics of people having the most children are those who should not be having any children at all because they lack discipline, innitiative, and leadership in their lives; while having more opportunities than anywhere else in the world.

I defintely don't agree with involuntary sterilization of young people, but birth control should be free and mandatory for people who meet the mentioned criteria.

Convicted Sex offenders, rapists, pedophiles= loop, swoop, and pull. Tie it off.

I am so enraged!!!!! they need to prosecute the doctors and staff as well as any government agency that was involved. What kind of country do we live in that does this!!!! the anger I feel cannot be expressed here, and my deep sympathy and heartbreak for the women who were mutilated is extended to them. This is where $ does not begin to do justice.

Let's all rent a bus and get these bastards who are not healers, but criminals.

The author of this article did not need to use a racial spin on the title for me to read this article. Totally unnecessary. Anyway, sad that anyone would still want to exercise an old law such as this. And then to do it without consent...

Radagast; why would they sterilize homosexuals? for what purpose and what difference would that make? some people bring up the race card and you bring up homosexuals, do you believe what you post? do you think sterilizing Gays would endanger their reproduction WTF where is your head? Babies don't fall out of Butts! That would be like poo-pin a foot ball it ain't gonna happen. as for the article its a dark chapter in history lets not let it happen again.

I am so enraged!!!!! they need to prosecute the doctors and staff as well as any government agency that was involved. What kind of country do we live in that does this!!!!

We live in a state...as in a compulsory government. This is what the state does...it forsakes individual rights for the "good of the collective". Also known as the "public good".

It's total BS.

The state is a mental disease, and it must be cleansed from our society. The only way to that is to face facts, and understand that force is ALWAYS wrong when not against someone who FIRST harmed or defrauded another or their property. Even then, penalties must respect individual rights and be recompensary (designed to give recompense for losses and damages), not retributive (designed for retribution; revenge).

Tax is extortion on the threat of kidnapping (prison). Once you accept that it becomes obvious anything compulsory (as opposed to voluntary) governments do are tyranny. No matter how well meaning, how well oversaw, it's always just one step from tyranny.

Eugenics in this country is not new. Our nation once had half the States with laws forcing it on innocent people, like children of criminals or the mentally ill. Hitler in a speech once criticized German eugenics projects for not going as far as the USA's eugenics projects, saying we were embarassing them.

The real history of the USA is politically incorrect, but no less true. The real history is clouded by making small children stand up and make pledges everyday to piece of cloth that represent not a people, but a government the people have ZERO choice in by accident of birth. They look at the chalkboard, and right above it are alphabet letters, and right above that are pictures of "wise overlords" that they are brainwashed to believe made it safe for us to eat non-lethal sandwiches, turn TV's that don't blow our limbs off, and without whom the world would fall off it's axis.

It's BS statist brainwashing; child abuse.

It's an eventuality that people wake up...but how bad will it get before they do? Will it take re-instating these horrific eugenics policies before people see the state as threat? Or will they, like mindless drones, try to replace the state with another state doomed to the same fate; violence and power for the sake of violence and power?

There are only two ways to organize a society: voluntary or compulsory...the latter takes guns and violence, the former is nonviolent and means no one is forced to do anything they don't want to and yet everyone can still be protected from harm and fraud.

Do we need laws that outlaw drug use? Or just laws that outlaw those who harm or defraud to pay for their drug use?

THINK ABOUT IT.

I am horrified and angry beyond words here. These barbaric acts transcend color, sex, or economic background. Bottom line, these poor children and young people were Americans.... and they were treated in the most brutal way, right here in our own country, in one of our own states. This isn't something to be swept under the carpet and forgotten. Everyone has to right to choose or not to choose procreation. No close minded North Carolina Official had the right to strip that from these poor victims.

The real issue here is the involuntary nature of these crimes. Perhaps, legally the Statute of Limitations has run out in many cases; however, ethically that line isn't drawn. I don't care what it takes, costs or what's involved; these poor souls need emotional, psychological and financial compensation by our government... And that's only the beginning..

I am so enraged!!!!! they need to prosecute the doctors and staff as well as any government agency that was involved. What kind of country do we live in that does this!!!!

We live in a state...as in a compulsory government. This is what the state does...it forsakes individual rights for the "good of the collective". Also known as the "public good".

It's total BS.

The state is a mental disease, and it must be cleansed from our society. The only way to do that is to face facts, and understand that force is ALWAYS wrong when not against someone who FIRST harmed or defrauded another or their property. Even then, penalties must respect individual rights and be recompensary (designed to give recompense for losses and damages), not retributive (designed for retribution; revenge).

Tax is extortion on the threat of kidnapping (prison). Once you accept that it becomes obvious anything compulsory (as opposed to voluntary) governments do is tyranny. No matter how well meaning, how well oversaw, it's always just one step from tyranny.

Eugenics in this country is not new. Our nation once had half the States with laws forcing it on innocent people, like children of criminals or the mentally ill. Hitler in a speech once criticized German eugenics projects for not going as far as the USA's eugenics projects, saying we were embarassing them.

The real history of the USA is politically incorrect, but no less true. The real history is clouded by making small children stand up and make pledges everyday to piece of cloth that represent not a people, but a government the people have ZERO choice in by accident of birth. They look at the chalkboard, and right above it are alphabet letters, and right above that are pictures of "wise overlords" that they are brainwashed to believe made it safe for us to eat non-lethal sandwiches, turn TV's that don't blow our limbs off, and without whom the world would fall off it's axis.

It's BS statist brainwashing; child abuse.

It's an eventuality that people wake up...but how bad will it get before they do? Will it take re-instating these horrific eugenics policies before people see the state as threat? Or will they, like mindless drones, try to replace the state with another state doomed to the same fate; violence and power for the sake of violence and power?

There are only two ways to organize a society: voluntary or compulsory...the latter takes guns and violence, the former is nonviolent and means no one is forced to do anything they don't want to and yet everyone can still be protected from harm and fraud.

Do we need laws that outlaw drug use? Or just laws that outlaw those who harm or defraud to pay for their drug use?

THINK ABOUT IT.

The Nazis did force surgery on people, and seeing as how this program was brought about under a Republican administration, I guess the Republicans are no better than the Nazis.

The abortion providers target poor black women and everybody seems fine with it.

jeffery f - you had it all wrong with one statement you made. A woman's womb is hers *until* she shares it with new life. Once a new life is conceived, that womb is the home of that new little life growing inside the woman, for the next 9 months. To ignore this fact is to commit a worse sin/act/crime than sterilization.

Well, DocHolliday-2979123, perhaps we, as Americans, should not throw stones at others while we are sitting in a glass house!

So easy to condemn the acts of others and so convenient to forget the acts of our forefathers and us. The atrocity of eliminating the American Indians comes to mind as well, as a crime on humanity, and yes, you are right to compare these actions, regarding sterilization, to the Nazi stuff from the Third Reich as well. There is no difference, folks.

Want me to go on? If you look, you will find we are not so lily-white as you would like the rest of the world to believe. And this applies especially to those who performed many of these atrocities under the mantle of religion.

Glenn Davis, I might not find it so easy to completely disregard everything you have posted if you only had a basic grasp on the English language.

I thought this was a headline about a process in a third world country. I truly wish it was but now we are forced to confront the reality that any country can do the unthinkable if the public turns it's head. In this case the excuse for doing this was a sign of a bigger social illness where destroyed lives did not matter if it saved printed paper money.

Sad...

Yawn,

People in this thread are extraordinarily bad at math. They are also overly broad, and have no concept of history. These things are probably a good reason why America has such budget issues. When the people can't add it make sense that politicians don't mind throwing out big numbers to confuse them constantly.

Everyone is comparing the amount of non-whites vs. whites to the US. This is an incorrect sample group. You need to compare it to North Carolina's population makeup during the time the program was in existence, which really was from 1933 to 1977. Go back through the US Census data and tag Whites vs all others at three sample points. 1933 (start), 1945 (when sterilizations picked up), and 1977 (when it ended). This will give you a correct sample score and then you can divide the % number by that sample for White vs. all others and find a ratio you can do an apples to apples comparison on.

With regard to the politics involved, which appears to also be confused. In 1929-1933 the Legislature and Governorship had a big fat D, for Democrat, after there name. The same is true for 1945 when these Sterilization's picked up big time. This is not picking on a Southern thing either, most of the country was Democrat. The Republican party during this period through WW2 was a walking joke as far as political power. I also noticed that they left out Margaret Sanger (founder of planned parenthood) as being a devout Eugenicist who, based on her own writings, positively orgasmed with the thought of killing black babies. Guess they couldn't bring that up as it would conflict with their template.

Also, note that this is during our wonderful Separate but Equal time period, and understand that no crackers liked the blackies. Didn't matter if it was in the north or the south, Republican or Democrat. Just one part of the country was overtly racist and the other was more subtle. Wish people would do a little homework on this stuff before just vomiting up their modern day political talking points.

Convicted Sex offenders, rapists, pedophiles= loop, swoop, and pull. Tie it off.

You're too kind. My opinion is that they should do a sex change.

@radagast

This is what happens when conservatives believe in evolution.

Conservatives? Who said anything about conservatives? The article clearly states the program ran from '29-'74, a quick check of the facts reveal that over that time period 11 of the 12 NC Governors were Democrats including the year it was enacted-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_North_Carolina

Took me about 10 seconds to look that up but I suppose it would have been even easier to just make a sweeping assumption based on my preconceived notions. Of course that would have made me look like a partisan fool.

scott-2939499

did you not read the story, 40% were non white that means 60% were white stop using the race when it does not fit. sorry Rick.

Scott, I guess if you're going to jump on someone about reading the story... YOU should read the story?

From the story:

It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but over time, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and more blacks than whites.

You that quote selectively to further your false statements are what's wrong with communications and politics today.

did you not read the story, 40% were non white that means 60% were white stop using the race when it does not fit. sorry Rick.

I bet you'll find that 99% of all those 40 and 60 percents are poor. So maybe it isn't the "race card" we should look at but the "class card".

People think the south has changed for the better, but the dirty little secret that's been getting out of the bag is that it hasn't. People down here just whisper their racist views rather than speak openly about them. Lynching's gone, but the death penalty is still used liberally, especially against minorities, in several southern states. (What have you got to say about that, Gov. Perry?)

@ Glenn Davis: You make statements about "all parents" and are being terribly judgmental. Not all parents allow their kids to run wild, and it's the "experts" that determine that kids don't know reality from fiction. Those experts are wrong. And you are wrong to use the word "breeder" like you do. It's bigoted and it's wrong.

To everyone else... this clearly wasn't a Southern problem and there are probably still people out there around the world who believe that eugenics is a good thing. It's a sick world we live in.

"North Carolina lawmakers have been working to find a way to compensate those involuntarily sterilized in the state between 1929 and 1974. During that time period, 7,600 people were sterilized in North Carolina. Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white.

Voter party affiliation of NC was super-majority DEMOCRAT. NC Governors during the 1929 to early 1970s period were DEMOCRATS. NC State Legislature was majority DEMOCRAT.

Who did this? DEMOCRATS!

"Racist, racist, racist...". For all of you screaming this, would it make a difference if the women holding her head was white? And the "south" aint the only place this happened.

I read a lot of anti-republican posts on this story, but this happened in the south in 1967. Isn't this when southern democrats were fighting tooth and nail AGAINST civil rights. Funny how democrats have spun things to the point where they would have blacks believe that they have always been FOR civil rights.... (even when they were against them, right?)

@jon smith-3560781

The Nazis did force surgery on people, and seeing as how this program was brought about under a Republican administration, I guess the Republicans are no better than the Nazis.

Nice try but this was a STATE program. It was the Governor of NC who could have stopped this program from going forward. He was a democrat as were 11 of the 12 governors of NC during the time it was in effect. In fact it ended under the only republican governor during that time period. So what sort of BS rhetoric do you have to explain that Jon?

Yawn,

People in this thread are extraordinarily bad at math. They are also overly broad, and have no concept of history. These things are probably a good reason why America has such budget issues. When the people can't add it make sense that politicians don't mind throwing out big numbers to confuse them constantly.

Everyone is comparing the amount of non-whites vs. whites to the US. This is an incorrect sample group. You need to compare it to North Carolina's population makeup during the time the program was in existence, which really was from 1933 to 1977. Go back through the US Census data and tag Whites vs all others at three sample points. 1933 (start), 1945 (when sterilizations picked up), and 1977 (when it ended). This will give you a correct sample score and then you can divide the % number by that sample for White vs. all others and find a ratio you can do an apples to apples comparison on.

With regard to the politics involved, which appears to also be confused. In 1929-1933 the Legislature and Governorship had a big fat D, for Democrat, after there name. The same is true for 1945 when these Sterilization's picked up big time. This is not picking on a Southern thing either, most of the country was Democrat. The Republican party during this period through WW2 was a walking joke as far as political power. I also noticed that they left out Margaret Sanger (founder of planned parenthood) as being a devout Eugenicist who, based on her own writings, positively orgasmed with the thought of killing black babies. Guess they couldn't bring that up as it would conflict with their template.

Also, note that this is during our wonderful Separate but Equal time period, and understand that no crackers liked the blackies. Didn't matter if it was in the north or the south, Republican or Democrat. Just one part of the country was overtly racist and the other was more subtle. Wish people would do a little homework on this stuff before just vomiting up their modern day political talking points.

What if the really important part of this story is that women and children were put through forced sterilization without knowing it? Maybe this was missed while focusing on debating numbers and math.

did you not read the story, 40% were non white that means 60% were white stop using the race when it does not fit. sorry Rick.

"It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but OVER TIME, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and.....MORE BLACKS THAN WHITES."

Sorry.... It fits.

disabled vet... your comment about native americans is innacurate. i live in CA where many indian tribes still exist. many live off of the shared revenue of the casinos the tribes own and operate. each indian recieves a certain percentage a month based on their status and how much the casinos have made. the reason they arent complaining about being raped of their land is because alot of them are making LOADS of money now because of their tax exemptions and the revenue brought in from mindless gambling. by LOADS i mean some people make as little as 2000 a month for doing nothing up to millions depending. i know of 16 year olds driving mazaratis (excuse the spelling not a car person). that is sick to me i dunno about you. just to clarify though, many wouldn't complain that much about past wrongdoings if they are well compensated. i would venture to say that in this case as well. For those of you blown away that our govt would impede on our rights in this way, reference the patriot act in your spare time. notice all the scare tactics used to control mindless americans.... hmm sounds like nazi germany to me. my college recently made an iphone app that allows you to immediately report all "suspicious" activity on campus to the authorities.neighbor against neighbor. it surely sounds like stallin russia to me... remember he killed millions more than hitler. your rights are already being impeded dont act surprised. im not saying there aren't any justifiable reasons for this but.... its def worth pointing out.

As quoted:

“I was raped by a perpetrator [who was never charged]"

The big question is: WHY was this man never brought to trial for rape? Could it have been that she wasn't raped? With today's DNA evidence, they could still go after him. How many other children did this guy father?

The result of this program, with its faults, is that there are millions of births that were prevented that would have resulted in many of those children going on welfare themselves, or winding up in prison. It just should not have been forced upon people, like this girl.

Something though, needs to be done with these people that are downloading a baby every nine months so they can get more government benefits. The system is broken. I know a person that has Foster children, and he told me that one was the eighth kid of a mother that was now pregnant with her ninth child. All of the children she cannot support. She has babies to get more government benefits. That woman is a HUGE burden to society and should be prohibited from having children in the future, by whatever means, birth control, sterilization, whatever. Her partners should also have vasectomies. Most of these children grow up without any guidance and repeat the process, or wind up in jail. Some, but very few really succeed in life. Its a shame.

If you are on welfare, or get food stamps, you should be prohibited from having children, and the benefits stop after the first child.

commonsence... not sure where you see that only 10-15% of the population was non-white? #whitePop this link shows that non-whites are about 30% of the population while many counties are over 50% black. There are many things that go into that 40% non-white victimes of this that are not discussed; if the centers were in areas with 40% non white population then it is equal distribution, did non-whites more often fit the profile for impoverished (most likely), how many of those 60-40% break up were involuntary vs voluntary. There is no real evidence here to suggest racism other than the claim itself. Maybe evidence exists but not presented here...

"You can't rewind a watch or rewrite history. You just have to go forward and that's what we're trying to do in North Carolina," Would we have accepted this statement from Hitler (who was responsible for similar procedures performed)? I think not! I know you can't go back in time to fix it, but you CAN act swiftly. Compensate them NOW, not next month, not next year, NOW. $20k, $50k, both are a slap in the face. Millions of dollars should be awarded. And how about accountability? Anyone from these panels still alive? Pull them out of their retirement home and throw them in jail!

"Then there are the monsters who want to do the same thing today...."

The Monsters of the Midway had nothing to do with this.

(j/k)

Here is a solution: Lets throw those that are on welfare and have babies in jail until they reach menopause. Put the baby up for adoption. Throw the man that helped create the pregnancy in jail also until the lady reaches menopause. That would be their sentence. Need to build a huge frikin jail though.

"If you are on welfare, or get food stamps, you should be prohibited from having children, and the benefits stop after the first child."

I, personally, believe that people should be required to pass drug/alcohol tests in order to get benefits.

After all, I have to pass them to EARN the money; They should have to pass them to GET the money handed to them.

First off-- Congratulations to Elaine for going ahead and getting her college education and raising her son to be a productive member.

Second-- of the 60% of the females who were white, they didn't break it down to show the percentage of those who were sterilized without permission (forced method) and the percentage of those who were sterilized because they wanted it or had permission from their parents.

Third-- there is only one way to have avoided that. NEUTER the males who are the cause of that.

give them what they lost , make the state pay for an adoption so they can have a baby to raise on their own .

Rick... just a little comment which has been stated before.

Go back to school. 40% of the victims (MY term) were non-white. So, that includes Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, etc. But, that leaves the MAJORITY of the victims (again my term) as WHITE.

Please stop trying the race baiting. It's old and as offensive as racism itself.

I had no idea this happened, it's like the dark ages. What about her parents? Were they told?

One viner (Jamey) said "Only 15 Southern states" took part in this eugenics program.

How many southern states are there, Jamey??

Oh....the other 16 states were spread out among the non-southern states.

Racist apologists oftentimes hoist themselves on their own petards.

alan290 First most states have a statute of limitations of 5 years for Rape. Sucks But you are right NC has no Statute for a Felony Rape. I looked it up maybe the state should look into it and nail the bastard.

Second they most likely looked at her in a false pretense. And from the article it seems like they made a stupid judgement due to her age and grades in school.Sucks the law should not just judge a Women or child in her case. Then decide whether to go after the perp.

ashp I live in California and Am a Native American. Yet I do not get a Casino paycheck or drive a 100,000 dollar car. I Can get medical yet choose to use my own rather than take money from another Native that needs it more than I. Lumping one Native Band or Tribe with others is plain ignorant. Just Because I am a Native American From California does not mean That my Tribe gets a casino.

That depends on the TREATY each tribe signed. And what the Feds actually want to HONOR. And believe me most Tribes do not favor to well with the Federal Government. They want to eliminate Tribal identity as much as possible. So 16 Year old kids getting checks off of a business venture that a tribe shares. Well that is a Sovereign Nations Right. Since Tribal Law on a reservation should trump State and Federal law if the Treaty permits it.

Alan, you ask why this man was never charged with rape!! Do you honestly believe that, in that time period, this women would have gotten any justice if she went to the police & reported a rape? There was NO justice for a rape victim. It was a crime swept under the table. Especially so since this lady was African American. There is also, in perhaps all states, a statute of limitations regarding bringing charges for rape. And do you honestly believe that any evidence would have been preserved whereby a DNA test could be performed? They may never even known about DNA back then.

P.S. as for the Sterilization issue. Sorry I got sidetracked. Why would any of us as Americans honestly be surprised. Seriously we have been told lies and used as a pet project since the inception of the untied States.

The very sad but true history of our Nation has been the exploitation of people deemed less than Human by others. I keep seeing posts about the NAZI party. And how terrible that was. Yes it was disgusting that a Nation could do mass genocide. To attempt to further its own interests. The German Nazi party killed close to 11 million people.

Our Nation had a Genocide of its own with an estimated 15 million+ deaths of humans. To further its goals. So I would not put sterilization past some very wealthy people who still control the USA.

Hugs to you, Joey!

If ever there were two groups of people who were victimized, it's the German Jews & the Native Americans.

Rock on, Bro.

okay, let's just ignore the "racism" comments for a moment. anyone here still trust and believe in your "government"? it is absolutely racism, it is not JUST about color...it is about those in power abusing their power to control the HUMAN race. you see, those in control only need a small number of servants, the rest of us are expendable, regardless of race, it's all about the money. democrat or republican? then shame on you!!!

Why does every story that involves so much as one black, suddenly become a racial issue? This is a dark chapter in the history of our state, nothing racial about it, yet some people cannot let the issue go. Until that day comes, racism will always be a problem. I for one am sick of it.

What happened to these people is disgusting, no amount of money can even begin to make it right.

It's be great if people like Doc Holiday would actually READ the article instead of making moronic statements. The article clearly notes this happened in multiple states...So, for you clowns somehow attempting to put this off on Southern and/or North Carolina, READ the article and quit proving how stupid you are.

READ...

Read...

Also, interesting tidbit for all those not aware...North Carolina has only had 7 Republican Govs since becoming a State, and I'm not suprised Bev Perdue didn't "KNOW" that'd mean she was paying attention to our state and she hasn't done that since taking office.

Would this peanut gallery like to know what my take on eugenics is?

Too bad! I'm going to tell you anyway! ;P

In my opinion forced sterilization should be a punishment doled out only to those convicted of the crimes of rape, and of murdering one's own children. People who kill their own babies either through stupidity, negligence, or malice of forethought do not deserve to have children. People who commit rape should be sterilized to prevent them from forcing children on unwilling women in the future. That's it.

Yes this is wrong, but I think if you are convicted of hurting or killing a child part of your punishment should be sterilization. No excuses. I am sick and tired of reading these stories of kids being killed or hurt by people who don't want children but think it is okay to keep having them regardless.

ManFromNantucket, I'm a straight woman without kids and I agree with your post. You're not a hypocrite. You're just a smart man with a logical and humane solution to overpopulation.

Funny with all of the 60/40% jibberish... no one mentioned that the 5-person board was 100% white. Great try though to salve that white guilt.

In addition, the democrats at that time were Dixiecrats! They were essentially banished from the democratic party at that time for exhibiting the same deranged mentality. They are the grandparents of your Perry's, Bachmann's and Rove's.

Blaming this entirely on the democratic party when the specific people who did this ultimately became the republican party of today is disingenuous!

To all you people assuming that 60% was white, there are two large Native American reservations in NC, populated by Cherokee and Lumbee people. Native Americans were a prime target for forced sterilization.

This is what happens when govenment takes over. Just be warned it will happen again. We need to get the democrats out now! This will happen again. That is what the Democrats want. Big Govenment.

Whats the problem with the program ???

The only reason for sterilizing homosexuals that I can think of, is that at that period of time, in the mid-20th century, many homosexuals were in the closet, and were 'hiding' in heterosexual relationships. That is, if homosexuals were also targeted in these sterilization programs.

Fatcat - Bingo!

To all you people assuming that 60% was white, there are two large Native American reservations in NC, populated by Cherokee and Lumbee people. Native Americans were a prime target for forced sterilization.

I think it is safe to assume that Native Americans would be included in the "40 percent non-white" catagory and that everyone who was not classified as being "non-white" would in fact be white. Did you read the article or just jump down to the discussion?

I love this. More and more black and white stuff. Give each one 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00.

Maybe they will run for president. And win.

Now I made everyone happy.

Margaret Sanger , the founder of Planned Parenthood ,was a proponent of Eugenics...interesting...motives tend to be hidden...human nature

from the "article:

"It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men"

that is pure "relate it to today for our agenda" BullShot...nice try with the "don't take the po' folks welfare" vote for us crap

it started as and always was about :

"Its advocates regarded it as a social philosophy for the improvement of human hereditary traits through the promotion of higher reproduction of certain people and traits, and the reduction of reproduction of other people and traits.^"

@Backcountry

although this fact doesn't make what you claim right , there are no "native Americans"...the people you are referring to came from Asia as well as other places ...facts are funny some times...those mammoths that lived here didn't like being encroached upon "there goes the neighborhood"

Funny how ignorant you lierals are...first of all, like someone else mentioned 40% of the women were "non-white" I will bet they used that term because the "black" labeling would have looked too small...ALSO wake up!! in the 60's and 70's North Carolina was controlled by Democrats!! Most of the south that you uneducated, Kool-aid drinking liberals seem to be speaking of with a slant against Republicans, was very MUCH in control by Democrats, the Dems were the BIGGEST problem with civil rights and were all for eugenics! Why don't you read and see who the real enemy is? The progressive liberals that want the government to "take care of you" ...that way they can control...including who should have or not have health care...this is so obvious...oh and also, WHERE were the PARENTS? Does ANYONE think that MAYBE if they would have been around this wouldn't have happened??

It was the mentality of the time. Our time will be examined in history as well. It was directed towards the down trodden and poor. Color did not matter but it was pretty gender specific. One state of many it seems.

The title in itself is designed by the writer to inflame passion .

which targeted women, young girls and blacks.. (yes mostly women, yes young girls were sterilized but 60% were non black). They used all the key words to push your buttons (Southern state,blacks and women) Hook line and sinker on an old,old story.

Now you see the results of rue CLASS WAREFARE and what happens when corporations get their teeth into our lawmakers. Remember this started back in the golden age of America with the greatest intention of "breeding out" the laziness in people...

The 27 states where sterilization laws remained on the books (though not all were still in use) in 1956 were: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa,Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah,Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.^[34]

Indiana became the first state to enact sterilization legislation in 1907,^[27] followed closely byWashington and California in 1909. Sterilization rates across the country were relatively low (California being the sole exception) until the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell which legitimized the forced sterilization of patients at a Virginia home for the mentally retarded. The number of sterilizations performed per year increased until another Supreme Court case,Skinner v. Oklahoma, 1942, complicated the legal situation by ruling against sterilization of criminals if the equal protection clause of the constitution was violated. That is, if sterilization was to be performed, then it could not exempt white-collar criminals.^[28]

Most sterilization laws could be divided into three main categories of motivations: eugenic(concerned with heredity), therapeutic (part of an even-then obscure medical theory that sterilization would lead to vitality), or punitive (as a punishment for criminals), though of course these motivations could be combined in practice and theory (sterilization of criminals could be both punitive and eugenic, for example). Buck v. Bell asserted only that eugenic sterilization was constitutional, whereas Skinner v. Oklahoma ruled specifically against punitive sterilization. Most operations only worked to prevent reproduction (such as severing the vas deferens in males), though some states (Oregon and North Dakota in particular) had laws which called for the use of castration.

In general, most sterilizations were performed under eugenic statutes, in state-run psychiatric hospitals and homes for the mentally disabled.^[29]

Jesus fuking Christ, I can't believe what I'm reading here. This is unfriggin believable. Something tells me Hitler is alive and well and living in N Carolina

"when corporations get their teeth into our lawmakers"

hahaha...laughable

educate yourself...try Wikistupedia...even that bogus site has some of the info right about Eugenics

"currently defined as the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. Historically, many of the practitioners of eugenics viewed eugenics as a science, not necessarily restricted to human populations; this embraced the views of Darwin and Social Darwinism."

that's "science" , remember that icon that you and your liberal chummies make claim to , the thing that no one but "critical thinking" liberals can master.

there isn't a damn thing in the Wikidumbpedia that says anything about "business" or "corporatioins" being behind Eugenics...it's people , social engineers , you know, like liberal democrat neo-communists

ProIndividual-3906907 Wow, it took quite a while to get to a reply tag...lol. My question to you is why don't you leave? If your bastions are raging against the machine. In Matrix terminology why not venture into a bold new world, with a new set of principles? I have a pretty good answer, I think? There just isn't anywhere else that allows such freedom and opportunity, at least none that I know of...Peace

"...eugenicists...It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but over time, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and more blacks than whites."

These women and men were dehumanized and robbed of the beautiful gift of having multiple if any children.

This is ANOTHER REASON NOT TO VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICANS AND THE TEA PARTY.

If the Right gets into the Oval Office Eugenics will rear its ugly head again - and target the same groups - the poor, women, minorities - and people who are falsely labeled "mentally challenged."

Art-1430023's following comment is distorted!

The Democrats that he states that these horrific acts of sterilization occurred under - were in political practice - DIXIECRATS. In former years, Dixiecrats along with Republicans blatantly adhered to racist and sexist points of view.

The Democrats of today are not the Dixiecrats of yesterday.

Grave

Burning Brightly, you seem to have looked up some facts. One thing not mentioned in your comment was that many states also sterilized people in psychiatric hospitals and hospitals for the mentally challenged (retarded was the word used back then). I worked at a facility where people from both places were sent to learn how to become useful citizens. This was back in the mid-1970's in New York, which was not one of the states listed by you.

Unfortunately, many people posting here seem to be looking at this through tainted glasses based on their political beliefs. This travesty occurred under both Republicans and Democrats. Picking on each other will not change what happened then.

This is a tragedy, there is no doubt about that.

It should stand as ANOTHER reminder of how people in government clearly desire and sometimes in enjoy, a little too much, their power over others (and why we should limit it).

The principles of freedom (the theory) on which our country is founded have never been totally exercised in this country. Including one very essential practice of never using force against someone, including gov use of force. Clearly these sterilization practices fall into forced category. Our fallible politicians continue to screw up (using that term lightly of course).

The first special interest group, or the primary tier, is our own politicians. Looking out for themselves. Then comes their connected friends and their causes.

That is how we end up with these horrible programs that would have never occurred if the issue was brought before the people. This sterilization would have not occurred under the full view of all voting citizens. The first few trillion in debt would never have occurred for our spending on the cold war, enough nukes to destroy the planet hundreds of thousands of times over. Not to mention the extremely expensive delivery systems; lots of submarines, planes, and missiles. We would not have experienced the failed experiment of Prohibition, nor would the war on marijuana exist. The savings and loan bailout in the 80s would have taught us a lesson, and the housing mess would have never happened.

All of these things are a result of either some sicko's pet project (the sterilization) or the influence of lots of money upon the politicians' brains.

All the blame for each of these problems, and countless others, is at the doorstep of politicians who are serving themselves, and connected friends.

Human rights issue and NC should pay a steep price for this. People in NC should have been screaming back in the 60's and 70's and never left this happen. Pay those woman, you deserve it.

PeachWookiee

@ Glenn Davis: You make statements about "all parents" and are being terribly judgmental. Not all parents allow their kids to run wild, and it's the "experts" that determine that kids don't know reality from fiction. Those experts are wrong. And you are wrong to use the word "breeder" like you do. It's bigoted and it's wrong.

To everyone else... this clearly wasn't a Southern problem and there are probably still people out there around the world who believe that eugenics is a good thing. It's a sick world we live in.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm more right than wrong. I seldom see children in public where the parents make them behave, but when I do kids that behave and mind I thank them when they walk by or as im leaving they are doing a great job with their kids. Kids just think the world revolves around them. When i was a child i would never act up in public for fear of being taken outside or to the bathroom. Children do what they do because they know they can get by with it. I've noticed hispanic or mexican children are the worse in public, the screaming and yelling and throwing crap and running wild thru the restaurants. White kids are the next worse. But the best behaved children or the black kids. They don't mess with mama.

OH and to the person that commented about my grammer. I type very fast and seldom check what i've written for correct grammer. so butt off i don't care what you think, if it's too difficult for you to comprehend then dont read my post. Do you understandthat? OOPS

PeachWookiee

@ Glenn Davis: You make statements about "all parents" and are being terribly judgmental. Not all parents allow their kids to run wild, and it's the "experts" that determine that kids don't know reality from fiction. Those experts are wrong. And you are wrong to use the word "breeder" like you do. It's bigoted and it's wrong.

To everyone else... this clearly wasn't a Southern problem and there are probably still people out there around the world who believe that eugenics is a good thing. It's a sick world we live in.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm more right than wrong. I seldom see children in public where the parents make them behave, but when I do kids that behave and mind I thank them when they walk by or as im leaving they are doing a great job with their kids. Kids just think the world revolves around them. When i was a child i would never act up in public for fear of being taken outside or to the bathroom. Children do what they do because they know they can get by with it. I've noticed hispanic or mexican children are the worse in public, the screaming and yelling and throwing crap and running wild thru the restaurants. White kids are the next worse. But the best behaved children or the black kids. They don't mess with mama.

PeachWookiee

@ Glenn Davis: You make statements about "all parents" and are being terribly judgmental. Not all parents allow their kids to run wild, and it's the "experts" that determine that kids don't know reality from fiction. Those experts are wrong. And you are wrong to use the word "breeder" like you do. It's bigoted and it's wrong.

To everyone else... this clearly wasn't a Southern problem and there are probably still people out there around the world who believe that eugenics is a good thing. It's a sick world we live in.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm more right than wrong. I seldom see children in public where the parents make them behave, but when I do kids that behave and mind I thank them when they walk by or as im leaving they are doing a great job with their kids. Kids just think the world revolves around them. When i was a child i would never act up in public for fear of being taken outside or to the bathroom. Children do what they do because they know they can get by with it. I've noticed hispanic or mexican children are the worse in public, the screaming and yelling and throwing crap and running wild thru the restaurants. White kids are the next worse. But the best behaved children or the black kids. They don't mess with mama.

Tess84,

I agree that many rape cases as you said were "swept under the rug" years ago, but that does not mean she and her parents should not have reported it and gone after the man that raped her. They may have succeeded.

And, I know that DNA test were not used years ago, but they can do a DNA test on the man and her son to see if there is a match. Its called a "paternity test". Ever hear of it? You may want to get up to date. You obviously have not kept up with the times. If there is a match,..... he's GUILTY, and throw the thug in jail. Not sure about the statute of limitations for rape in NC, but there should be no statute of limitations for crimes like rape. That's ridiculous. If there is, it should be repealed.

ah yes... from the treasuers of Marget Sanger... good reading on her idealist traits that follow us to this day.... reasons she had were racist, and sinister, yet there are a lot of women mostly black who she wanted to "thin the herd" that embrace her ideas, and cold reasoning.

Then now this day we have eugenics... forced sterilisation. of course, not too sure how forced it actually was, i am almost certain the parents of minors were told of what procedure was going to take place. it isnt like SWAT came to the door, and said go to get sterilised.

i do however feel there should be a form of mass population control. The mass number of people outnumber the jobs available. We can not afford the heathcare, and stupid people keep breeding more stupid people. looking at the pro's to such a thing, mostly the economy, as well needs private or public would be down. The insurance would drop, and as far as jobs go.... in the next 20 yrs UE could even out. Face it, we do not have the economy to sustain ourselves. we have plenty of land, but too many have no clue to even how to fend for themselves, much less another person, and ya it might sound "barbaric" or what have you.. but look at the problem for what it is.

to have a child, meeting certain criteria to allow having a child. Proving you are not still a kid, hold a job, being able to pay for the childs schooling, and care. well heck! why stop there! after we have our little bundle of joy, we should just turn it over to the gov to raise for us. if they didnt work out due to some flaw, like being lazy or something, they can sterilise the kid, and the parents.

then again with cloneing, genes and all, you can build your own kid, or if you can/cant decide, the gov can for you.

ya... i think it all sounds Nazi regime and all. but we have people having kids to keep welfare. we have people having kids just to have them. we have people having kids for all sorts of reasons.... but the right ones.

Eugenics is in no way the answer to the welfare "problem."

" I seldom see children in public where the parents make them behave"

haha..."make" your child behave in public and people like you will be reporting child abuse...worthless statement to say the least

Harry Blank: Just because you don't understand it make the statements false. It sounds like you are the person who is insisting that the trees that fell in forest don't make a sound because you didn't hear it...

Do you see the names of the people involved in the programs and also on the boards of this (on a national level)? Really, corporations are involved? So when a CEO that dominates a particular state's economy choose to support particular politically sensitive programs doesn't count as a teeth into political (social) system doesn't count for you. Are you blind or naive?

So you are suggesting that 3M CEO during its glory days have zilch pull with the governing body of MN. I don't know what you're smoking, but it sure must be spoonsored... what a sell out who doesn't think beyond your own pocket book.

“Eugenics was a scientific theory that grew in popularity during the 1920s”, interesting.

Please note the difference between Democrats and Liberals. Lincoln was a Liberal and when LBJ passed Civil Rights laws the South flipped overnight to the Republican Party.

Do us all a favor and shut up. Right off the cuff you went political. Tired of politics at the moment and lets be a little, say, HUMAN!! Thanks.

Hi Art!!

It's 2011!!!

Dorme bene!!

Study history a little bit Art.

Those dems left the democrat party and joined Republicans because their beliefs differed from the rest of the dem party.

The same thing happened with Republicans. Those that were pro choice and equal rights left the Repub party and became democrats.

Art that is all you got from this article? Really? We have bad people doing things and it doesn't matter which party is committing these horrible acts. What matters is the breech of our freedom and the people who think that they have the right to decide who is acceptable in this society. I am sure the KKK is filled with Democrats and Republicans all proclaiming to be Christians. Unfortunately hate and dominance knows no racial, political or socio-economical boundaries.

Lincoln was a Republican. Maybe he had some Liberal ideas but he was a Republican. Now in todays political realm being a Liberal usually means your a Democrat correct? Just saying...

Uh, 1924 - 1977! NOT any of the recent administrations and not a FEDERAL initiative. Sorry, you dont get to blame this one on President Obama.

Yes, 60% were white and 40% were nonwhite, but compare that to the overall population.

A greater percentage of nonwhites were sterilized.

Lincoln??? Huh?? Lincoln died in 1865.

Please read the article. It is about forced sterilization in NC from 1929 - 1974, which was authorized by the NV Governors during that period, all of whom were Democrats.

One of the most popular and longest serving Democrats was Sen. Byrd of West Virginia, who at one time was an open KKK member.

Woodrow Wilson = Democrat and one time KKK member.

Harry Truman = Democrat and one time KKK member.

My point was that Democrats who accuse Republicans of racism need to be aware of their own racist history, at least in NC.

@ART

Ya sorry u cant compare the current parties with what they were back in the 40's to 70's. They have changed completely. But nice trolling!

The Southern Democrats were tolerant of racism. When the Democratic Party renounced racism in the 1960's, many Southern Democrats went over to the Republcan Party who were fine with racism. Get an education please. Simple mindedness is no way to go through life.

But what brand of Democrats were they from 1901 to 1973? They were the Dixicrat Democrats who switched to being Republicans when the Republican Party better represented their long-held Dixicrat beliefs. Thus, there was no change in the ideology that governed North Carolina and other states in the former Confederacy when their Dixicrats became Republicans

.

@Art: Don't be stupid. All of those NC "Democratic" governors today would be Republicans. Bur re-read the story- there were 31 States who took part in this program- 16 of those States were not in the South. On 2nd, thought- be stupid.

HAH I love what you wrote :)!!

Art, if you want to go political, then please explain why Cain won't allow abortions in the case of rape? It seems to me this ladies story is a pretty compelling case for abortion in the case of rape.

Wow, didn't know there were people so dumb still alive.

For the record, southern democrats are now republicans and were anything but liberal. Looks at southern state's history, you know those pesky red states, they were all democrats, even during the civil war. The people with power, with money, and with very conservative views, all democrats. Those pesky republicans, the ones that initiated 'The War of Northern Aggression' were liberal, at least for the time, and I know, you want so bad for Lincoln to be a republican, and he was, but he was a liberal that believed in stuff like equality for all. All those liberal republicans of the north are now democrats.

Once Reagan came to the scene, they all converted to the republican party, because they were in fact conservatives. Very few older republicans south of the mason dixon line that weren't democrats.

My point is fairly simple, pre-Reagan, party affiliation was considerably different. So maybe you want to think about saying suck absolutely stupid non-sense, because regardless of party affiliation, these people were scum bags.

And for the record, I guarantee the people listed in the story, the mo0ney behind the this trajectory, are or died republicans.

Many years ago, I read about the KKK. It was started by the democrats to control minorities. The democrats still control most minorities.

OK and entire republican party today = KKK

Does this include Michael Steel, Herman Cain, Condi Rice, Clarence Thomas, Alan Keyes, Lynn Swan, Bruce Blanche, Janice Rodgers Brown, Henry Cheatham, Thomas Sowell, Alfred Williams, ect... ect....

If you truly believe in "life at conception" then it is only consistent to take a stance that there can be no abortions, period. For many, life is to be protected from conception.

I personally have never understood the logic to saying that rape and incest are the only proper exceptions. Seems we should define "life" and go from there.

There was a prominent civil rights leader interviewed recently and was asked what he thought of the Republican Party of today. He said they remind him a lot of the DIXICRATS of the south. The exact people who were pursecuted by those "Democrats" are now saying it's the "Republicans" who represent the racist, unconstitututional and inhumane treatment of yesteryear in the here and now.

It's not about party, it's about behavior, Art. Stupid is as stupid does. The Rethugs/t-baggers are what they are....DIXICRATS!!

Art- Do you know anything about the history of the political parties in the south?

Thank you JohnC. You still found some way to try and make it the poor ol black victim routine didn't you. Damn.

To all those talking about the party swap, learn some more history. Democrats renounced racism? Is that why Mr. KKK himself Robert Byrd was praised by the Democrat party throughout his ONGOING DEMOCRAT career until his death in 2010?

Also if Liberals are so different now, then why was the State House, who has been Democrat controlled from 1898-2010 not step up after they "renounced" racism and end this? I mean after all according to you all Republicans are the racists soooooo surely the "noble" Democrats could have easily stopped this with their majorities in the State House and State Senate.

Stop acting like the Republican party is the route of all your problems, and those that blame the Democrats for all your problems STOP as well. These two parties are one in the same and have driven actual Republicans and Democrats out of the parties for the most part. They are our problem and you people who continue to parrot their talking points are the problem as well.

Looks like they didn't like you pointing out which side favored sterilizing people Art. Maybe it touches home too closely with those Hitler comparisons.

To all those talking about the party swap, learn some more history. Democrats renounced racism?

I think denounce was a strong word - but there was indeed a party swap in the late 60's. Many Dixiecrats moved to the Republican ticket following the Civil Rights Act signed into law by LBJ.... which was seen as a betrayal by Dixiecrats because LBJ himself was a Southern Democrat. A direct result was the split ticket with Goldwater winning in the traditionally Democrat South soon after. This was a sign of things to come, as the Republicans gained power in the South because of voters who lost faith in the divided Democrat party.

This division was around for quite some time. Hell, Lincoln himself won vs the Dems because the Dems were split even then (why they ran a split ticket vs Lincoln) - which resulted ultimately in Lincoln's victory.

There are some 'old Democrats' who never changed, but very few. Most either went Republican or Independent.

If you look at individual Dixiecrats during the late 60's early 70's - you will see this change. The Republicans took on a very strong Pro-South agenda, seeing the weakening Dem party as an opportunity because they were losing favor in the North, largely in part due to FDR's popularity.



Looks like they didn't like you pointing out which side favored sterilizing people Art. Maybe it touches home too closely with those Hitler comparisons.

It has more to do with his dishonest spin. Some folks need to read a history book or two.

History is history guys. Read some. It is a fact that the dixicrat democrats are now the modern day republican party and that the Lincoln republicans are the modern day Democrats. Sure the switch didn't happen over night. Some like Sen Byrd still hung around (and I'll raise you a Strom Thurmand!), but by and large that is exactly what happened during the Civil Rights era.

The whole argument that modern day democrats are somehow responsible for the racist oppression and ultra conservative mindset of the pre-Civil Rights democratic party of the South is just flat out wrong. Anyone who makes that argument is reaching and it shows a lack of education and a very simple mind. The truth has it the other way. The modern day republicans have inherited the dixicrat mindset and history. But what's in a name? Liberals and progressives were abolitionists. Liberals and progressives fought for womens' rights and the rights of minorities. They continue to fight for civil rights today. The difference between liberal and conservative is the true measure and it seems some of you have willfully missed that.

So keep making yourselves look foolish. Really. You can't change the facts or the history. Your arguments are absurd and stupid.

It is funny that all the racists went to the Republican party here in the south, yet all these horrible racist policies were still being enacted by Democrat controlled State Houses. Something is not jiving.

Art- Glenn Beck tried the same tripe, it didn't work for him either. As many others have said, the right wing racist branch of the Democratic Party ( in the Southern states, the ignorance and violence capital of the country) flipped to Republican as soon as LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Michael - OK, and according to the article, the forced sterilizations continued under Democratic Governors until 1974 - so, it continued under those "new" Democrats for 10 years after, according to you, all the racists left the Democratic party. What's the excuse for them?

Michael - OK, and according to the article, the forced sterilizations continued under Democratic Governors until 1974 - so, it continued under those "new" Democrats for 10 years after, according to you, all the racists left the Democratic party. What's the excuse for them?

Art, are you purposely making bad arguments? Or are you floundering in your own nonsense?

1) The party swap took some time - 65-75 mostly, it wasn't overnight as already mentioned.

2) You don't seem to understand that some racists did indeed remain in the party, especially on the local level (afterall, conservatives don't much like change) and there are still Dixiecrat enclaves today in the South (although very very few). But the majority, the big whigs, the heavy hitters - went to the Republican Party or went Independent since they had a more national focus on their politcal career.

3) Just look today at the national makeup. The Red South and Blue North used to be the other way around - this shift took decades, but the 'final' major shift occured with the disollution of the Dixiecrats into the Republican party along the lines of their social conservatism in the late 1960's - early 70's.

Dear Moron, this was initiated as a Federal program under President Hoover...a Republican. Again, showing what the Republicans think of the poor.

Shuklak -

I responded to Michael who stated that "The right wing racist branch of the Democratic Party flipped to Republican in 1964." His words.

From 1964 - 1974, forced sterilizations in NC continued under NC Governors.

All NC governors from 1901 - 1973 were Democrats. This is a matter of historical record.

If, as Michael asserts, the racists had joined the Republican party after that, and only non-racist "true" Democrats remained in the Party, then apparently, forced sterilization in NC happened under those non-racist "true" Democrats from 1964 to 1973.

Or we can go with what you are suggesting, that all the NC governors for that period just happened to be among the few racists still left in the Democratic party. I guess that's better.

#2. I have read here that the Democrats finally "switched" to being Republicans:

a. After Lincoln's assassination; or then again, it was

b. When Reagan became President; or then again it was

c. After the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed; or then again,

d. According to you, in the late 1960s and early 70s.

Maybe some of you liberal history "experts" ought to get together and figure out which "version" of history you want to go with.

To give Democrats the benefit of the doubt, I went with the 1964 Civil Rights dating.

Beacuse lets face it, If indeed, "true" Democrats have been governing NC since Lincoln's assassination, then a WHOLE LOT of Racist Democratic governors have been involved in the forced sterilization mentioned in the article. (1929 - 1973)

And Jon -

See, I used your post name. Maybe you and others should afford me the same courtesy. Or is it ok with liberals to insult people because you don't agree with them?

This was a state intiative. If it was Federal program, it would involve all the states, but the article mentioned that only some of the states were involved, and not all of them.

When the Democratic Party renounced racism in the 1960's, many Southern Democrats went over to the Republcan Party who were fine with racism. Get an education please.

I've heard the "dixiecrat" excuse being used a lot here, however, if they represented the majority of dems how did the state manage to maintain Democratic control after the switch? If these dixiecrats were the ones resposible for this type of program and they all switched sides in the 60's why didn't the rebulicans take control of the state? The program ended under a rebulican governor, one of only 2 the state of NC has had in the last 100 years. Maybe some of you need to be careful throwing around the "simpleminded" insult.

"If you truly believe in "life at conception" then it is only consistent to take a stance that there can be no abortions, period. For many, life is to be protected from conception.

I personally have never understood the logic to saying that rape and incest are the only proper exceptions. Seems we should define "life" and go from there."

Ok, I gotta ask: Are you one of those people who think that women should be victimized MORE by their rapist?

Think about it: First, she's a victim of her rapist. Then she's a victim who is forced to have her rapists baby. Then, she's victimized by being sterilized. Was she then victimized by being kept out of "white" colleges?

How many times is "society" going to allow the rapist to victimize her?

HEY COMMUNITY--------why did you collapse , arts post ???????????

Because it is nothing more than a right wing talking point, which coincidentally (or not) is completely false. Further, Art took an unwarranted swing at political rivals in what should not have been a political comment at all.

"If you truly believe in "life at conception" then it is only consistent to take a stance that there can be no abortions, period. For many, life is to be protected from conception.

I personally have never understood the logic to saying that rape and incest are the only proper exceptions. Seems we should define "life" and go from there."

Ok, I gotta ask: Are you one of those people who think that women should be victimized MORE by their rapist?

Think about it: First, she's a victim of her rapist. Then she's a victim who is forced to have her rapists baby. Then, she's victimized by being sterilized. Was she then victimized by being kept out of "white" colleges?

How many times is "society" going to allow the rapist to victimize her?

I don't know why that posted a second time. (sigh)

@Art-1430023

All of the above.

Young people are more likely to be liberal/democrat (wanting to change things)and older conservative/republican (wanting things to stay the same).

Each time a major set of civil rights changed, a portion of that generations older democrats thought "That's going too far", and switched to conservative mode, it happens over and over again. The young fresh thinkers vs. the old geezers.

"The young fresh thinkers vs. the old geezers"

or is it? :

"the young dumbazzes vs. the older wiser people" ...interesting

more of the libbie embarrassment excuse "the racist democrats went over the republicans" ...hahaha...that stupid diatribe is played out ...funny though

"...eugenicists...It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but over time, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and more blacks than whites."

These women and men were dehumanized and robbed of the beautiful gift of having multiple if any children.

This is ANOTHER REASON NOT TO VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICANS AND THE TEA PARTY.

If the Right gets into the Oval Office Eugenics will rear its ugly head again - and target the same groups - the poor, women, minorities - and people who are falsely labeled "mentally challenged."

Art-1430023's comment is distorted!

The Democrats that he states that these horrific acts of sterilization occurred under - were in political practice - DIXIECRATS. In former years, Dixiecrats along with Republicans blatantly adhered to racist and sexist points of view.

The Democrats of today are not the Dixiecrats of yesterday.

@radagast

Art took an unwarranted swing at political rivals in what should not have been a political comment at all.

And your post #1.45 where you say- “This is what happens when conservatives believe in evolution” was not intended to be "an unwarranted swing at political rivals"? I believe your hypocrisy is showing.

First of all Art is perfectly fine making his point. The dems were in control the whole time.

Now that being said, pretty much all politicians are scumbags who want power over us. The quotation, "all that is takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing," pretty much sums up the sterilization. At some point, some bad morons got this program in, and then it ran until a good person had the courage to stop it.

This is a tragedy, there is no doubt about that.

It should stand as ANOTHER reminder of how people in government clearly desire and sometimes in enjoy, a little too much, their power over others.

The principles of freedom (the theory) on which our country is founded have never been totally exercised in this country. Including one very essential practice of never using force against someone, including gov use of force. Clearly these sterilization practices fall into forced category. Our fallible politicians continue to screw up (using that term lightly of course).

The first special interest group, or the primary tier, is our own politicians. Looking out for themselves. Then comes their connected friends and their causes.

That is how we end up with these horrible programs that would have never occurred if the issue was brought before the people. This sterilization would have not occurred under the full view of all voting citizens. The first few trillion in debt would never have occurred for our spending on the cold war, enough nukes to destroy the planet hundreds of thousands of times over. Not to mention the extremely expensive delivery systems; lots of submarines, planes, and missiles. We would not have experienced the failed experiment of Prohibition, nor would the war on marijuana exist. The savings and loan bailout in the 80s would have taught us a lesson, and the housing mess would have never happened.

All of these things are a result of either some sicko's pet project (the sterilization) or the influence of lots of money upon the politicians' brains.

All the blame for each of these problems, and countless others, is at the doorstep of politicians who are serving themselves, and connected friends.

Sure the switch didn't happen over night. Some like Sen Byrd still hung around (and I'll raise you a Strom Thurmand!),....

@Radagast: The difference is, Republicans aren't on here trying to convince everyone that Strom was actually a Democrat at heart.

"The Democrats of today are not the Dixiecrats of yesterday"

....hahaha...that crap is tired and played and to put it plainly , stupid

the Democrats of today are the Communists of the 50's and 60's...

the Communists could not get elected in the 50's and 60's , so they had to infiltrate one of the partys that could , ergo they wormed into the one that was easiest and most like them...the rest is how you say "history"

It was just a mistake, just let them apologize about it and be done with it. We have bigger problems in the world now like Greece's impending default.

The rich (just a general terminology, don't read more into it) will watch us destroy ourselves as we further their cause.

....and be there to sell you a new bunch of stuff on your way back up..... same as it ever was.

Bobby, it was policy and not a mistake.

You are so right smmfdmh. So right.

Bobby: The "important" stuff also includes government powers to regulate our most private decisions. This is precisely why not one of the Republican presidential candidates should be elected...all favor FORCING government edict over women's choice. (Perhaps you don't think that important because it's not your body?)

Bobby...this was more than a "mistake"...this was a deliberate course of action to get rid of whole segments of the population...a case where those in control used their power to prevent others from being able to have children. Eugenics was an idea of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...the most obvious example was practiced by the NAZIs in Europe...you have heard of the Holocaust haven't you? Well, the eugenics programs inacted in this country were just as evil even if they weren't as hugely enforced. Involuntary sterilization of population groups deemed as undesirable cannot be brushed under the rug of history has a "mistake."

No. A mistake is using "your" instead of "you're". This was not a mistake. They purposely did this to this woman and many others (mostly poor, not just those of certain races, but poor women in general). So was the Holocaust just a mistake? What about the genocide in Rwanda? Was that a mistake too? WWII Japanese internment camps, also a mistake? It's not a mistake if you do it on purpose.

Planned Parenthood performs more abortions on Blacks than any other ethic group.

They have a choice though Willing.sniper.

The important thing I think about revolting stories like this (for any color of people) is that at least people now are speaking up...saying this happend to me in public and it was really wrong. People who have been abused in any way be it the state, some priest, or whatever else (sadly, nothing would shock me) should, if they have the courage, and I hope they do get on every podium possible and report it so all will know and hopefully these occurances will become more rare, if perpetrators whoever or whatever entity they are know its going to come to light pronto. I'm sorry for all who that happened to.

@ AP, I would agree with you except there is Ron Paul and Gary Johnson that directly contradict your poorly summed up statement. And if your worried about people interfering with YOUR life you may want to look at some of the policy and proposals that Obama has championed.

Eugenics was an idea of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Eugenics is alive and well in America today. Most of the anti-immigrant propaganda groups were founded by professed believers in Nazi "genetics" programs. And every politician buying into the rhetoric is swallowing their arguments wholesale.

Who do you think wrote the anti-immigrant 'laws' in Alabama and Arizona. Eugenecists all. NumbersUSA, FAIR, Center for Immigration Studies, all groups founded by Richard Tanton, who wants a 'less objectionable' form of Third Reich "genetics" laws for the United States.

OH BOBBY: I pray that you do not have girls...or female family members...I pray they never ever get raped or attacked... But I tell ya if it was me...and I am going down they all are coming with me...

Believe me I will proudly take them down one by one... :) Hell not knows fury.... (proudly again) Yes the State and the supreme court must make it right... better yet... we should at all cost vote DEM...

Common, I think you need to look at the history of eugenics and where it started. Instead of throwing around the talking points of the Democrat party.

How is this any different than Obamacare; when health panels decide who gets what type of care? It seems some things haven't changed at all.

Sounds like a lot of BS to me. Unless the people have records and documents proving an injustice was done, it shouldn't be reported. If this particular woman was actually promiscuous at the age of 13, it could have been that her parents had insisted that she be sterilized to avoid having a bunch of fatherless babies in their home to have to raise. As an adult she could have had the surgery reversed and chances are, could have had more children.

Until we have ALL the facts, I will have to reserve my judgement and believe the parents and doctors both had explained what they were going to do, but she was too young and possibly feebleminded to understand. Could be the parents were uneducated and didn't understand when the doctors explained to them this particular type of birth control. Who knows?

De Tocqueville

You dishonor the name you purport to credit. Do you really think the author, and admirer, of Democracy in America would support your defense of eugenics?

Most assuredly not. The REAL de Tocqueville praised Americans for their egalitarianism and rejection of social classes.

Bobby - I don't want to sound like I am attacking you but want to present this thought for your consideration. If I owned a business using guard dogs for security - and one of my dogs bit you on the calf - you would want to be compensated for your suffering. And compensation would increase significantly if you permanently lost use of your leg. Do victims of involuntary maiming deserve less?

@Willing.Sniper. Planned Parenthood is an unparallel comparison. People WILLINGLY go to planned parent hood to rid themselves of ONE pregnancy, not to permanently rid themselves of womanhood.

Actually planned parenthood had their roots in this sort of thing. Look up Margaret Sanger (founder of PP) some time.

The law in Arizona came about in response to the people of Arizona's objections to all of the crime, destruction, etc., that they face as a result of illegal immigration. You fail to make the distinction between objecting to illegal immigration and being anti-immigrant. I am firmly against illegal immigration, but I am happy to welcome anyone into this country who is willing to respect this country and follow the proper immigration procedure. It's easy to sit back and try to make everything about race when you don't have to deal with the repercussions of illegal immigration on a daily basis.

What part of "the state did it without telling her" or "Butchered" don't you understand? The whole point of it was so it couldn't be reversed. And how many promiscuous 13 year olds were there in 1967? I think we have all the facts, now its time to do something about it. Bottom line is, your in insensitive idiot...

Bentbrass - dumbest response of the day! Where in the Health Care Reform Act are there government panels deciding who is and is not treated? Are you referring to "death panels?" You know, the widely discredited fear mongering smear pushed by republicans to scare old people? The Act simply sets up an exchange for people looking to buy healthcare from PRIVATE companies. There is no government involvement in the decision making process of these PRIVATE companies. The Act mandates that everyone purchase healthcare in order to ensure low cost. It does away with people being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. It extends the age for which children can be covered on their parents' plan.

If it is panels of people who decide who does and does not get coverage - just look at your present day health system. We already have those now! This Act is designed to eliminate those panels. Have you been under a rock? (That's a rhetorical question, I already know the answer.)

It never ceases to amaze me how many people actively vote against their own interests!

Bobby, its so sad that you don't understand... even in 21st century. This is something that was forced on people and their bodies without them knowing about it--their bodies were violated without their permission when they were too young to give their permission. Having children is very important to many people and that right was taken away from them. Even the reason for their sterilization didn't have to be backed by any medical or mental facts. Ask yourself how you would feel if you were among them? This wasn't a mere mistake..it was a crime. This has nothing to do with anything happening overseas right now. This gross policy happened here in America to Americans and it went on for a long time.

Actually willing.sniper. is correct: If you ever read her book " The Pivot of Civilization" by Margaret Sanger ( the founder of Planned Parenthood) you will realize that Planned Parenthood was intended to be a Eugenics organization. Open your eyes!

@ Common, did you bump your head? I in no way support eugenics, my point is its originating point in the progressive party. It is not just an ideal found in anti-immigration groups but still realized in policy by the progressives of our time now. So maybe you misread ENTIRELY what I wrote there.

And, I think as a Libertarian that De Tocqueville would stand with me in the same views of freedom.

“You can’t rewind a watch or rewrite history. You just have to go forward and that’s what we’re trying to do in North Carolina,” said Governor Beverly Perdue in an exclusive interview with NBC News.

What a stupid thing to say. I rewind my watch every day or two and historians rewrite history continuously as new information becomes available. So the governor basically said that even if their watch stops or history is wrong, they keep on using it??????

Willing.Sniper

Planned Parenthood performs more abortions on Blacks than any other ethic group.

Were the abortions carried out without telling the woman? Yeah. I thought not. Stupid post by you.

The "important" stuff also includes government powers to regulate our most private decisions. This is precisely why not one of the Republican presidential candidates should be elected...all favor FORCING government edict over women's choice. (Perhaps you don't think that important because it's not your body?)

I think the "important" stuff would be to NOT kill babies. Choice begins at erection and ends at insertion. The baby is not yours or mine or even the mother's body. It is a person.

Actually willing.sniper. is correct: If you ever read her book " The Pivot of Civilization" by Margaret Sanger ( the founder of Planned Parenthood) you will realize that Planned Parenthood was intended to be a Eugenics organization. Open your eyes

!

What's your point?

There is a very important difference that you overlook - consent. Planned Parenthood doesn't sterilize people without their consent.

Who cares who supported it early on unless you can provide any real, logical evidence that reflects its relation to Eugenic ideology in a modern context? You can't, can you? There is no real relation... so what kind of point are you trying to make other than dishonest fear-mongering tripe?

The baby is not yours or mine or even the mother's body. It is a person

When is it a baby?

Here's a little moral scenario for you to think on before answering:

You're in a lab, it's on fire. You look to your left and see a newborn baby crying, you look to your right and see a cooler with 10,000 viable embryos in it. You can only carry one to safety. Which do you choose?

Sterilization of woman was not rare nor was it a mistake. Young black girls seem to have been the highest number of females to be victimized. I hope the powers that be, are exposed for the despots they are. How can one "human" decide the fate of another human? How is this a mistake? I hope and pray every one of these monsters, who promoted these atrocities realized they will be judged by a far greater power.
You know the saying, "What comes around, goes around?" I want to see justice for these women, with my own eyes. Lastly, I want these victims to gouge out every penny from the people who allowed this barbaric procedures to occur!

Such A lovely women Margaret Sanger was shame she wasn't aborted.

60 million abortions in America alone since ROE Vs. WADE the largest majority of them blacks or Hispanics.

On blacks, immigrants and indigents:
"...human weeds,'
'reckless breeders,' 'spawning... human beings who never should have been born."
Margaret Sanger, Pivot of Civilization, referring to
immigrants and poor people

On sterilization & racial purification:
Sanger believed that,
for the purpose of racial "purification," couples should be rewarded who chose
sterilization. Birth Control in America, The Career of Margaret Sanger,
by David Kennedy, p. 117, quoting a 1923 Sanger speech.

On the right of married couples to bear children:
Couples should be
required to submit applications to have a child, she wrote in her "Plan for
Peace." Birth Control Review, April 1932

On the purpose of birth control:
The purpose in promoting birth
control was "to create a race of thoroughbreds," she wrote in the Birth
Control Review, Nov. 1921 (p. 2)

On the rights of the handicapped and mentally ill, and racial
minorities:
"More children from the fit, less from the unfit -- that is
the chief aim of birth control." Birth Control Review, May 1919, p.
12

On respecting the rights of the mentally ill:
In her "Plan for
Peace," Sanger outlined her strategy for eradication of those she deemed
"feebleminded." Among the steps included in her evil scheme were immigration
restrictions; compulsory sterilization; segregation to a lifetime of farm work;
etc. Birth Control Review, April 1932, p. 107

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its
infant members is to kill it." Margaret Sanger, Women and the New
Race (Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)

Benr, good job citing things from 80 years ago written by people long dead.

Your point? Left on their own it appears you are simply quote mining...

this is the ugly side of government. This is the ugly side of the "rights" groups... A womans body no matter if she is white, black, yellow doesn't matter. The women who where subjected to this abomination were stripped of their rights. If you believe that it is the right of government to dictate what we should do in our own personal lives then this is the kind of results you can expect. If you are a right to life advocate then this article should really make you mad. If you are a right to choose advocate this article should make you livid. Women are constantly faced with decisions that are best left to each woman to make, whether she wants a pregnancy or not, whether she wants to be sterilized or not. Personal, and private. NO ONE SHOULD MAKE HER CHOICE FOR HER.

Wow. Just when you think the standards of America can't get any lower, this happens. It kind of reminds me of China's 1 baby policy, only this time, after having said child, she was stripped of all ability to have one. They should rip all Government funding from North Carolina, or at the very least for the sheer inhumanity of what they've done, the board that OKed these procedures should have their own tubes cut, or their own existence culled from this world.

These are the worst sort of people, and to think that they've been abusing their powers to decide who can, and can't have children disgusts me to the very core of my being. I can't even begin to know how long this has been going on... but that it's been going on since the late 1960s shows just how terrible a state this country is in.

rangewolf: you are a poster child for ignorant mysoginists. In case any woman of any age in the 21st century thought women and girls are now 'past' all that b.s., you've come along to remind everyone of just what a real knuckledragger in the year 2011 sounds like. Listening ladies? You want to put your trust in there not being more like him out there?

Wow, benr 328-, just wow. Thank you for being a careful reader and passing on your wisdom to us.

It's no wonder people are pro-choice because that slippery slope can get quite sliperry when one gives away their personal rights to an 'entity'.

People should have a new perspective about 'pro-choice'. Being Pro-choice should mean concensus that a group, or thing, cannot have power over your body because they think you are nothing, therefore you don't deserve choice. This is what happend to the ladies described in this story. What happened to these women is a disgrace and a mark on us as humans. No, we didn't cause this but our ignorance did, our ability to take someone's dignity did.

Having said that-what I said about pro-choice, I would like us to preface pro-choice with words like 'considerate and purposeful' as being 'pro-choice' does not mean a carte blanche to kill growing life. One still needs to be reproductively responsible, as it is a choice not to be taken lightly.

Rangewolf - what part of the word, 'raped' don't you understand? 'Young and feebleminded'? Have it be your mother, daughter, sister, or wife and see if good sense and a sound moral code would dictate a more humane response and approach to this evil act!

Good grief, did you even read the article or are you in so much denial that you refuse to even acknowledge that an immoral and criminal act occured?

God help us all--I'm all for these criminals to be brought before the Hague--the World Court for their crimes against humanity!

When I read some of these post, it actually startles me ............ How pervasive ignorance & intolerance is in my country ...

E pluribus unum ...

The disgusting apologists in this thread for these sorts of government actions make me want to puke. I hope you all die in a fire.

I wonder if Mississippi or Louisiana were on that list of 31 states that participated in the eugenics program? It wouldn't surprise me. Especially Mississippi. That state is the village idiot of the US. All we see right now is North Carolina coming out into the open about it. What do you think will happen when the victims of the other 31 states come out of the woodwork and go public?

Another sad chapter in our history. One day we will get it right, because all the misdeeds will come to light

We'll never get it right as long as there is a state (a compulsory, as opposed voluntary, government). The state is what gives us the power to do this disgusting violence to others for the sake of some BS "collective good" or "public good". We sterilized people who were criminals or mentally ill, and worse, the children of criminals or the mentally ill. For what? The "good of the collective", "public safety", and BS like that.

As long as a gang (compulsory government) on gang turf (within certain dotted lines they draw on maps; borders) exists, we will always abuse each other...afterall, the state is just legalized fraud and violence.

We'll NEVER get it right until government is strictly contractual and voluntary, and the state no longer exists. It's no coincidence the state is run by sociopaths...what better way to be above the law when you have mental problem that requires you to believe the rules don't apply to you? What better way to sadisticly torture your fellow human beings than to make it legal to do so? Eugenics, tax (extortion) on the threat of kidnapping (prison), and laws designed to lockup people for nonviolent crimes where the "victims" are only themselves or other willing paticipants are just a few ways sociopaths get their kicks running this gang on gang turf.

And we just keep sending our kids to their brainwashing centers (schools) to be conditioned to believe this is benevolent?

Statism is a sadistic and masochistic mental disease.

SteveM, are you a victim of a head injury? You post such incredible ignorance when you write that the forced tubal ligation was the "best choice" for a young RAPE VICTIM. Even in 1967, rape was still a crime in this country. Instead of being victimized by the State, the 13 yr old child should have been helped. She has only one child, the result of a rape, thanks to an evil policy. You seriously think that this was a good choice in 1967? How old are you, 18 maybe? You seem to think that 1967 was the dark ages in this country...

I am anti abortion. When I was just out of nurses training and working in an operating room, I was assigned to assist on an abortion for a baby that had died in the uterus. The mother was full term but was unable to deliver the death baby.

Without going into detail, the surgeon and I removed the baby vaginaly, with instruments. This was a Catholic Hospital and a nun was present, as well. Every time I think about the mother, the baby who would be over forty had he lived, I remember the surgeon, anesthesiologist , the other nurse, the nun and me, all sobbing. I knew then I could never have an abortion.

I know there are very solid reasons for having abortions but I could never be a part of such an event. When I read about children who have suffered at the hands of adults, I think why didn't the mother adopt the baby out, to parents who would have been able to give it a wonderful life? But then I think about mothers who would lose their life, if the baby was allowed to go full term. I do not know what the answer is but this I know for sure, ( forgive me Oprah) life is a gift. Which life does one choose, if it means ending another? I wish you well.

African Americans were not the only ones targeted for involuntary 'birth control', Native Americans were also routinely sterilized as well. It's believed that 25% (though some sources claim 42%) of the Native American women had tubes tied as well as hysterectomies without their knowledge or permission in the late 60s- early 70s. Sometimes young girls going in for appendectomies would received 'bonus' tubal ligation. An "emergency C-section" was a viable excuse to also remove the woman's uterus- even if it was her first child and no real medical reasons given for the C-section. If a medical reason couldn't be found- they have cases where children services would remove children from the home until the woman consented to sterilization. Matter of fact, it was found that EVERY SINGLE female of the Kaw tribe of Oklahoma was sterilized and there will no longer be a full blooded member of that tribe once this generation dies. A non-violent genocide.

About 10% of males went through forced vasectomies as well

Also about 1/3 of Puerto Rican females were also found to had been sterilized as well during that time frame.

AP-1414066;sounds Socialist to me that is what you get with big government that runs every detail of your life, do you know what NAZI stands for? try National Socialist Workers Party. Socialist want to run everything, you belong to the state and the state knows what is best for the state the individual does not count its all about the state, and the party members get all the perks, and the citizens are just that citizens all there to serve the party. its like buying something made in China looks good in the box but once you take it out you find it don't work and you cant return it to the store. before you blame this on Republicans check out who was in office during those 50 years that the program ran in over 30 states then tell me it was republicans YDKS!

radagast #3.26 Really? "the dumbest response of the day", only because you decided to redirect my statement to make it a "death panel' issue which I never stated... so that makes your statement; uhm, let's say, dumb?

As of Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (now being referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) create an Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) to meet the need to oversee health care system costs. The legislation establishes specific target growth rates for Medicare and charges the IPAB with ensuring that Medicare expenditures stay within these limits. The IPAB must also make recommendations to Congress as to how to control health care costs more generally.

The IPAB will have 15 members appointed by the President for 6-year terms, supplemented by 3 officials representing the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). IPAB members are supposed to be nationally recognized experts in health finance, payment, economics, actuarial science, or health facility and health plan management and to represent providers, consumers, and payers.

So tell me, oh brilliant Mr. ragass, if the President appoints individual "experts" to a panel and they make decision about how to regulate the cost, how is the consumer (of health care) NOT directly affected by this? Even living under a rock, I understand that it is not possible.

I do understand there is little hope for you. Obamacare doesn't cover ignorance or stupidity.

@shuklack Thanks for reading.

Sorry you need to be spoon fed in order to understand the true nature of planned parenthood and the real thinking from people like Margaret Sanger.

She did things from a Eugenics point of view and pretended to care about humanity but really it was about racial purity and bringing down the number of undesirables in the world.

Eugenics- End game for global depopulation is a real thought process even today.

We now see a movement of people that believe humanity itself is the source of global warming because we all produce Carbon dioxide.

A top Eugenicists has the Presidents ear namely his science adviser John P Holdren who wrote ecoscience.

In his book ecoscience he put forward that sterilizing compounds could be added to the water, food and vaccines.

Now look up all the controversy about GMO, water pollutants/Fluoride and vaccine contamination.

Look up the Ford foundation.

Over the years, it has been more often than not, that the government would wait until most members of a group passed away before making compensations.

This stalling tactic is now becoming standard in many legal cases.

Many years have passed since this person was LEGALLY operated on. I feel the appeals process is over by now. Regardless of feelings, the legality aspect is over. Compensation I see is the change in Society and current laws. If she feels deprived let her adopt 3 children and apply for food stamps. This is clearly nothing more than a ploy to get something for nothing. That is the hard truth.

This is an example of a poor solution to a social problem with almost no good solution.. With today's advances in the science of fertility it would be simple to extract eggs from the ovarian duct fertilize them and insert them into a woman's womb.. Although not completely natural conception it would be an alternative compensation.. This brings to mind the case where a fertility doctor at the expense of the state implanted a woman who had numerous children and had been on welfare for years.. Seems this is the opposite end of the scale but just as wrong..

To those decrying the use of "the race Card" and that this was not racist as the % of Non Whites 40% vs White at 60%.

You argument has a major fallacy.

In 1960 in NC the percent of pop that was Non-White was about 18% (including everything from American Indians or Asians)...So if you were Non White (Of which the number was overwhelmingly Black--the rest were only 1.1% of the total pop) then you were more than twice as likely to be sterilized under this 'program' about 220% more

So yes there was a major racial element to this.

While 30 states or so had these programs, most had limited programs and many were only voluntary. Not what NC did which was involuntary.

To the person who pulled out Margaret Sanger--she was never in favor of forced sterilization, she felt it was the mothers right to decide--again not what NC was doing.

And to pull out here name is to ignore the many other names thatSupported this Early on, and the ones who supported forced sterilization.

Some of those names that supported Eugenics (Not necessarily forced sterilization) were Kellogg (Yes the Cereal guy), Teddy Roosevelt, HG Wells, Hitler and Alexander Graham Bell.

THis was a despicable practice (Forced Sterilization) and in NC it most certainly had a strong racial element.

Maybe I do not understand all these comments,but what I understand very well is that the policy they had for a long time in China worked for the good of that country,look where they are today.America have been borrowing there money in order to keep our country alive,we are deep in the hole,something to think about I would say.

Take that back. It is a valid question, why can't such a mother just have someone in a better position adopt their child. But more than likely, the abusive mother (/father) just does not possess the concept that a better home life can exist somewhere - or at all. Because they have mental constructs without this awareness, which make them abusive in the first place.

Then Be SURE to NEVER come South for your vacations. Don't come to our beaches, don't spend your money in our states. That way, you won't get any taint on your lily pure hands

I wonder if those in the south still think this is a good policy?

This is not about the South, nor about Democrats, or Republicans. It's about Eugenics programs instituted in this country, which Indianna was the first state to enact the policy. While a large portion were blacks, there are still whites, hispanics, asians that were subjected to this policy and I'm afraid the first poster was correct in that the state is trying to stall on this until the respective group has passed on before paying them any money(whatever it is).

Incidently, the south had a very low participation in eugenics programs(probably more of a religious fluke than anything else). Here's the states that were involved in the Eugenics program according to Wiki: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Well, it probably is the case that the South has a long history of mistreating people. But, you know, I could list out probably an equal number of cases of other regions treating people badly. For example, the Sioux Reservations are in the northern US. The Digger Indians (who were slaughtered down to just 10% of their population in a 10-year period after gold was found in California) were in the West. It was a British general in the northeastern part of the US who gave smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans so that they died en masse. The Irish were murdered in the northeast on a regular basis, and few people cared.

Most importantly, the modern KKK has it's roots in Illinois, the stomping grounds of Abraham Lincoln.

I doubt that the South has a history that is significantly more blood-thirsty or fascistic than other regions. They just happen to have done it to a fairly narrow group of individuals for a longer period of time. There's ethnocentrism everywhere--and while it is worth noting, one shouldn't target just one region as though it is worse than the rest.

The is Class Warfare at it's ugliest. Sterilize women, Black and poor.

What a crock of S**T NC is!

When is the "real" America going to take onus for they way it treats all of it's poor and uneducated.

No matter the Race, Color or Creed.

My God this reads like a backward African Countries Culture!

This story is proof, particularly with the evidence of the rich who supported the eugenics project, that money truly is the root of all evil and politics is easily corruptible by that money. Not only do religion and politics not mix, but the mix of corporations and politics is equally toxic.

To Hell in a handbasket we go...

You all need to wake up.

What happens when resources are truly limited. Do you thing the ignorant welfare socialite cases will get crap? No because they are uneducated and cannot fend for themselves. All that is happening is survival of the fittest. No matter how hard you try it will always still be there.

I find far more issues with a drone assassinating an American Citizen overseas not in a war zone than a policy set by elected law makers that can be tarred and feathered + rode out of town on a rail.

Keep looking at the past while your present and future are being stripped from you. But again that is why you are called the UNEDUCATED. A little emotion and you go all poppycock.

Also remember the majority presides in the USA. One day you might wake up and the majority says castration to those that have children and cannot support them. It has happened as this article points out and there is no reason to think it will not again. You think the UN or other group will ride in to save the day? Nope, they are bought and paid for by the US.

It would behoove you all greatly to take up your rights and get control of this moronathon in DC. If you do not you might find yourself being sold for spare parts.

Mark Fox news has stopped pushing that overseas drone to kill an American born terrorist phony outrage two weeks ago.

You need to catch up with the Fox issued talking points.

Wilberta Berry

The is Class Warfare at it's ugliest. Sterilize women, Black and poor.

You have reading comprehension issues? The article clearly states

Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white.

It's a horrible act that was committed but it most definitely wasn't racist if 60% were white.

The south? 31 states had these programs, and all 31 can't possibly have been in the south.

money truly is the root of all evil

According to the Biblical passage, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil, not money itself.

There are a lot of people out there who want to sterilize 80% of all blacks, 50% of all Latinos, 25% of all Asians, and 10% of all "non-Hispanic Whites" (which is the name of the new race invented by GOP politicians in 2002). I guess that proves they are not bigots.

All that is happening is

murder.

I will make sure I BLOG way hard this time against tourism in the SOUTH and from now on...I will advise everyone not to spend money or vacations in there...they do not deserve the income or the tourism. Until they re-educate their KKK mentality and their new generation again. That is the only way to finish Prejudice and ignorance.

Amen. And it,s still going on in many more ways than is made public! Not even reminding the "Atrocities" of the Civil Rights years,both Carolinas are about 40 years behind the times? At least?? It would take all the "Wallstreet" Ceo bonuses to even scratch the surface of Apology and compensation for "Victims of Atrocities" in the entire Dark history of the "South..

ToddM43

Well said. In fact it could have been a blessing for most of the people involved. They could have been tied down with half a dozen children they weren't able to support. Like many that are in our country and Africa right now.

In certain things I agree with MARK but again this is barbaric...maybe we all need to get barbaric from now on...and protest with our lives if necessary to teach them a lesson. An not pay taxes and not work and not move a finger until they learn ... that they need to CORRECT some things...here....

Or better yet ... "fumigate them too" like roaches.... ;) Eye for an eye...

hell not knows fury like mine....(proudly again) :) Do not vote REP do not give them the satisfaction

Todd,

What you said ONLY applies if it's a level playing field.

But it's not a level playing field, the Rich have bribed our politicians to make the laws and regulations favor them.

This is why the top 1% have almost TRIPLED while the rest of us have barely kept even with inflation or fell behind.

Stop being a puppet for the 1%.

"I'll have those n*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years."

-- Lyndon B. Johnson to two governors on Air Force One according Ronald Kessler's Book, "Inside The White House"

So far, Lyndon B. Johnson legacy of having blacks vote mostly Democrat has come to past.

I'm tired of people here saying that "white republicans" were responsible for sterilization when it was white Democrat North Carolina governors from 1923 to 1974 who oversaw the victimization of the those poor women.

Democrat Lyndon Johnson was two-faced then and so are the rest of the Democrat pols today!

@jlaiz77

Gamble and Hanes weren't Republicans. They were progressives. So, if you want to go seeking an eye for an eye, it's the progressives that you want.

bmbe327

Then Be SURE to NEVER come South for your vacations. Don't come to our beaches, don't spend your money in our states. That way, you won't get any taint on your lily pure hands

Uh... OK. That was hard.

There are a lot of people out there who want to sterilize 80% of all blacks, 50% of all Latinos, 25% of all Asians, and 10% of all "non-Hispanic Whites" (which is the name of the new race invented by GOP politicians in 2002). I guess that proves they are not bigots.

And there are many that throw around useless, made-up, ignorant statistics about things they know nothing about.

DONE BY THE DEMS!!!

I think some of you need to read the article. It said only 40% were non white. The article is misleading race. That means 60% were white. Margaret Sanger started Planned Parenthood because she wanted to get rid of Blacks and Jews. She believed in Eugenics. It helps her plan to succeed when a black woman has an abortion, even if it is voluntary. Her plans succeeded without having to force anyone to do it under the disguise of choice.

rangewolf: It's a BLESSING to have your government sterilize you because they think you're something less than a full human being and shouldn't reproduce? sig heil you troll.

Al: do some reading. Margaret Sanger started planned parenthood because her own mother died in childbirth after being pregnant more than 14 tmes. Good luck trying to talk American women into adopting your Taliban philosophy of giving up all rights to their own bodies.

According to the Biblical passage, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil, not money itself.

I don't care what some myth book from 2,000 years ago says, HUMANS are the root of all evil.

Can you name an evil animal? NO. They act on instinct. To do evil one must have free choice and understand good and evil (if such a black and white fallacy exists). Therefore, logically, only humans can choose to do "good" deeds or "evil" deeds...animals just do what comes naturally, or what is taught to them by humans who mistreat or do not mistreat them.

Humans have always been, and always will be, the root of all evil.

That doesn't give us the right to sterilize anyone though, not even the "evil" ones...because reducing human behavior down to such false dichotomy is dangerous and fallacous anyway.

The Bible also said David was a great dude...even though genocided his neighbors, women and children included, to take their land. King David was a power hungry genocidal maniac. A politician who killed all of his political rivals, and sent a man to the front of a war to die so he could bang his wife (Basheeba). But GOD told him to do it, right? What a bunch of mythological BS! He LIED and said God told him to do what was convenient for him to do. It's that simple. And it doesn't matter his neighbors were sacrificing humans in rituals...he didn't send soldiers on a rescuee mission to Moab, he sent them in God's name to kill men, women, and children...and to cut babies from wombs and dash them upon the rocks. He was the Hitler/Mao/Pol Pot/Stalin of his time, plain and simple.

So let's not use the Bible for references to morality, okay? It's full of ugly violence and mythological nonsense. Just because people who revere it refuse to read it all, and preachers never sermon on these TRUE aspects of it, doesn't mean people like me who have read it are going to forget they exist. It's the ugliest book I've ever read, full of murder in God's name...and mostly on the unbelievable words of politicians like David who said they "spoke to God" so they could acquire more land or power, or both. And the idiots back then were so primitive and dumb they believed these sociopathic politicians!

sandtrich

The South has more taint than they can ever wash away.

I suggest you may want to reconsider that statement if you research the statistics on eugenics: California apparently was the worst offender. (http://hnn.us/articles/1796.html )

"North Carolina lawmakers have been working to find a way to compensate those involuntarily sterilized in the state between 1929 and 1974. During that time period, 7,600 people were sterilized in North Carolina. Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white.

Voter party affiliation of NC was super-majority DEMOCRAT. NC Governors during the 1929 to early 1970s period were DEMOCRATS. NC State Legislature was majority DEMOCRAT.

Who did this? The rich - 1%? NO! Conservative Republicans? NO! It was DEMOCRATS!

This story was brought to light because the lady was black. It needed to be brought to light. But, the TP/Republicans still want to control the women and their bodies. One takes away the chance of a baby and the other makes a woman and a baby live in proverty. Cannot understand how the you can be against abortion and against helping fetuses who came to full term.

It is all about Control of someone who is not capable of helping themselves. This is about control of one by one, not a group where they could defend themselves.

Todd..It was white men who made these laws and only white men. And the rich were behind them.

PROVERTY IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. I know a little off subject.

Voter In LA

Wrong, if 40% were non white then (Using 1960 as a year) you were, if Non WHite, about 220% more likely to have this done to you.

You could only say it had no racial element if the % of Non Whites Sterilized was equal to the % of Non Writes in the population

And FYI THe Non white Non Black % of the pop in NC in 1960 was 1.1% and that included the Indians (Native Americans) living on reservations.

While you may have reading comprehension skills, you lack the ability to think logically and use deductive reasoning...or you chose not to.

For all of you hypocrites claiming "eugenics is evil" but are all for Planned Parenthood...look up Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood.

If you're against Eugenics, then you should be against Planned Parenthood. Sanger wanted to use her company as a tool to do just what the NC did to this African American woman.

(Just saying. I'm for abortion, by the way.)

Frankly True, BS:

http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/tab48.pdf

math an issue for you too? 1,116,021 out of a total population counted of 4,556,155 are listed as black. For your feeble mind that works out at 24.49%

All one could argue is that proportionately more minorities were being raped. The application of eugenics appears to have been applied regardless of race when one uses the statistics that are being provided.

Try again. Not everything this country ever did wrong was always racially motivated. 31 states just effed up. Or do you still think NC is the only one that did this?

proindividual3906907 I could not agree more that the bible thumping religious nuts should take a closer look at their heroes.. We have done many things that have not panned out the way we had hoped with good will in mind.. By feeding the starving populations of poor or so called third world populations we have contributed to population explosions where there are 10 times as many hungry people now.. You have many areas on earth where portions of the populations have no desire to work what so ever..

slightlyold this is not about white republicans.. Seems to have been a lot of democrats on these panels and in control of government offices as well.. And I bet if you dig a little you would find some ethnic types other than just white.. Poverty is partially self inflicted so blaming a rich man for all your problems is just a scape goat for your own failings.. If you can not support children you are conceiving you are destroying things yourself.. And it is foolish to expect your neighbor to support them because of moral or genealogy or any other reason..

aleithia

You realize Margaret Sanger is dead, and no longer controls planned parenthood. Attendance at Planned parenthood is also not compulsory.

I doubt you are "for abortion." That is a phrase that implies that a person likes abortions. I think most people do not like abortions. Some do not think that a zygote is a whole human. Others think that it is inhuman to force a woman to raise her rapist's baby. Others think that if a woman will die if she goes full term, if the pregnancy is ended, then the couple can try again.

proindividual

I don't understand you at all. You need to get your philosophy straight before potificating against the best seller of all time which you clearly did not pay attention to as you read, if you truly read any of it at all. If you choose to not believe in a creator god who has revealed himself to a "fallen creation", then there is no good or evil. Man is simply an animal and not responsible for his choices. These euginicists are no more evil than the lion that ate a baby deer after killing all his male offspring. I.e., morality is only determined by the fittest which survives. He who is in control determines what morality is, be that love of money or self. I don't get why you are so upset. Right and wrong? We must give children, people from cultures and economic backgrounds we don't want more birthcontrol. After all, humans are just animals that can't control their instincts to reproduce and self promote. What is, is.

If you want to set morality, get up, make a couple billion dollars and take control of the government.

Get real.

(personally, i think compensation is warranted and government has been dragging its feet on purpose because they can, abstinence is the safestest form of birth controll, the two parent family is the ideal enviornment for raising children, and planned parenthood is encouraging the permanent damage of women's reproductive health by not giving them all the correct information regarding the continuing reprocusions that result against that woman's future reproductive health after a "safe" abortion. And until you can remove humans from politics, you can't seriously seperate prejudices and religion from politics be they of a cutlural, experiential, or philosophical nature. Kudos to these women to fight for themeselves and kudos to the media for reporting it, finally.)

proindividual

I don't understand you at all. You need to get your philosophy straight before potificating against the best seller of all time which you clearly did not pay attention to as you read, if you truly read any of it at all. If you choose to not believe in a creator god who has revealed himself to a "fallen creation", then there is no good or evil. Man is simply an animal and not responsible for his choices. These euginicists are no more evil than the lion that ate a baby deer after killing all his male offspring. I.e., morality is only determined by the fittest which survives. He who is in control determines what morality is, be that love of money or self. I don't get why you are so upset. Right and wrong? We must give children, people from cultures and economic backgrounds we don't want more birthcontrol. After all, humans are just animals that can't control their instincts to reproduce and self promote. What is, is.

If you want to set morality, get up, make a couple billion dollars and take control of the government.

Get real.

(personally, i think compensation is warranted and government has been dragging its feet on purpose because they can, abstinence is the safestest form of birth controll, the two parent family is the ideal enviornment for raising children, and planned parenthood is encouraging the permanent damage of women's reproductive health by not giving them all the correct information regarding the continuing reprocusions that result against that woman's future reproductive health after a "safe" abortion. And until you can remove humans from politics, you can't seriously seperate prejudices and religion from politics be they of a cutlural, experiential, or philosophical nature. Kudos to these women to fight for themeselves and kudos to the media for reporting it, finally.)

proindividual

I don't understand you at all. You need to get your philosophy straight before potificating against the best seller of all time which you clearly did not pay attention to as you read, if you truly read any of it at all. If you choose to not believe in a creator god who has revealed himself to a "fallen creation", then there is no good or evil. Man is simply an animal and not responsible for his choices. These euginicists are no more evil than the lion that ate a baby deer after killing all his male offspring. I.e., morality is only determined by the fittest which survives. He who is in control determines what morality is, be that love of money or self. I don't get why you are so upset. Right and wrong? We must give children, people from cultures and economic backgrounds we don't want more birthcontrol. After all, humans are just animals that can't control their instincts to reproduce and self promote. What is, is.

If you want to set morality, get up, make a couple billion dollars and take control of the government.

Get real.

(personally, i think compensation is warranted and government has been dragging its feet on purpose because they can, abstinence is the safestest form of birth controll, the two parent family is the ideal enviornment for raising children, and planned parenthood is encouraging the permanent damage of women's reproductive health by not giving them all the correct information regarding the continuing reprocusions that result against that woman's future reproductive health after a "safe" abortion. And until you can remove humans from politics, you can't seriously seperate prejudices and religion from politics be they of a cutlural, experiential, or philosophical nature. Kudos to these women to fight for themeselves and kudos to the media for reporting it, finally.)

Just another export...along with IBM tabulation equipment/training for the all mighty dollar...we sent to Germany to allow them to create their heaven on earth.

proindividual

I don't understand you at all. You need to get your philosophy straight before potificating against the best seller of all time which you clearly did not pay attention to as you read, if you truly read any of it at all. If you choose to not believe in a creator god who has revealed himself to a "fallen creation", then there is no good or evil. Man is simply an animal and not responsible for his choices. These euginicists are no more evil than the lion that ate a baby deer after killing all his male offspring. I.e., morality is only determined by the fittest which survives. He who is in control determines what morality is, be that love of money or self. I don't get why you are so upset. Right and wrong? We must give children, people from cultures and economic backgrounds we don't want more birthcontrol. After all, humans are just animals that can't control their instincts to reproduce and self promote. What is, is.

If you want to set morality, get up, make a couple billion dollars and take control of the government.

Get real.

(personally, i think compensation is warranted and government has been dragging its feet on purpose because they can, abstinence is the safestest form of birth controll, the two parent family is the ideal enviornment for raising children, and planned parenthood is encouraging the permanent damage of women's reproductive health by not giving them all the correct information regarding the continuing reprocusions that result against that woman's future reproductive health after a "safe" abortion. And until you can remove humans from politics, you can't seriously seperate prejudices and religion from politics be they of a cutlural, experiential, or philosophical nature. Kudos to these women to fight for themeselves and kudos to the media for reporting it, finally.)

beanathome, I must add another bizarre point to that list. It was completely legal in the state of California to murder any Indian until this was finally made illegal in 1924.

I'm with you on this one... Article said, "Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white."

Doesn't this mean 60% were white? That's 3,876 of the total 7,600, or 51%.

F Walsh: The answer is; Because NBC is trying to turn it into a purely race issue.

It's about the income gap. I'm willing to bet that the common denominator was that the women were poor.

imnotlost,

You are completely correct. Why did they even show the 40% non-white statistic. It does not say African American, but people are making that assumption throughout the comments. Also this story should have just stated the number of women/men this happened to and left race out of it. The media just keeps perpetuating the hate.

Please remember, that Latino is frequently not captured as a race back then, they were counted as white.

Yes I agree that this was horrible for ALL that were involved REGARDLESS of race and/or sex. All are victims.

However, I will address those who would like to downplay the fact that blacks were targeted disproportionately. It is still a disproportionate amount. Blacks, men and women, are less than 15% of the population yet the act was performed on 40%... do the math. It is the same with the conviction rates of blacks for the same crimes performed by whites....

@sandtrich: Yes, it is about the income gap, partly. The article indicated that they were targeting welfare recipients or potential recipients. However the stigma is still around that if you live in poverty you are mentally ill in some fashion. I remember as a high school student in the sixties Headstart began in my county in the middle of the summer and the only kids recruited were poverty level. I knew a few of them and they were very bright. Such a shame for treating bright minds that way. I think every child now is eligible.

imnotlost. Low income people are mentally ill in the fact that they believe they deserve the same level of living as people who are educated, have a good job, and stay educated.

I have no clue if they can make good decisions or not but the above is against every basic principal in nature.

"Mark-1219747

imnotlost. Low income people are mentally ill in the fact that they believe they deserve the same level of living as people who are educated, have a good job, and stay educated"

If you read the book IQ and the wealth of nations you will see that intelect is the primary determiner of wealth. I remember how someone was amazed that they spent over $200 a month on cigerettes when I helped him make a budget, over $2400 per year up in smoke.

Madam mis-truth, check your stats! If the majority of crimes are committed by minorities, of course the stats will LOOK like they are being targeted! Like my post above, quit expecting something for nothing, get a job, better yourselves, and become productive members of society and not burdens! Why is that so hard to comprehend?

Or is it because that actually takes effort whereas sitting on your butt and expecting a handout, which comes from us that are productive members of society both minority and majority, is so much easier? Why go to work for 8 hours when I can stick a gun in someone's face and take their money? A day's work in 10 minutes of effort. And if caught, free lodging and 3 meals a day!

Blacks, men and women, are less than 15% of the population yet the act was performed on 40%... do the math. It is the same with the conviction rates of blacks for the same crimes performed by whites....

Never been the The South nor read much, huh?

Currently NC is 68.5% white (31.5% non-white).

I just moved from Mississippi - 60% white (40% non-white).

Mark-1219747--You need to actually study history not just scan through it. At one time in this country 98% of all Blacks, Native American, Hispanic Americans and even Asian Americans were VERY uneducated. There were laws in place that made it crime to teach a black person to read. Indian schools weren't about teaching Native Americans how to read and write, (though some learned anyway) they were mostly about removing culture from the tribes and indoctornating them into European American culture, (language, clothing, religion) Yet, some of these, in some cases many of these people fought to attain more education and now some of their descendents are multi-millionaires, many more are solidly middle class with college educations.

Our current societial rhetoric makes it seem that all the people of poorer classes have always just had their hands out asking to be treated the same without working for it. But this is not true and has been documented historically. Most were only asking for the same opportunities to learn, to serve and to improve their lives.

This article and this issue being talked about in NC at this time is to prevent the same from happening again. Remember 31 states had these programs, but only one state has had the courage so far to admit it and try to find a way to bring it out into the open so history doesn't repeat itself.

This article and this issue being talked about in NC at this time is to prevent the same from happening again. Remember 31 states had these programs, but only one state has had the courage so far to admit it and try to find a way to bring it out into the open so history doesn't repeat itself

Precisely. California with over 50% of the 60,000 total number is extremely silent.

Turning it into race issue is as dumb as turning it into a socio-economic issue or a North/South issue.

More than half of the USA's States had these laws, and Hitler said he was jealous of our eugenics projects previous to his own bigger versions. Find the speech online.

They sterilized mostly criminals, mentally ill, or the innocent children of criminals or the mentally ill. It wasn't Social Darwinism according to poor/rich mostly, nor was it North/South or black/white. Eugenics isn't about those things, it's about genetic engineering...the macabre and statist way.

So, let's get off the BS left/right false paradigm my mindless drone friends on either side of that false dichotomy...it's not a DemoCrip or RepubliBlood issue...both Parties did it.

As a matter of fact (whether you're for or against abortion), abortion was one of it's main tenants. Also, anyone who says "I won't accept my daughter having an X race baby" is a eugenicist. Anyone who only dates one race is a eugenicist. Selective breeding is self imposed eugenics.

Look up the great inventor Nicola Tesla...he practiced it voluntarily by refusing to have kids. He also put Edison out of business and into bankruptcy (yes, the great Thomas Edison). Just goes to show, even smart people can be totally stupid where it counts.

Dr. Larry...Your posts would be valid if one of your daughters was raped or your wife was raped...Some of the most intelligent men are such idiots these days. They'll go on and on and on and on about how abortion is so wrong. Then, Mcdaugtie McDearest gets herself pregnant all by herself (yeah right) and Big Daddy is right there with the shotgun to see they get hitched. What a joke.

Best method I know of birth control? Men keeping it in their pants. Men learning how to say No to a woman. Oh and of course, there's that good old reliable...snip, snip, snip...vasectomy dahlink.

Oh come on, the women are promiscuous, the men are just being men, right? This whole thing is so horrific, specially that it was still going on in the 70s. To think that discrimination against women and minorities is over with is a fantasy, we must keep working to fight for everyone's rights.

Southern Gentlemen my ass..any grown man who still calls his father 'Daddy' is a bit off in the head and most southern men still do. The stereotypes of the south are still very much alive and well...just sayin...

The fact that the article states there were more states in the North doing this than in the South goes to prove you cannot read Becky. I mean seriously if you are going to throw rocks from a Glass house at least have a dustpan and broom you stole from work handy to clean up.

I think Becky has Daddy issues.

The problem with vasectomies is that you need to know who the daddy is. Bill Cosby was booed at a NAACP meeting for talking about how over 70% of black babies are born to unwed mothers. In the wild neutering males has no effect on populations as there are always more males out there.

Try actually reading the article, it says the program targeted women and MEN!!!

It's basic biology.

One man can impregnate any number of women in a short period of time.

A woman can be pregnant only slightly more often than once a year.

F Walsh:

The answer is simple to the MEDIA WHITE PEOPLE DON'T COUNT!!

Basic math.

If non-whites only made up about 20% (about 1/2 of them Black) of the population and 40% of the victims during during these program's run time, that means that a very large percentage of non-whites were affected compared to the percentage of whites affected.

@Mark and Steve: You make a good point about the relationship between money and government. I've read enough to know that most of Congress are millionaires or nearly so, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there are some bright poor kids out there who might some day change the world. Your comments about feeling entitled to handouts has merit, but some are seeing beyond the block and putting themselves into the mainstream successfully. I once read an article where the author said we will always have poor people because the rich need them. Sad.

The fact that the 13 year old RAPE VICTIM was sterilized, and not the RAPIST says it all for me. I wonder how many children this CHILD-RAPING PERVERT was able to have, while this poor girl was punished for being a female?

Littlechanges...I agree. I was married to a southern gentleman. That Big Daddy and Big Mama BS is enough to choke a flea. I realize it's part of their culture. But the continuance of certain parts of that culture breed male superiority.

Becky...My ex called his father Big Daddy until he was in his forties. There's just something much too pretentious about the Adoring Big Daddah routine. It's as phony as a $4 dollar bill.

It's also the reason for generation the women down there were dolled up in gigantic balloon skirts. Their version of a chastity belt? Poor things didn't dare try sitting down in those things. Never mind the mandatory afternoon debutante naps they were forced to take or that those balloon dresses made them look like walking cotton balls blown to smithereens. And who was this all for? Why Big Daddy of course.

ProIndividual-3906907 well said sir! By the way, I loved the DemoCrip and RepubliBlood. OMG best thing I have read all day.

Ya'll Come, Ya Hea! We'll contol the population the way we like...

There's been a lot of call on boards such as these for forced sterilization... I had no idea there'd actually been areas in the USA where there had been such a practice. Wow.

OMG. This is a crime against humanity. These women should sue the state into absolute bankrupcy. They should also PERSONALLY sue the perpetrators of this atrocity. You wonder why people are angry. We went to WAR against the NAZIS who were practicing eugenics. I can not believe this was allowed. I can not find sufficient words in three languages to express my rage. The land of the free and the home of the brave indeed. No wonder so many people are marching on "Wall Street". I am afraid that if the full extent of these miscarriages of justice are ever exposed, we will all discover that "america" is no different than any other two bit tin horn dictatorship save the separation of powers in the military and federal gov't. I graduated highschool in 1977. This was not the dark ages. Who signed off on this garbage and what kind of MONSTERS performed these sterilizations on these CHILDREN???

And after the war the US government brought over thousdands of EX NAZIS for various programs here.

Hilter and his policies had a geat deal of support and sympathy in the US right up until Pearl Harbor.

Meg

Yes, the Nazis practiced eugenics policies but their policies were largely based on those that the U.S. already had in place.

And the problem with a lot of these policies were their loose definitions of what constituted "feeble-minded" or "promiscuous". You could be sterilized for having depression, anxiety or alcoholism, to name a few conditions.

Any doctor could claim someone should be sterilized for the smallest flaw. There were no actual procedures to prevent abuse of diagnosis.

I also think that it is important to remember that the policies were originally put in place to do good things. To prevent children being born to mentally or physically unfit mothers which would later become wards of the state. Did they do this in a way that was well instituted? Obviously not. But we should not judge those in history too harshly with our hindsight, but rather learn from it and not repeat the same mistake twice.

Frenzy, The road to hell is paved with "good" intentions. I have worked in the field of public health for many years and can not tell you the number of "well intentioned and reasonable sounding" programs that failed because the intended population was never consulted OR given any alternatives. It has long been my belief from education AND experience that once some "authority" with its own agenda begins making decisions about the lives of others, we walk a very fine line between useful public policy and outright destruction. Public officials seek one thing and that is re-election. Pandering to those (read wealthy) who can facilitate this process can lead to less than properr treatment of those(read poor) who stand in the way. When politicians play god, it can only have a negative outcome. I am especially upset by this story since it assumes certain stereotypes and throws a blanket condemnation over an entire group of women whose lives are forever changed by the stroke of a pen. I thought informed consent was required before any surgical procedure.. Why were these women subjected to surgery without it?

you are stupid

bear-387919, then a long gap ensued from Pearl Harbor until the 8-12-45 armistice. An army veteran I once met told me that as he was stationed with one of the brigades in Germany, he watched as freed Jewish and nazi military simultaneously boarded ocean liners bound to the United States on 8-13-45.

You have forgotten to mention that "re-concentration camps" were an invention of the US. Native Americans in the Southeast were put in "re-concentration camps," where many died of the poor treatment before they were "allowed" to leave to go to Indian Territory (or force-marched there if they refused).

Hitler was a huge fan of the US--he loved the works of Karl May (who wrote penny novels about the Old West). Yes, he got a lot of his ideas from the US (including many of his attitudes towards black people) and could not understand why we fought against him when he was imitating us--as he thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.