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troubleLawmaker Advocates Eugenics in New Hampshire
The thing is, honestly? I don't know why this is news, except someone "important" said it outloud.
A lot of people like to pretend that the eugenics movement is in the past, and I'm certain that this man's age will be held up in order to demonstrate that. But that's ... incredibly simplistic and ignores the way that certain types of people are prevented or discouraged from having children in North America.
I talked a bit about it in a Feministe Thread that went off the rails, if you are curious. Kaz is in there representin', as is abby jean, and La Luba. I should content warn for Hugo man-splaining, Clarisse asking people to do work for her so she can make a better presentation, a few disenvoweled comments, and people insisting that critiquing the modern pro-choice movement, and the "heroes" of the past for being explicitly eugenicist, sound too much like anti-choicers. Honestly, it might be worth skipping the whole conversation, but a few people said really smart things. You can tell who they are because they keep getting ignored.
Oh, hey, was that bitter me speaking? It's probably because I'm evil.
(I have not yet sorted all the other people who wanted on the acafilter. I'll sort that today.)
A 91-year-old state representative told a constituent that he believes in eugenics and that the world would be better off without "defective people."
Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that "the world is too populated" and there are "too many defective people," according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. Asked what he meant, she said Harty clarified, "You know the mentally ill, the r#tarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions - the defective people society would be better off without."
The thing is, honestly? I don't know why this is news, except someone "important" said it outloud.
A lot of people like to pretend that the eugenics movement is in the past, and I'm certain that this man's age will be held up in order to demonstrate that. But that's ... incredibly simplistic and ignores the way that certain types of people are prevented or discouraged from having children in North America.
I talked a bit about it in a Feministe Thread that went off the rails, if you are curious. Kaz is in there representin', as is abby jean, and La Luba. I should content warn for Hugo man-splaining, Clarisse asking people to do work for her so she can make a better presentation, a few disenvoweled comments, and people insisting that critiquing the modern pro-choice movement, and the "heroes" of the past for being explicitly eugenicist, sound too much like anti-choicers. Honestly, it might be worth skipping the whole conversation, but a few people said really smart things. You can tell who they are because they keep getting ignored.
Oh, hey, was that bitter me speaking? It's probably because I'm evil.
(I have not yet sorted all the other people who wanted on the acafilter. I'll sort that today.)
no subject
Date: 2011-03-12 10:37 am (UTC)I read a comment today saying that those of us who get het up about these things obviously have too much time on our hands and don't care about our communities.
*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*
no subject
Date: 2011-03-12 10:43 am (UTC)Who is "my community"?
Because I happen to think that "my community" consists of the people I care about, who care about me, the people who support each other. They may not be physically close, but they mean a lot more to me than the family who just bought the house across the street.
My community is you, and Mel, and all the cherished people who help me get through a day or a week or a month or a year while the pain gets worse and/or I'm stoned on vicodin at work so I can mildly function.
We care a GREAT DEAL about our communities. It's just that people don't realize who lives in them.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-12 10:46 am (UTC)I just don't know. *sigh*
But in brighter news, I have cake.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-12 10:48 am (UTC)Dang. I want cake. I gave the puppy an extra hug for you by the way, secure in the knowledge that the universe would send you the metaphorical warm fuzzies without sending you the literal warm fuzzies that are happening because HE IS BLOWING COAT.
Also, check yer e-mail?