Eugenics on the Rise Again

Eugenics is the erroneous belief that we can create a better American culture through selective breeding, the way we do with livestock.

It was popularized in the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the turn of that century, eugenics was the leading “scientific” thought of the day.

Eugenics was preached from the pulpit by America’s religious leaders from a wide array of faiths. Eugenics was also taught and lauded by country preachers throughout rural America. Eugenics was taught in America’s leading universities and its state colleges as well. Eugenics was touted by America’s political leaders of the day, who told voters that the way to rid America of the welfare class was to sterilize the poor, the disabled, the blind, the deaf, the lame, those they deemed dumb. Eugenics was popularized through “well baby” contests at country fairs, state fairs, and world fairs. Eugenics was talked about at coffee klatches and in Bible studies throughout this country.

People “married up” with the belief that would produce “better offspring”. Rich people were regarded as having “the best blood.” The poor were regarded as having “defective blood.”

Eugenics was even embraced by our court systems, and SCOTUS made laws, some which remain federal law to this day, based upon the belief that one could redeem humanity through selective breeding.

Over 70,000 people, men and women, boys and girls were legally sterilized in this country under eugenic laws. Even as recently as the past few years, at ICE facilities in this country, migrants were being subjected to forced sterilizations under our nation’s eugenics laws.

You may be feeling appalled right now that anyone could or would believe in such a thing. Or you might be feeling grateful that you would never embrace such a foolish notion as breeding one’s way to humanity’s redemption.

But much as we might assume it so, eugenics is very much a present day way of thinking. It is once again being touted from the pulpits of America. It is once again the leading thought of the day among certain political parties.

Today, in 2024, we have a presidential candidate who embraces eugenics. A candidate who speaks of “bad blood” or “blood that is poisoning our country.” A candidate who said “we have a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”

We have religious leaders in this country declaring that women, by nature of our flawed genetic makeup, are unfit to vote. Religious leaders who are intent on taking away the right for women and anyone but white males to vote.

Sometimes, I wonder if the people sitting in the pews of those churches in the early 1900s or in the classrooms at Yale or Harvard, questioned the popular eugenics movement of their era. Did they ever consider that maybe such a belief was wrong? Did they stop to ask themselves: Should I really think of others as less than because they are blind or lame or brown-skinned? Did the Creator of the universe actually intend that white men should be the progenitor of laws to govern us all?

I wonder now if voters are asking some of the same questions. Are we accepting the eugenics language of the day as just another thing this candidate does? Do we question what’s behind such a belief system? Do we actually believe that white males are granted a supreme right to rule over the rest of us? Do we harbor attitudes that say women aren’t as capable as men? That black people aren’t as intelligent as white people?

Because that is what the leading candidate of a certain political party believes. Go back and read his quotes. When he recovered from Covid he said it was because of his DNA. When he speaks of how intelligent he is, he speaks of his DNA. When he speaks about migrants or blacks, he refers to their “bad blood.” He has been able to mobilize voters in this country by convincing white people that migrants are our enemies. Not just any immigrant, mind you, but specifically Hispanic and Black immigrants. He never demonizes white immigrants.

It’s an age-old rhetorical tool of persuasion, convincing people to turn on another people group because if you can keep the masses at odds with each other, they won’t pay attention to the wrongs you are doing as their leader.

Eugenics was the basis for Hitler’s genocide of the Jews.

And it is the basis for Trump declaring he will deport millions of migrants, those here without documentation and those here with documentation.

As a child who grew up in Georgia during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and the busing movement of the 1970s, I do often question my own intentions. I worry about becoming so strident in my own belief system that I can’t see the flaws within. I have kin and friends who worry about me, about how outspoken I am and whether that will put me at risk in some future in which women are singled out for persecution. A revival of the witch-hunts.

I once wrote a book talking about my faith and how the fastest growing religion of the day is the religion of being certain. So, yes, I do so want to avoid becoming that person who believes I have all the answers and only my way of thinking is the right way of thinking. I have tried to consider that Trump isn’t the vile man I consider him to be.

But then he opens his mouth and convinces me once again that he is an absolute danger to this country. And I am once again persuaded that we must do everything we can to keep him out of office.

I have believed since August of 2015 that he is a great danger to our nation, and everything he has done since then has only underscored my first inclination.

His core belief system is based upon eugenics. He believes that he is who he is because he was fortunate enough to come from “well-bred stock.” And his money has kept him from being held accountable for any of his wrong-doings.

To vote for Trump is to embrace eugenics. A vote for Trump is a declaration that you, too, believe you belong to a better breed of people. A vote for Trump is to declare that people of color poison the blood of America. A vote for Trump is to declare that women are designed to be ruled over, not to be rulers.

A vote for Trump is a vote against the core values of a country that claims to respect the dignity and freedoms of all people.

A vote for Trump is to give up on the notion of forming a more perfect union.

A vote for Trump is a vote that will render this country forever divided.

There will come a day when future generations look back upon this time and wonder: Why in the world would a people vote for a man who embraced eugenics, which had already been proven to be a failed theory? Were they really that easily persuaded? Or was racism their true core value?

These are the questions our grandchildren and their grandchildren will wrestle with.

And it’s their generations that we are accountable to.

Choose better friends. Vote.

Karen Spears Zacharias

Author/Journalist/Educator. Gold Star Daughter.

2 Comments

Geri Taran

about 3 weeks ago

Karen, you always seem to say the things I agree with. Thanks.

Reply

Karen Spears Zacharias

about 3 weeks ago

Thank you, Geri. I think it's important to put out the information. What people do with it they will be accountable for. As for me, I'm voting for Harris/Walz and a straight blue ticket. I hope you are doing well. It's always great to hear from you.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Please be polite. We appreciate that.
Your email address will not be published and required fields are marked


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.