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Eugenics

A look at some of the topics in Ragged Edge Online's libraries and archives.

"During the last century, upwards of 66,000 people considered 'defective' -- those with mental retardation, mental illness, criminal histories, physical disabilities -- are documented to have been sterilized in the United States, Canada and other Western countries. It was all part of a popular movement called eugenics," wrote Dave Reynolds in 2001. "And most of it was done legally." And it might be making a comeback today. Read Reynolds' Eugenics: Making a Comeback?

In the March/April 1998 issue of Ragged Edge, Tom Lee wrote about Nobel Laureate James Watson's beliefs on the matter ( You probably won't like James Watson's ideas about us).

And then there's celebrity bioethicist Peter Singer.

"Peter Singer advocates for infanticide for children with significant disabilities with precisely that term," says Prof. Alex Lubet. Read Advocate for Infanticide.

Singer's appointment to the Princeton University Center for Human Values in 1999 provoked anger among disability activists.

"Although Singer is best known for his work on animal liberation, it is important to understand the consequences of his ethical theories for people with disabilities, especially since he argues that our lives are not always worth protecting," wrote Cal Montgomery in the July/August 1999 issue of Ragged Edge. Read her article, A Defense of Genocide.

Also read our "Peter Stinker" parody, A Modest Proposal.

Disability activists in the U.S. and elsewhere have protested Singer at many of his public appearances. Among the stories reported on Ragged Edge Online:

State Refuses To Pay Peter Singer For Appearance

'A kick in the face,' says Not Dead Yet. (For the quintessential article about Peter Singer and disability activism, check out Harriet McBryde Johnson's Unspeakable Conversations from the New York Times Magazine.)

And be sure to check out our earlier news archives on this or related topics -- or use our search feature to find more articles.