Planned Parenthood, American Eugenics Society, Birth control, Abortion, Forced sterilization

Darwin, Sanger, Hitler, and Eugenics

By Fred Gielow
Monday, January 11, 2010

“The history of PP [Planned Parenthood] cannot be studied without first considering the American Eugenics Society (AES). After the Civil War, many wealthy, former slave owners sought a solution to what they deemed the ‘Negro Problem.’ The first idea was to send all former slaves back to Africa. It was termed ‘colonization’ and was abandoned shortly after its conception. Then Francis Galton, cousin to Charles Darwin, birthed the idea and coined the term ‘eugenics.’

“Eugenics is defined as ‘the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable characteristics.’ In laymen’s terms this means people in power give reproduction permission to the ‘fit’ while refusing it to the ‘unfit.’ Out of this idea was born the AES.

“The AES used ‘research’ and legislation at state and federal levels for birth control, abortion and forced sterilization. They were so successful with forced sterilization that from 1907 to 1963, some 64,000 ‘unfit’ were sterilized, many without giving their consent.

“AES leaders soon decided they needed a front man. They needed someone whose hatred for blacks and misfits matched or rivaled their own, a person who would be willing to play the role of muscle while they played the role of mastermind. Margaret Sanger stepped forward and was quickly chosen.

“She believed so strongly in eugenics that she said in 1921, ‘The eugenics and civilization value of birth control is becoming apparent to the enlightened and the intelligent. . . . [T]he campaign for birth control is not merely of eugenic value, but is practically identical in the ideal with the final aim of eugenics.

“Sanger quickly began what she designated the “Negro Project.â€