Carrie Buck's Reasoning For Eugenics

Throughout history, there have been many attempts at eugenics programs. Eugenics is defined as the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics (Webster). In other words, those thought to possess undesirable inheritable traits are sterilized so that these traits would not be passed onto future generations. Many cultures and countries have explored eugenics, such as in North and Latin America, Europe, Japan, China, and Russia. However, the term “eugenics” was not used until a natural scientist and British explorer, Francis Galton, coined it as such. The most reasoning for eugenics originated from theories following Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.

Buck was just one of more than fifty- thousand people who were sterilized. Carrie Buck took her case to court. It was argued on the twenty-second of April in 1927. On the second of May, her case was decided. The Supreme Court settled eight to one that Buck should be sterilized. Justice Oliver W. Holmes argued that “three generations of imbeciles are enough,” as in enough to prove they should be sterilized. Only one judge, Justice Pierce Butler, disagreed. However, none of his reasoning was recorded so we are unsure why he

Not only if it is practiced against the participants' will. All human beings are born human, and therefore equal. A person should not be treated unfairly for reasons beyond their control. The way a person is treated should not be dependant on whether they are academically challenged, they are a person all the same. It is unjust to decide a person is not worthy of their human rights due to a condition they can not change. It is unjust to decide a human is not worthy of their human rights at all. No matter the disability, a human is always human. In many cases, sterilization is seen as extremely unfair because it denies future children the chance to succeed. Paul Lombardo of the University of Virginia went and found Carrie Buck. At the time she was reading the newspaper and doing a crossword. She showed no signs of being mentally retarded; she wasn't sophisticated, but she was far from being mentally ill. He also tracked down Vivian's school records because she died at age eight of measles. She was evaluated as "feebleminded" at seven months incorrectly she was quite bright in fact even in her school's honor roll when she was seven years old (Karen), So, would eugenics really be furthering advances in humans if it is preventing a whole group to