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Galton's idea of eugenics was relatable and appealed to many as it was similar to the selective breeding cattle or corn to improve them. He was able to appeal to powerful people with this scientific idea that stemmed from Darwin's discovery and turned it into a political storm for many decades to come.
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This marks the shifting focus of eugenics from promoting good breeding to preventing bad breeding, especially in the United States. Davenport was also able to use his power and a book about a largely fictional feeble-minded family to influence American politician such as Theodore Roosevelt into believing that eugenics was required to prevent the American race from becoming degenerates
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The commission which was created in 1904, was filled with pro-eugenicists and thus the result of its report was not surprising. However the impact of this report was huge, as it caused long periods of lobbying from many pressure groups, city and borough councils and education committees in creating eugenic laws.
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The Oxford Union, a famous and influential debate society of the university of Oxford approves these principles in almost 2 to 1, shown how widely they were supported by Britain's most influential intellectuals at that time.
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Eugenic movements further gains momentum across the world and at the same time gains the support of prominent British politician Winston Churchill. More attempts of passing eugenic laws had been made since Winston Churchill became part of the government 2 years ago.
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The Mental Deficiency Bill would have restricted mentally handicapped people from marrying and procreating. However it was unofficially known that the bill was to be amended when possible to allow forced sterilization. Although the bill was introduced despite the effort of Wedgwood who opposed it on the grounds of individual liberties, it was in a much water-downed form and made it clear that eugenic laws were controversial and likely to face opposition if were to be introduced again.
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Eugenic practices have now became common in the U.S. Although civil liberties are considered to be very much important there, vulnerable populations such mentally handicapped people's rights are being severely violated.
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The impact of the eugenics movement is broad. In particular, it is used as a vehicle to promote racist goals, which in particular this law that restricts the immigration of many minorities such as Eastern and Southern Europeans who were considered to be stupider than the “Nordic” population of America.
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In Buck v. Bell, the Supreme Court rules that Virginia can sterilize Carrie Buck, who had previously been committed to a mental institution. The state had based their evaluation of Carrie's mental capacities on her infant daughter, who was deemed an 'imbecile' after a cursory examination. Carrie's sister was also sterilized without her knowledge. This marked a turning point for the US Supreme Court, which until then habitually threw out forced sterilization cases.
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Eugenics, although the basic principles have sound reasoning, is abused by people during tough times in order to put the blame on racial degeneration for unemployment rate and poverty. Similar to how eugenics is used to drive racist goals in the U.S., eugenics have also been used elsewhere to drive towards other socially inequitable goals.
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Part of the eugenic movement that swept across Europe due to high unemployment rate, the sterilization law in Germany was part of the many atrocities committed by the Nazi regime as it came into power by promising people racial hygiene as a solution to Germany's many internal problems such as unemployment and poverty.
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These reports of atrocities committed in the name of eugenics made people more cautious and aware of the less obvious human right abuse that was occurring in there own society which prevent compulsory sterilization laws from passing and also lead to greater human right protection after the end of World War Two.
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Although the understand of genetic diseases and human right conditions greatly improved by then in the U.S., such abuse still occurs. This shows the lasting legacy of eugenics and the huge amount of humanitarian damage it had caused.
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Given the large percentage of Chinese doctors who believe that aborting fetuses with "undesirable" genes is justified, the Maternal and Infant Health Care Law was a dangerous tool for eugenics in the hands of the state.
