Eugenics, a fancy word for the attempts to improve human genetic traits through selective breeding, has a dark history filled with injustice and suffering. Eugenics has been both admired as a means of societal progress and condemned as a tool of discrimination and oppression. Let us take a look at its story to understand why it is such a big deal.
The concept of eugenics originated from Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin, who aimed to apply Darwin’s principles of natural selection to human society. Galton believed that encouraging reproduction among desirable individuals and discouraging it among unfit ones could actively direct human evolution. This concept gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States and Europe.
The United States believed eugenics was a good notion in the early 1900s. Laws were created stating that certain people were not intelligent or healthy enough to be parents. Carrie Buck was one individual impacted. She was not truly “unfit“, yet they forced her to get sterilized so she could not have children. This decision set a bad example for other states to do the same.
Then, things got even worse in Germany during World War II. Hitler took eugenics to a terrible extreme. He believed in a pure race, so he killed millions of Jewish people and others he thought were “undesirable“. Even kids like Helene Melanie Lebel, who had Down syndrome, were not spared. It was a horrible time in history that we must never forget.
Today, we still see the effects of eugenics, but in different ways. Genetic testing sounds good because it can find diseases early. However, it also makes some people worry about being treated differently if they have certain genes. Adam Pearson, who was born with a condition that changes his appearance, is concerned about this. He knows people might mistreat him because of his genes.
Then there is gene editing, where scientists can change genes to make people healthier or smarter, but it is risky. In China, they made headlines by editing genes in babies, which caused much worry. Messing with genes without thinking about the consequences can be dangerous.
Looking back at eugenics, it is clear that trying to control who can have kids based on genetics is a bad idea. We must remember the harm it causes and be careful with new technologies. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly, no matter what their genes say. So, let us learn from the past and make sure we use science to help, not hurt, people.