There were glimmers of hope earlier this year for victims of North Carolina’s forced sterilization programs of the early to mid-20th century. The General Assembly had finally decided to give money – $50,000 – to each of the 1,300 to 1,800 victims who were still alive.
But on Wednesday, the assembly regressed to uglier times when it didn’t provide the funding for compensation in its budget. The House had approved the compensation, however it failed after Republican Senators questioned whether it was the right time, considering the state’s weak budget. House Speak Thom Tillis, a Republican, told reporters he considered it a personal failure.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
In a 1950 pamphlet, the Human Betterment League of North Carolina said the board was protecting “the children of future generations and the community at large,” adding that “you wouldn’t expect a moron to run a train or a feeble-minded woman to teach school.”
Nearly 85% of those sterilized were women or girls, some as young as 10.
I say we sterilize the wives and children of the senators who fought against compensation. I bet they’ll change their minds.
- Wikipedia
- Lady Justice was not served on Wednesday.
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2012.
Let us not forget this entire program took place under a Democrat controlled Legislature and “Thumbs Down” won’t change that nasty little truth. Can you imagine the howling and national attention this would be getting if the Republicans had been the ones in charge?
Jesus f-ing Christ, for the millionth time. Democrats of the 50’s were largely the party of stubborn, racist, intolerant sociopaths, and now Republicans have taken that mantle. Constantly bringing up the past evils of Democrats while ignoring the wholesale reversal in party social values only makes you look ignorant, or more likely just maliciously misleading those dumb enough to believe you.
Wow. Really hit a nerve, didn’t I? I find that happens with Liberals when you really get it right. Thanks for the confirmation.
So you don’t acknowledge the widely acknowledged fact that the social values of the parties have basically flopped in the last 60 years, making your comment completely erroneous and misleading? No, your smug response is that you must be right if I become frustrated. It says a lot about you that you’re so self-satisfied in using one of the most tired, transparent, and logically fallacious go-to rebuttals in the book.
What do you expect from someone who thinks that calling someone a Liberal is an insult?