Birth Quote by Margaret Sanger
“Birth Control is not contraception indiscriminately and thoughtlessly practiced. It means the release and cultivation of the better racial elements in our society, and the gradual suppression, elimination and eventual extirpation of defective stocks — those human weeds which threaten the blooming of the finest flowers of American civilization.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Birth Control Review, 1920
Advocates selective breeding to improve society, viewing certain groups as undesirable.
In simple terms: Promotes eugenics under the guise of birth control.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of eugenics.
Themes
eugenics
social engineering
racial purity
Mood
disturbing
controversial
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- public health policy
- population control
- racial discrimination
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
biological determinism
elitism
Questions to Reflect On
- Is any group ever “defective”?
- How does this view affect human dignity?
A Different Perspective
Eugenics ignores individual rights and diversity.
![“Hordes of people [are] born, who live, yet who have done absolutely nothing to advance the race one iota. Their lives are hopeless repetitions… Such human weeds clog up the path, drain up the energies and the resources of this little earth. We must clear the way for a better world; we must…” quote by Margaret Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ffb/margaret-sanger-3929_absolutely-nothing_hordes-of-people-are-born-who-live-yet-w_202238.jpg)
