Comments on: Illinois Court Rules Against Forced-Sterilization of Disabled Woman

By: sohbet chat

sohbet chat — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:44:29 +0000

We all probably know plenty of able-bodied economically secure/wealthy individuals who should never be allowed near children, much less become parents due to their inability to see children as anything more than ego-boosting accessories to their trendy lives or their tendency to emotionally and/or physically abuse their children. People like some co-workers I’ve had or in extreme cases…Joel Steinberg.

If they are allowed to have children without much social disapproval and scorn, why shouldn’t that right be acknowledged and honored for disabled individuals….many of whom would probably be far more loving and caring parents?

By: Judge Bars Woman From Having Children : The Curvature

Judge Bars Woman From Having Children : The Curvature — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:32:09 +0000

[...] and forcible birth control use, particularly for women of color, low-income women, women with disabilities, and women with criminal histories and/or drug addictions. Welfare has at time included conditions [...]

By: Max Criollo

Max Criollo — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:10:12 +0000

I think a history lesson is in order here: The word eugenics was coined by the British mathematician Sir Francis Galton in 1883, who defined it as the “science of improving the stock.” American social scientists began a eugenics movement in the United States in the 1890’s. This eventually led to passage of compulsory sterilization laws in most of the states, resulting in the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people with mental illness and cognitive disability in the 1920’s and 30’s. Any legal constraints on this campaign were eliminated in 1927 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Buck vs. Bell, which decided that forced sterilization did not violate the constitutional rights of people with disabilities. That decision has never been overturned. This American eugenics movement helped inspire the German Nazis to pass their own eugenics laws in the 1930’s, based on the Nazi notion of lebunsunswertes Leben, or “life unworthy of life.” This culminated in the extermination program dubbed T-4, which began in October 1939 with the “Fuhrer decree” granting physicians the authority to administer a “mercy death” to adults with disabilities. Over 30 psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions throughout Germany, Poland, and Austria were euphemistically designated as “euthanasia centers.” Psychiatrists and physicians at these killing centers, using poison gas and lethal injection, eventually killed as many as 250,000 Europeans with physical or mental disabilities. Following the end of World War II, the horror of the T-4 extermination program in Nazi Germany caused many eugenics proponents in the United States and Europe to backpedal on their promotion of euthanasia as a method of eliminating mental illness and congenital disabilities. However sterilization of people with disabilities continued to be a widespread practice well into the 1970’s.

By: Physicians, Heal Thy Attitudes « Ideologically Impure

Physicians, Heal Thy Attitudes « Ideologically Impure — Sun, 18 May 2008 04:58:46 +0000

[...] group into my mindset. My single disability only requires really strong reading lenses, not legal intervention to stop someone forcibly sterilizing me. When I get pregnant, I live in a country where I have access to the kind of medical care that [...]

By: Mother's Day and Disabled Mothers' Fight for the Right to Bear Children - Disabled Politico

Fri, 09 May 2008 23:53:14 +0000

[...] K. E. J. wants children someday. She says she will "love taking care of them." She is said to own a home and possess a substantial sum of money. K. E. J. is not apparently involved with a man or planning to become pregnant in the near future. [...]

By: Catapulting to Conclusions « Andrea’s Buzzing About:

Catapulting to Conclusions « Andrea’s Buzzing About: — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:24:02 +0000

[...] to support. [Bang head here.] More thoughtful discussions of this issue are to be found over at Feministing, although excursions into the Realm of Stoopid by some of the commenters are to be found there, [...]

By: “Special Needs” « Feline Formal Shorts

“Special Needs” « Feline Formal Shorts — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:27:25 +0000

[...] had a similar sort of revelation last week. In the wake of the whole forced sterilization thing, I found myself commenting at Ms. Cripchick’s place about my grandmother. She had three [...]

By: Think Girl » Court denies bid to sterilize mentally disabled woman

Think Girl » Court denies bid to sterilize mentally disabled woman — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:12:09 +0000

[...] Feministe and CripChick have blogs about this [...]

By: graychick

graychick — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:30:46 +0000

A Pang,

I do consider myself a feminist. I said *I’m against forced sterilization*. She can have as many kids as her body can handle. However, there is a place where personal choices intersect with the larger world that I would have enjoyed discussing. I’m sorry reality offends. Doubtless Gandalf will come and take care of her and her kids if her aunt finds herself too overwhelmed by KEJ’s decisions to continue taking care of her. Sunshine and kittens for all!

In the world where I live, social services are *shit*. That is horrible and an indictment of our “rich” society. I was curious as to how this situation might play out in *this* flawed world with a lick and a promise social safety net because *I don’t know*.

“Can’t operate a stove” makes me think of my mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Can’t operate a stove means lots of different things in my experience–cooking in plastic bowls on the stovetop, cooking cat food, pouring water into the eyes… Maybe for KEJ that just means she can’t physically turn the knobs or can’t remember where “high” is. I don’t know. Do you?

Forgive my oh so “patronizing” ignorance, oh great arbiter of all things feminist.

By: Feministe » Carnivals: Submit Now, Read Soon

Feministe » Carnivals: Submit Now, Read Soon — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:52:08 +0000

[...] think I’ve made it clear that I was disappointed with this thread on reproductive justice for disabled women. But I was also very impressed by the many who showed up [...]