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Angry White Female: Margaret Sanger's Race of Thoroughbreds

BENJAMIN J. WIKER

While Planned Parenthood has been very careful to keep its founder's sexual and especially eugenic views from the light, they are a matter of public record, boldly and clearly expressed throughout Sanger's writings.

Margaret Sanger
(1879-1966)

 


Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was one of the lead architects of the culture of death. Not only was she a major contributor to the liberation of sexuality from all restraint, but sexual liberation was for her part of a larger program of eugenics. While Planned Parenthood has been very careful to keep its founder's sexual and especially eugenic views from the light, they are a matter of public record, boldly and clearly expressed throughout Sanger's writings.

Sanger's dedication to the propagation and legalization of birth control was part of an overall eugenics program. Her journal, The Birth Control Review, was filled from cover to cover with the strongest and crudest eugenic propaganda. One of her favorite slogans, adorning each issue, was "Birth Control: To Create a Race of Thoroughbreds."

For Sanger, the "lack of balance between the birth rate of the 'unfit' and the 'fit,'" was "the greatest present menace to civilization," so that "the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective." As with the other eugenicists of the early 20th century, Sanger was particularly upset by the presence of the "feeble-minded," a vague term which seemed to encompass everyone from the insane and those with nervous disorders, to those hitting low marks on the newly developed IQ tests. (By her estimate, some 70% of the population was feebleminded.)

To deal with the great "menace," Sanger advocated a new kind of philanthropy, claiming that traditional philanthropy only succeeded in making the problem worse — "it encourages the perpetuation of defectives, delinquents and dependents," she said, who were "the most devastating curse on human progress and expression." True charity, by contrast, should not both coddle and perpetuate the "dead weight of human waste," but weed out these undesirables at the source through birth control. Nor did Sanger shrink from advocating the use of force if necessary: "We prefer the policy of immediate sterilization, of making sure that parenthood is absolutely prohibited to the feeble-minded."

Sanger's plans for genetic cleansing for the sake of "racial health" were racist as well. She was horrified by the fertility of the immigrant "Slavs, Latins [i.e., Italians], and Hebrews," and her first birth-control clinic was set up in the Brownsville section of New York City, where such racially defective immigrants predominated.

Nor was she innocent of connections to the eugenic policies of Hitler's Germany. Her Birth Control Review published numerous articles by leading American eugenicists who lavished envious praise on the Nazi eugenic programs. As for the black population in the United States, Sanger "did not want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population," she wrote; therefore, the eugenic effort had to be carried out "through a religious appeal."

She suggested that the birth-control movement should "hire three or four colored ministers" as traveling preachers of the gospel of birth control.

Sanger's zeal as a prophet and missionary of birth control was rooted in her evolutionary beliefs. Without birth control, the "dead weight" would continually drag humanity back down the evolutionary slope. But, no less important, she believed sexuality to be a dynamic, creative power which, if released from its traditional restraints, would bring about the development of "genius," thereby allowing the "more fit" to make great leaps up that same slope.

Sanger's rather strange notion of the creation of "genius" through sexuality was based on a combination of current evolutionary thought, pop psychology and the writings of famed "sexologist" Havelock Ellis. Human beings were formed, socially and psychologically, by internal and external "forces … the greatest and most imperative of which are Sex and Hunger," she claimed. While "Hunger … has created 'the struggle for existence,'" the "dynamic energy" of "the great force of Sex" was the evolutionary force which created genius.

The creation of genius will only come about with the "removal of physiological and psychological inhibitions and constraints which makes possible the release and channeling of the primordial inner energies of man into full and divine expression," she wrote. "The removal of these inhibitions, so scientists assure us, makes possible more rapid and profound perceptions."

Since the release of sexual energy was creative, and therefore the repression of sexual energy was destructive, it followed, in Sanger's logic, that the traditional approach to sexuality had to be replaced. That meant, of course, the necessity of breaking down the "codes that have surrounded sexual behavior in the so-called Christian communities, the teachings of the churches concerning chastity and sexual purity, the prohibitions of the laws, and the hypocritical conventions of society."

As a consequence, Sanger became a direct opponent of Christianity, especially the Catholic faith, for the Church was the greatest obstacle opposing the release of the "dynamic energy" of sexuality, and such obstruction for Sanger was "nothing less than foolhardy."

"Instead of laying down hard and fast laws of sexual conduct, instead of attempting to inculcate rules and regulations," as the Church had done, "the teacher of Birth Control seeks to meet the needs of the people," she wrote.

What do people need?

As we have seen, the wrong sort of people need to be taught (or forced) to quit breeding altogether. The right people need to be taught "the power to control this great force" of sexual energy — "to use it," she wrote, "to direct it into channels in which it becomes the energy enhancing their lives and increasing self-expression and self-development."

Extolling eugenics

Sanger longed to create an earthly paradise, one in which the free expression of sexuality would replace the need for religion by creating a new religion. "Through sex," she wrote, "mankind may attain the great spiritual illumination which will transform the world, which will light up the only path to an earthly paradise. So must we necessarily and inevitably conceive of sex-expression."

No longer would humanity foolishly yearn for a world to come, for "in that dawn men and women will have come to the realization, already suggested, that there close at hand is our paradise, our everlasting abode, our Heaven and our eternity."

Sanger not only preached this new religion; she practiced it as well. Sexual fulfillment had been, from very early on, the criterion by which she thought marriage should be judged. When marriage proved sexually unsatisfying, it should be dissolved. Even better, marriages should be "open" to sexual fulfillment elsewhere.

Following her own advise, she carried on at least six unconcealed premarital and extramarital affairs. As contemporary Mildred Dodge wrote of her: "She was the first person I ever knew who was openly an ardent propagandist for the joys of the flesh."

Even though she was an advocate of "more children from the fit, less from the unfit," she had only three children, and paid relatively little attention to them.

As her son Grant stated, "Mother was seldom around. She just left us with anybody handy and ran off we didn't know where."

Although Sanger died in 1966, her legacy lives on in Planned Parenthood. The liberation of sexuality from all traditional moral restraints is still central to its agenda, as is clear from International Planned Parenthood's recent Youth Manifesto, which states that "young people must be able to have pleasure and confidence in relationships and all aspects of sexuality." This demands that "society must recognize the right of all young people to enjoy sex and to express their sexuality in the way that they choose."

As with Sanger, contraception is the means to bring about this sexual paradise.

But with the release of sexuality from procreative ends, and making of it merely a "creative" means for "enhancing … lives and increasing self-expression and self-development," abortion has become a necessity. It is no accident that Planned Parenthood is both the largest educative force for Sangerian sexuality, and the largest abortion provider. Furthermore, with the advent of prenatal screening, abortion is bringing about Sanger's eugenic "dream" of eliminating "the mentally and physically defective," — "the dead weight of human waste," as she called them.

Sanger's "great spiritual illumination" did indeed "transform the world" — but in such a way as to usher in not an "earthly paradise," but the culture of death.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Ben Wiker. "Angry White Female: Margaret Sanger's Race of Thoroughbreds." National Catholic Register. (June 24, 2001).

This article is reprinted with permission from National Catholic Register. To subscribe to the National Catholic Register call 1-800-421-3230.

THE AUTHOR

Benjamin Wiker holds a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Vanderbilt University, and has taught at Marquette University, St. Mary's University (MN), and Thomas Aquinas College (CA). He is now a Lecturer in Theology and Science at Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH), and a full-time, free-lance writer. Dr. Wiker writes regularly for a variety of journals, including Catholic World Report, New Oxford Review, and Crisis Magazine, and is a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register. He has published three books, Moral Darwinism: How We Became Hedonists (InterVarsity Press, 2002), The Mystery of the Periodic Table (Bethlehem Books, 2003), and Architects of the Culture of Death (Ignatius, 2004). He is currently working on another book on Intelligent Design for InterVarsity Press called The Meaning-full Universe. He lives with his wife and seven children in Hopedale, OH.

Copyright © 2001 National Catholic Register
 

 

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Copyright © 2004 Victor Claveau. All Rights Reserved


1 posted on 12/07/2008 7:25:47 AM PST by GonzoII
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To: NYer; narses; Salvation

Ping.


2 posted on 12/07/2008 7:28:35 AM PST by GonzoII ("That they may be one...Father")
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To: GonzoII
Thanks for posting. It is worthy of a bookmark for future reference.
3 posted on 12/07/2008 7:30:36 AM PST by svcw (Great selection of Christmas gift baskets: http://baskettastic.com/)
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To: GonzoII

Racism was very fashonable until the Left decided to oppose it in the 1930’s for political gain.

Sanger was right in style with her racist views.

Politics by the way will never end racism. No human force can destroy it. All the “diversity” and “multiculturalism” in the world ala 1920’s style “Prohibition” isn’t the way to go in a free country.

Since there’s always going to be racism, the racism feeds support for Planned Parenthood’s agenda of destroying human life.

That’s something the Leftist hypocites will never admit.


5 posted on 12/07/2008 7:41:47 AM PST by Nextrush (Sarah Palin is the new Ronald Reagan.)
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To: GonzoII

Has anyone ever even attempted to make a movie about this woman? Not that I think Hollyweird would let it happen. Just a thought that struck me as I read this.


7 posted on 12/07/2008 7:51:23 AM PST by Ozarkie
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To: GonzoII

Thanks for the post. I had no clue. You could put the name Hitler in there and it would still be the same (almost).


11 posted on 12/07/2008 7:56:41 AM PST by AGreatPer (Telling Obama all the secrets makes me sick)
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To: GonzoII

Assuming one accepts evolutionary views, I find her logic to be impeccable. In today’s advanced societies, the most successful people have the fewest children.

Even if you don’t believe in evolution presumably you believe in heredity. Assuming a hereditary component to intelligence, which seems impossible to deny, we are most definitely breeding for lower intelligence.

The race horse equivalent would be breeding more from the race losers than the race winners. After a few generations your horses are going to be running a lot slower.

This is, BTW, the opposite of past generations. Upper class and successful people often had larger familes and due to better nutrition and medical care more of their children survived. In particular, upper-class men spread their genes widely.


13 posted on 12/07/2008 7:58:38 AM PST by Sherman Logan (Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.)
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To: GonzoII
Margaret Sanger was a racist b*tch and the best thing she did for this world was leave it.

Too bad she didn't leave a few decades earlier.

14 posted on 12/07/2008 8:04:48 AM PST by uglybiker (1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d 2 g3t l41d)
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To: GonzoII

If there is any doubt about her racist views, consider this. She spoke to a group of wives of Klan members and commented on it in her writings. She was somewhat condescending about it, as most would be, and did not pretend they were paragons of intellect. But she didn’t encourage them to reduce their reproduction rates.

In other words, it’s OK for dumb white people to reproduce, but no non-whites should. She may have disguised her racism as evolution, but her actions show the truth.


20 posted on 12/07/2008 8:38:18 AM PST by SlapHappyPappy
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To: theKid51; Apple Blossom

ping


22 posted on 12/07/2008 8:53:07 AM PST by bmwcyle (McCain had no honor when he failed to defend Sarah Palin, Leno was not enough)
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To: GonzoII

She looks like she would fit right in with “Code Pink”.


26 posted on 12/07/2008 9:36:53 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: GonzoII; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

29 posted on 12/07/2008 10:36:29 AM PST by narses (http://www.theobamadisaster.com/)
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To: GonzoII
Pinged from Terri Dailies


30 posted on 12/07/2008 11:00:09 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: GonzoII; 185JHP; 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

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31 posted on 12/07/2008 11:05:11 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: GonzoII
Even though she was an advocate of "more children from the fit, less from the unfit," she had only three children, and paid relatively little attention to them.

As her son Grant stated, "Mother was seldom around. She just left us with anybody handy and ran off we didn't know where."

Why am I NOT surprised?

41 posted on 12/07/2008 3:21:18 PM PST by GOPJ (Perverse incentives birth nasty unintended consequences.)
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To: GonzoII
I have been aware of Margaret Sanger and her eugenicist views since college. Our pro-life group, did attempt to educate other members and students about her.

Interestingly, in many way, her vision produced the opposite of what she intended. The people she would deem unfit, are reproducing at higher rates than people she would deem fit. We are contracepting ourselves out of existence, to such a degree that our politicians seem to think we need a large influx of immigrants both legal and illegal, many of whom again,Sanger would also deem unfit.

45 posted on 12/07/2008 9:38:16 PM PST by TAdams8591 (Still waiting........ Finn)
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To: GonzoII

Eugenics bump.


46 posted on 12/07/2008 10:53:03 PM PST by Fichori (I believe in a Woman's right to choose, even if she hasn't been born yet.)
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To: GonzoII
For Sanger, the "lack of balance between the birth rate of the 'unfit' and the 'fit,'" was "the greatest present menace to civilization"...

Well, this is exactly correct...it just doesn't have anything in particular to do with race. ;)

49 posted on 12/08/2008 7:59:04 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word." -- Robert Heinlein)
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To: GonzoII

With the Left’s penchant for waiting to apologize for every racist person, action, or event in America’s past, when is Planned Parenthood going to lead by example and step up to the plate to acknowledge Margaret Sanger(who I like to call the KKK’s favorite feminist)’s racism and apologize for it.....

Waiting......

Still waiting.......


57 posted on 12/08/2008 9:14:56 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: GonzoII
It seems to me that all Margaret Sanger did was chase the big O. Apparently, that is all she could think about. If she truly believed that all of the worlds problems could be solved by allowing people to have sex as often and as much as they wanted with as many different people as they wanted, than she was a truly warped and twisted individual.

She apparently abandoned her own children for the pursuit of sex.

It is ironic that a woman so obsessed with sex was as homely as anything.

All that birth control and the sexual revolution has wrought is nothing but bad news all around.

59 posted on 12/09/2008 6:50:53 AM PST by Mrs. Frogjerk
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To: GonzoII

The left will simply dismiss all of this off-hand. They are not interested in the truth, they are interested only in what they want to hear.

The eugenicists will succeed in destroying countless lives: the unborn, the infants, and whole families. There is absolutely no chance for human beings to stop them. We like to think that we won WWII but the truth is we lost the war before it even started. Evil runs triumphant and roughshod over the land. Things are about to get even worse in the days to come. It would take nothing less than a divine miracle to save the world.


67 posted on 12/21/2008 9:43:46 AM PST by Soothesayer (The United States of America Rest in Peace November 4 2008)
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