Carrie Buck - 1501 Words

An Analysis on Stephan Jay Gould Buck versus Bell 274 U.S. 2000 (1927) was the United States Supreme Court ruling that upheld a statue instituting compulsory sterilization of the unfit, including the mentally retarded â€Å"for the protection and health of the state.† (Holmes) It was largely seen as an endorsement of negative eugenics which is the attempt of science to improve the human race by eliminating â€Å"defectives† from the gene pool. (Elof) Paul Lombardo argues (in N.Y.U. Law Review, April 1985, 60(30):30-62) that the Buck case was a milestone in government power over individual rights. (Lambardo) In his essay â€Å"Carrie Buck’s Daughter: a popular, quasi-scientific idea can be a powerful tool for injustice,† Stephen Jay Gould attacks†¦show more content†¦Gould also made a reference to the ballad â€Å"Barbara Allen†. The ballad was about two lovers who were united only in their deaths which is similar to what has happened to the mother and child in the Buck case. Carrie and Vivian Buck were reunited when they were already dead. Gould’s tone during this part was a person who mourns as if the two people were related to him. He was so disappointed in what happened in their lives and was disappointed that because of the injustice done by the government we see the end of the Buck lineage with Vivian. Stephen Jay Gould is one unique writer. What distinguishes Gould from other writers is that he has taken his work beyond academia and into everyday life. He takes certain aspects of information in history or in any topic that appeal to a general audience and makes them relevant to the here and now. Gould uses his unique style to condense the key contributions of influential figures into a single essay. He also uses his own seemingly mundane experiences to make larger points. In this essay, one could see that readers will be enthralled to read from the very first page. He uses ordinary language but this does not mean that the depth of his words and thoughts would suffer. One can also see that he uses different perspectives in looking at the problem and not just contained in his expertise. He definitely succeeded in this persuasion essay if what he really wants was to open the eyes of the publicShow MoreRelatedBuck V. Bell Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesSupreme Court case of Buc k v. Bell Margaret Rios July 9, 2013 The Buck v. Bell case began when Carrie Buck was seventeen and claimed that she was raped by J.T. and Alice Dobbs son and turn out to be pregnant. So when that happened a test revealed that Carrie had da mind of a nine year old which was consider being feeblemindedness. Her mother was also tested and considered to be feeblemindedness because her test revealed that she had the mind of an eight year old. Carrie and her mother were sentRead MoreThe Case Buck Versus Bell1507 Words   |  7 PagesMany people have heard of the case Buck versus Bell. This was a land mark supreme court case in 1927. This case basis is eugenics, which is the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding. Most people today would disagree with this on premise alone. In the case Buck versus Bell the decision being heard was can doctors sterilize patients that were feeble minded or have epilepsy. As Carrie’s story unfolds you will see not only is feeble minded a broad term She was wronge d not onlyRead MoreA Landmark Surgery1619 Words   |  7 Pages At approximately 10:30 AM on the 19th of October 1927 Carrie Buck was escorted back to her room to begin the short recovery period she was required to take after having had an inch of flesh removed from each of her Fallopian tubes with the loose ends then being professionally and caringly cauterized and sutured closed. This woman had just undergone a landmark surgery, not because of the highly technical aspects of the surgery, or anything of the sort, but rather because the entire procedure hadRead MoreThe Supreme Court Case Of Buck Vs. Bell1014 Words   |  5 PagesBuck vs. Bell The Supreme Court case of Buck v. Bell in 1997 is a lawsuit in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Virginia law that offered the eugenic sterilization for individuals regarded genetically unfit. The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Virginia’s statute regarding sterilization provided the basis for enactment of similar laws across the United States and subsequent sterilization of 65,000 Americans without their approval or that of their family members. Notably, the ruling of thisRead MoreThe Welfare Of Society During The 1920 S2016 Words   |  9 Pageswas supported by many, became the best known solution to this rising problem during this time period (Cynkar 1981). Buck vs Bell is an example of the fight against sterilization laws that ultimately made its way to the United States Supreme Court. Many states had eugenic laws that were in force long before the Supreme Court case, but revisions were made after the ruling of Buck vs. Bell (Nourse 2016). Historically, this court case rested on many issues that were seen as acceptable at the timeRead MoreEugenics : The Best Race And Are It Determined By Our Genes?1083 Words   |  5 Pagesfeeble-minded were frail and the fit were better products of society. This article also spoke on Sterilization and the case study regarding it that reached to the highest justice power of the United States. The Supreme Court (Buck vs. Bell 1927) gave the state rights to sterilize Carrie Buck of Lynchburg, Virginia because â€Å" at the age of seventeen she had been institutionalized, the child of a feeble-minded mother and the mother to an illegitimate daughter of her own† (Quinn, p. 1). She had refused to beRead MoreEssay about Buck versus Bell3633 Words   |  15 PagesBuck versus Bell During the early twentieth century, the United States was enduring significant social and economic changes due to its transformation into a commercial and industrial world power. As the need for labor escalated within many urban areas, millions of Europeans emigrated from Southern and Eastern Europe with the hopes of capitalizing upon these employment opportunities and attaining a better life. Simultaneously, many African-Americans migrated from the rural South into major citiesRead MoreForced Sterilization And Its Effects On Society1711 Words   |  7 Pagesof the connection with the genocidal policies of Nazi Germany, though a significant number of sterilizations continued in a few states through the 1970s. In the case of â€Å"Buck vs. Bell†, Carrie Buck was forcibly sterilized at the age of 21 after the U.S. Supreme Court declared compulsory sterilization laws constitutional. Carrie was 18 years old in 1924 and was in and out of foster homes. One of the family members that lived in the foster home forcibly raped her. When she named the perpetrator asRead More Eugenics: Breeding and Improving Human Genetics Essay1704 Words   |  7 Pageswere contamination threats to the superior race. The culture believed this to be correct. In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell ordered the sterilization of Carrie Buck, destroying her fundamental reproductive freedom on the grounds that she was part of a family that yielded 3 generations of imbeciles . Fifty-three years later, a follow up revealed that Carrie lived a normal quality of life. According to Kitcher, Nazi practices of discriminatory eugenics can be avoided with his modelRead More Pearl S. Buck - A Modern Day Hero Essay2921 Words   |  12 Pages Pearl S. Buck - A Modern Day Hero Introduction A friend of mine gave me a copy of The Good Earth as a birthday gift. Until then, I had never heard of the literary masterpiece or the author, Pearl S. Buck. The story captivated me. I found myself engrossed in the story of the poor farmer Wang Lung whose love for his land allowed him to overcome many odds including famine, flood and a revolution. Through hard work and dedication, Wang Lung became one of the wealthiest landowners in the Anweih province