In 1934, a little film titled Tomorrow’s Children was made. It revolved around the policy of sterilization of the poor, the addicted, the mentally ill/challenged. The film opened in a courtroom, where a judge is dispensing justice, by ordering the sterilization of a petty thief, and the release of an obviously psychotic young man whose father is prominent in the community.

Over at Charleston.net, comes this little piece of retro justice:

Charleston’s Councilman Larry Shirley says the robbery of a downtown video store - allegedly by a band of kids, including one too young to be charged - is a sure sign society has gone awry, and it’s time to start a “dialogue.”

And one of the things he says needs to be talked about is whether bad parents should be sterilized.

What constitutes bad parenting? in 1934, the criteria was social rank or how many “retards” a family had. Fortunately for the residents of Charleston City, SC, it is only the good councilman Larry Shirley who is batshit.According to the councilman, it is not about race, but “bad parents”saying ” the only difference between the East Side holdup and the WandoHigh School students who were charged with a string of robberies isthat “Mount Pleasant parents have the money to get lawyers for theirthugs.” It should be also pointed out, that he advocates the parents would do the time if the child is too young to go to trial…

That’s nice, but you know damn well which part of the city one resides in will determine what gets snipped.

Returning to the film, the day before the thief is to have his surgery, the doctor comes in , and explains the procedure, complete with illustrations. The thief, once he realizes he can’t father kids, id all for it. On the flip side, a decision has been made to sterilize the only responsive member of one family, because her parentsare drunks, and her brother is a bit slow. Eugenics in America. Turnsout,t he reason she is normal, is that she is adopted. But you don’t find that out till she’s just about to be sterilized.

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