The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-30
RACE CULTURE

through gas chambers and other
wise eliminates men, women and
children considered undesirable,
the rest Of the world begins to
wonder. We also wonder about
the German plan of mating young
men and women according to ply
steal and mental fitness.
We hear some practical minded
people approving such acts. We
hear others opposed, like DR.. Leo
Hammer, associate professor OF
psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Unit
versity, for example, who says
our culture would collapse in a
month if the feebleminded were
eliminated. They do the mental
dirty work freeing the more in
telligent for tasks that require
greater creative ability
He says Adolf Hitler has In
few years brought infinitely more
disaster and suffer ng TO the world
than have all the innumeraDle men,
tai detectives of all countries and
generations combined, and that
no mental defective, or group OF
them. has ever been responsible for
the destruction OF civilization or
the retardation OF il. He world
provide education and vocational
opportunities for the feebleminded.
Those who advocate mercy kill
ings, he says, fohow the line OF
reasoning that idiots have no So
tial value, that they are a drain
on the taxpayers pQcketbook, so, OF
with their heads.
A trustworthy German has esti-
mated that Herr Hitler has order
ed the destruction OF 100 900 mental
detectives. We wonder whether
the German nation is improved,
ennobled. made more civilized by
inflicting what hey choose to
call mercy deaths on the feeble
minded.
For those whose intelligence
quotient promotes them to the rank
OF morons, the expedient OF sterili-
cation has been reserved This Of
ten seems a desirable procedure.
Much neglect and ill-treatment OF
children would be forestalled il
persons intellectually or emotion
ally UNIT TO bear children could be
sterilized. But il brings the prac-
teal phase Of race culture squarely
against the viewpoint OF the church.
The one recalls the cid Spartan
communism where suffering was a
foremost requirement, where boys
early became charges OF the state,
were forced to steal and beaten.
sometimes TO death. IL they we're
caught. where warfare was well
coined by youth Because an army in
action was favored and well fed.
The primary aim was to build a
hardy nation OF men and women
stronger than any other. It was
a case Of survival OF the fttest.
The weak fell by the wsyside early
in life.
The viewpoint OF the church and
OF the people Of the United States
is quite the opposite Medical sci
ence has made possible phenomenal
Advancement OF the life span and
reduction in the infant death rate
We are still working to that end
with the belief that human life
should be preserved.
II we are right in this belief We
should strive TO find a way to pro-
long life not onl3 against divine
but against aggression OF war
minded dictstors We are in
the midst Of such a test now.
Victory requires an sll-out. FIRM
ly united effort We must buy
more bonds and speed up produc-
ton in order that the men in the
field and on the sea and In the
air may not be handicapped in
their struggle for peace and free
dom.
It's easy TO say the weak should
be removed. but the easy way IS
not always the best