Posted: 1/4/2008 at 11:30 AM
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I must confess a constant paranoia of mine: Being exterminated because the rest of the AB-world has deemed me as unworthy of life. I worry quite often over the following scenario where some grand counsel has decided that since I'm a drain on society and cost more than I'm worth, and then bam, they shoot me dead. Now, this ridiculous paranoia naturally stems from the evil Nazi-era, where they went through with my greatest fear.
In the late 1930's after Hitler game into power, German citizens were asked by the Government to voluntarily give their disabled children over to them, to be euthanized (which they persuaded the Germans into thinking was for the best for their children). But the Government wasn't happy with just the children. Soon, disabled Germans living in Government-run institutions were being murdered under falsified reasons (secretly dubbed the "T4 Program"). Thousands of German families began receiving letters explaining that their family member had died of Pneumonia or some other fatal disease of the time, along with an urn (containing fake ashes).
Doctors and nurses all working at these institutions were forced to carry out these murders. It was a horrible, horrific time for these poor disabled souls. People of a variety of disabilities, ranging from genetic disorders, to paralysis, to deaf and blindness, to mental retardation, were all deemed "life unworthy of life," and put to death, being that they could never get better. Can you imagine how scary it would have been for a high-quad who's bed-ridden, yet highly aware of what was going on, knowing he was going to be put to death but not being able to run-away, stuck in his bed as if were a jail? The horror must have been suicide-inducing.
Now, not all disabled citizens were killed. Only the ones in institutions were, as they were at the whimsy of the Government. If you were lucky enough to live at home with family who took it upon themselves to care for you, you couldn't be killed. The Government was ruthless, but they didn't go so far to barge down people's house's doors and whisk their disabled relatives away. But if they did, perhaps that would've been the final straw and the Germans might have actually risen up against Hitler? Who knows in the end.
The Government by the end of the war stopped the program altogether after German soldiers were returning home injured, and therefore disabled, and they realized they couldn't very well kill these men too. Their argument against the disabled had finally revealed it's biggest fallacy: We all become disabled by the end of our lives. We can't kill everyone. Oh these moronic, short-sighted Germans. Hell, Joseph Goebbles had a club foot and it was rumored that even Hitler himself had a diagnosed mental condition. It is well documented of how the Government hid Goebbels' disability, being that he was Hitler's right-hand man.
It's been over 60 years since that Hell on earth has come and gone, but it revealed a very dark side of human nature. If it happened once, it could happen again. Part of me wants to take gun safety classes, but even then, my trigger finger is paralyzed. Maybe I should be a guard dog to be at my side 24/7. Yes, I'll make it be a German Shepard. How bittersweet that would be.
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Not just the Nazis, but there are other incidents in history where the "useless" - that's you and me - were destroyed to save the "useful" - whether they really were or not - from the trouble or discomfort of dealing with disabled people. Wow. Hard to understand, and yes, frightening.
good point, vicki. i heard the same thing is happening in north korea as we speak.
:(
Eugenics was acted upon in Germany in a horrific way, but many of its basic ideas where developed by "scientists" in the US and Great Britain, who wanted to eliminate genetic flaws from the human race. In a way, people with acquired injuries, like yourself, are at an advantage on this issue. While a person with an acquired disability can still be labeled a "drain on society" or "unworthy of life," at least they won't be considered a threat to future generations because of "bad genes!" The bad gene argument is still used alot and many people fear that genetic screening and selective abortion is our society's way of implementing a eugenic public policy. It's not as messy as Hitler's means, but the end goal seems frighteningly similar. This is a major issue that first got me excited about disability bioethics and launched my career trajectory. Thanks for the post. I had no idea Joseph Goebbles had a club foot!
crip,
thx for responding. what's your career? also, if you have netflix there's a "free" "watch instantly" documentary about goebbels, in which i learned about his club foot. its really interesting.
tiff
The elimination of the "unworthy" was the first step in the perversion of the German culture under Hitler. Once one group, any group is deemed unworthy, other groups will fall as well. This is an issue that should always be watched carefully. Who says which genes are, as PC says "bad genes". And who says which of us is economically viable. This one has always scared the hell out of me.
I'm working on a PhD in philosophy (hence the screen name) and specializing in bioethics and social-political theory. I also do a lot of volunteer disability rights activism "on the side," locally, regionally, and nationally. Definitely keeps me busy.
"Once one group, any group is deemed unworthy, other groups will fall as well."
great line, rehab. i totally agree.
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