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Margaret Sanger

Margaret Sanger Quotes

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Famous Margaret Sanger Quotes

“Apply a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation to that grade of population whose progeny is already tainted, or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring.”

MayPolicyPopulationGradesParenthoodTraitsInheritanceSegregationOffspringTaintedPlanned ParenthoodEye OpeningProgenySterilization
Book:The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger: Birth control comes of age, 1928-1939
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“The most successful educational approach to the Negro is throgh a religious appeal. We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the Minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”

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Author:Margaret Sanger
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“The third group [of society] are those irresponsible and reckless ones having little regard for the consequences of their acts, or whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped.”

PeopleThinkingShouldMindLittlesReligiousNumbersSupportDoubtGroupsFitExerciseMembersElementsNormalConsequenceThirdsRegardNo DoubtDependentRecklessIrresponsibleDiseasedPlanned ParenthoodProcreationScruples
Author:Margaret Sanger
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“In passing, we should here recognize the difficulties presented by the idea of 'fit' and 'unfit.' Who is to decide this question? The grosser, the more obvious, the undeniably feeble-minded should, indeed, not only be discouraged but prevented from propagating their kind. But among the writings of the representative Eugenists [sic], one cannot ignore the distinct middle-class bias that prevails.”

ShouldWritingKindIdeasClassMiddleFitDifficultyObviousPassingPassingsMiddle ClassRepresentativesBiasDiscouragedPlanned Parenthood
Book:The Pivot of Civilization in Historical Perspective: The Birth Control Classic
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“As an advocate of birth control I wish ... to point out that the unbalance between the birth rate of the 'unfit' and the 'fit,' admittedly the greatest present menace to civilization, can never be rectified by the inauguration of a cradle competition between these two classes. In this matter, the example of the inferior classes, the fertility of the feeble-minded, the mentally defective, the poverty-stricken classes, should not be held up for emulation.... On the contrary, the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.”

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Author:Margaret Sanger
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