So in my 20th Century American Lit class, we were all assigned a multi-genre project on some issue related to the 1920's and 30's. I'm taking a wide variety of notes, considering we will be required to write in all forms of literature. We are to write 6 pieces, ranging from different types of poetry, expository essays, short stories, and/or other forms of writing. There were many choices, such as prohibition, fashion, organized crime, jazz music, women's vote.
I chose to write about the changing role of women in American society at that time, including the suffragists, feminists, flappers. all women. I was looking through book after book in the library, trying to find some type of information I could use for my project. Today I was skimming through a women's history book, and came across the name Margaret Sanger.
AKA founder of planned parenthood.
She was an advocate for birth control, and devoted most of her life to raising awareness about it and trying to make women able to know more about their bodies, since physicians at that time were not allowed to give out any form of birth control or give women any education on sex. Sounds like a good cause, eh? Welllll.....
The organization now known as Planned Parenthood has a fairly respectable name. At least in my school. But why wouldn't the teens like it? During a lecture at Ramona High School in CA, a speaker told the kids, "At Planned Parenthood you can also get birth control without the consent or knowledge of your parents. So, if you are 14, 15 or 16 and you come to Planned Parenthood, we won't tell your parents you've been there. We swear we won't tell your parents." Nice morals. If teenage sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, why are they hiding it from the parents?
Now I know not everyone has conservative values, or thinks that sex outside marriage is wrong. But birth control and abortion (two things that PP is in full support of) is simply murdering kids. Even their leading lady Margaret knew it herself.
"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
Margaret Sanger, Women and the New Race
(Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)
On the PP website, it gives a tribute to Sanger, and even talks about her efforts to help the negro race. But it's interesting how her views were similar to Hitler's.
"The campaign for birth control is not merely of eugenic value, but is practically identical with the final aims of eugenics."
Margaret Sanger. "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda." Birth Control Review, October 1921, page 5.
PP supporters have denied all accusations that Sanger was involved in eugenics. However there are many more sources that claim she was. The only site that denied it was the planned parenthood website itself, quoting what they said was a misquote of her. There are so many other things about her and the entire idealogy behind planned parenthood that isn't right. I probably won't ever be able to use any of this information about PP in my Lit class since it's not related to the 20's, but i got curious so i did a little research.
That's my rant for the night.
