My presentation was on the history of the treatment of the retarded and genetically impaired in Europe. In this presentation write- up paper, I would like to discuss the main points of my presentation, important facts and statistics related to my presentation, a summary of the feedback from the class and my reaction to the feedback.

Some of the main points of my presentation were the definition of eugenics and the eugenics movement throughout Europe. The countries that I discussed in my presentation were Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, and Germany. The reason why I chose these specific countries in Europe is because I found the most information on them. The way these countries mistreated the retarded and genetically impaired was by passing sterilization laws, utilizing marriage restriction, forced commitments in psychiatric hospitals, and homicide. All of these countries were in favor of the eugenics movement. They all believed that the retarded and genetically impaired were inferior and that they should not reproduce. They believed that sterilization was a humane way to prevent crippling disabilities that they believed to be genetic. Not only did these countries sterilize and kill the genetically impaired but they also performed experiments to those in psychiatric hospitals.

There were also important facts and statistics that I brought up during my presentation. In Sweden, 60,000 people were forcibly sterilized. A 1943 to 1953 experiment showed that 400 mentally retarded patients were forced- fed sweets and soft bread to see how fast their teeth would rot. In Czechoslovakia, many gypsy women were sterilized up until 1990. In Germany, the Nazi’s sterilized 320,000 people between 1933 and 1939, and two million by 1945. They also killed six million Jews, 750,000 gypsies, and 70,000 psychiatric patients. Sweden ended their sterilization law in 1976, Denmark in 1946, Norway in 1976, Czechoslovakia in 1990, and Germany in 1945. The reason why these countries ended their sterilization laws is because the eugenics movement has changed the way they treat the genetically impaired. Now many countries use gene therapy, genetic testing and screening to help change genetic problems.

Most of the feedback I got from the class was positive. A lot of people said that I had a lot of information and the points that I brought up were good. A lot of people were surprised to learn that the eugenics movement didn’t happen that long ago and that it is still going on in China with their new sterilization law. Some suggestions that I got were that I should have initiated the discussion, and that I should have used more visual aides.

A couple of people also asked me questions. One person asked me what caused the countries to revoke their sterilization laws. The reason why these countries revoked their sterilization laws was because of new gene therapy, and genetic testing and screening. Another person asked me if eugenics is going on in other parts of the world today. The only place that I found information on was China with their new sterilization law. Another person asked me how I feel about students with mental disabilities being placed in regular classrooms. My response to that is that I feel that students should be placed in the least restrictive environment. If students with mental disabilities can function in a regular classroom, then I think they should be placed there.