The Tragedy of Carrie Buck: A Review of Imbeciles by Adam Cohen
by Mary Lou Bennett In his 2016 book, Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck, Adam Cohen recounts one of America’s great miscarriages of justice—the Supreme Court’s 1927 ruling in Buck v. Bell. This dark moment in history upheld a statute instituting compulsory sterilization of those deemed unfit…
Our Experience with Overturning Terrible Court Decisions
by Rachel MacNair Several US Supreme Court decisions have been horrifying. What lessons can we learn from history? Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857 Dred Scott was an enslaved man who petitioned the Court for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters, because they had been moved to a state without slavery….
The Parable of the Bridge
by Carol Crossed There was a village and a river ran through its center. Every day at 4:00 people would go to the church to pray for those who were drowning in the water. The farmers put aside their plows, the students put down their books, the mothers took their children by the hand and…
The Creativity of the Foreclosed Option
by Rachel MacNair In an episode of Star Trek, The Next Generation, the Klingon Worf was in an accident leaving him paralyzed. According to Klingon tradition, this meant he should commit ritual suicide. He was intent on doing so. The doctor was appalled. She tried to research Klingon physiology to find treatment, but Klingons had…
Movie Review: Mothers and Daughters
by Mary Bennett Mothers and Daughters boasts an impressive ensemble of stars, including Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Christina Ricci, Courtney Cox, Mira Sovino, and Selma Blair. It features interconnected stories based on the theme of motherhood – complete with the trials, heartache, and rich reward that accompany it. Rigby Gray (Selma Blair) is a photographer…
Why the Hyde Amendment Helps Low-Income Women
by Rachel MacNair In the US, the 40th anniversary of the Hyde amendment’s first passage was September 30, 2016. The amendment is a legislative provision that taxpayers, especially through the Medicaid program, don’t pay for most abortions. Medicaid provides health care for low-income people and goes state-by-state, so when the amendment passed, some states immediately stopped funding, but…