Bad laws in our nation ruled by law: Buck v. Bell (eugenics)

This is the second of Casey Sullivan’s 13 worst Supreme Court decisions–one I’d never heard of. And it is awful.

2. Buck v. Bell (1927): “Eugenics? Yes, please!” the Court declared in this terrible decision which still stands as good law. In an 8-1 decision written by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Court upheld the forced sterilization of those with intellectual disabilities “for the protection and health of the state.” Justice Holmes ruled that “society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind” and ended the opinion by declaring that “three generations of imbeciles are enough.”

Notice: Sullivan said this “terrible decision…still stands as good law.” Where? In Virginia. How on earth?

Here’s more on the SCOTUS monstrosity called Buck v Bell.

This entry was posted in Law, suits and order, Politics, The Facts of Life and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.