When I first heard about this reading and part of unknown history, I was very shocked! I can't believe that this went on for 50 years, without the media hearing about it. I mean how did the media and other sources not hear about this "experimentation" down in Alabama.
I also found it weird that these "doctors" tested only African-Americans and not Whites. I think they tested AAs because they are inferior to us. They had these men go through very painful exams. It was interesting that President Clinton apologized for what happened nearly 5 decades ago on behalf of the citizens and US government.
Now that I think about it, why was this tested only on men, and not women. I thought it was also racist that they tested AA men, just because of the myth that they have long penises and are very sexually active.
What happened in this article, and history, is exactly what this class is about...history of authority over people!!! I mean that they made the decisions for their patients, based on their own decisions, and not what was best for the patients!! The doctors even denied the AA men treatment from these surgeries.
Overall, this article, and part of history, was a very interesting story to read about.
~Chad S.
I also found it extremely surprising that this specific experiment has gone so far underneath the radar until now. I myself had not heard of this experiment until last weeks class. I can certainly agree that testing exclusively African Americans was completely racist. However I believe that the true crime in this instance was not of racial violation, but a violation of human rights in general.
ReplyDeleteWhen the experiment was occurring do you think that the media would have exposed it? I feel as though we have this image of the media as being an all knowing source and we forget that they are holding out on so much! You are absolutely correct in that history is authority over people. I don't think people realize how much the media controls our perceptions on just about everything.
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