Helen Keller Advocated for Euthanizing Disabled Children
As shocking as it may sound, Helen Keller– the woman who became famous for graduating college and writing a book despite being both blind and deaf- actually believed that disabled children should be euthanized. This is mind-boggling, considering that she is disabled herself. She proved to everyone that it’s possible to have a fulfilling life despite her difficulties.
In 1915, there was a famous case of a child who was born severely deformed. The doctor refused to perform surgery on the baby, because he felt it was more merciful to let the infant die than for it to live a life being disabled. This caused a huge uproar in society, with the majority of people arguing that the child had the right to live. But Helen Keller said that most people were spouting “cowardly sentimentalism”, and that she believed the child deserved to die.
