Schlissel agrees to rename CC Little Building

[Michchamp]

link:

"The committee emphasized that Little?s support and participation in these campaigns had serious negative consequences noting that ?his 1920s campaign for eugenic measures while University President ? immigration restriction, sterilization of the ?unfit,? anti-miscegenation laws ? and the 1950s campaign sowing doubt about the links between smoking and cancer negatively affected the lives of millions,?? Schlissel?s statement read."​

Good. I didn't know any of that, but it sounds really bad, and I'm surprised it took this long.

They decided to also clear up one more while they're at it:

Schlissel also requested the West Quad Residence Hall?s Winchell House be renamed due to Alexander Winchell?s, a professor at the University in the late 1800s, racist academic studies at the University.

Winchell was a professor of engineering, physics and geology as well as a regent during his time at the University. While at the University, he published many academic pamphlets and papers that connected brain power to race and claimed white individuals were positioned to be the superior race.​

Yikes?

My understanding is that prior to the mid 1960's, UM had a reputation of being incredibly conservative and indeed was incredibly conservative & behind the times.

 

[Gulo Blue]

link:

"The committee emphasized that Little?s support and participation in these campaigns had serious negative consequences noting that ?his 1920s campaign for eugenic measures while University President ? immigration restriction, sterilization of the ?unfit,? anti-miscegenation laws ? and the 1950s campaign sowing doubt about the links between smoking and cancer negatively affected the lives of millions,?? Schlissel?s statement read."​

Good. I didn't know any of that, but it sounds really bad, and I'm surprised it took this long.

They decided to also clear up one more while they're at it:

Schlissel also requested the West Quad Residence Hall?s Winchell House be renamed due to Alexander Winchell?s, a professor at the University in the late 1800s, racist academic studies at the University.

Winchell was a professor of engineering, physics and geology as well as a regent during his time at the University. While at the University, he published many academic pamphlets and papers that connected brain power to race and claimed white individuals were positioned to be the superior race.​

Yikes?

My understanding is that prior to the mid 1960's, UM had a reputation of being incredibly conservative and indeed was incredibly conservative & behind the times.

Eugenics was progressive thinking back then. Telsa, H. G. Wells, Hellen Keller, Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Bertrand Russel...all pro-eugenics.

 

[thewolverines24]

I can see how people can be pro-eugenics. Do we really need more 6-8 person families of stupid or racist people? Nope.

 

[newton83]

I realize your post is tongue in cheek, tw24, but that's not really eugenics. More like thought police, which is a whole 'nother rabbit hole to go down.

 

[Michchamp]

I can see how people can be pro-eugenics. Do we really need more 6-8 person families of stupid or racist people? Nope.

No.

but I think the problem in the CC Little and Winchell cases was they were more in favor of eugenics as a means to ensure "white supremacy" than to prevent genetic disorders, or general stupidity.

But I only know what I read in the article, and am not really that up on my eugenics history

 

[thewolverines24]

I realize your post is tongue in cheek, tw24, but that's not really eugenics. More like thought police, which is a whole 'nother rabbit hole to go down.

Eugenics is controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. It kind of is thought police in its own way.

Still, I would miss seeing van seats on front porches if this ever happened. Talk about majestic curb appeal.

 

[Michchamp]

Eugenics is controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. It kind of is thought police in its own way.

Still, I would miss seeing van seats on front porches if this ever happened. Talk about majestic curb appeal.

or porch couches. don't forget those.

 

[thewolverines24]

or porch couches. don't forget those.

Also a beautiful site. A couch porch instantly raises your home's value by at least 10%.

 

[thewolverines24]

On a serious note, it's really good the university is making this move. They should find a way to name both buildings after John Beilein.

John Beilein's Super Soaker Hall
John Beilein's Crazy Subs Building

 

[newton83]

Eugenics is controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. It kind of is thought police in its own way.

Still, I would miss seeing van seats on front porches if this ever happened. Talk about majestic curb appeal.

That's interesting that you see people's mindsets and political opinions as coming from genetics. In my opinion, stupid people are not really a problem per se, but put them in a bad culture and you end up with ignorant opinions and poor life decisions. In a better situation, the same person can be a contributing member to society who supports worthy causes. Not everyone can be a doctor, lawyer, or scientist, we need people to work all of life's stations.

Unless you're talking about a future where many or most of those positions are handled autonomously, there's plenty of room for all levels of intelligence.

 

[Michchamp]

That's interesting that you see people's mindsets and political opinions as coming from genetics. In my opinion, stupid people are not really a problem per se, but put them in a bad culture and you end up with ignorant opinions and poor life decisions. In a better situation, the same person can be a contributing member to society who supports worthy causes. Not everyone can be a doctor, lawyer, or scientist, we need people to work all of life's stations.

Unless you're talking about a future where many or most of those positions are handled autonomously, there's plenty of room for all levels of intelligence.

The idea we can breed people for desirable traits kinda reminds me of Brave New World, where people are basicaly "bred" to different stations in life, based on intelligence, and are in designated classes, based on breeding.

What people don't realize is that genetics doesn't determine everything about a person, or even as much as we think and there are observable physical and mental differences even among identical twins. For example, some times one twin is left handed and the other is right. same genes though...

and I think the same goes for intelligence, which is a concept that is much harder to define.

also, "mixed breeds" are usually healthier than purebreeds, it's called "hybrid vigor" and it applies to all species not just humans.

Anyways, there are a lot of reasons why eugenics is a bad idea, as well as wrong to enforce as a matter of policy; a lot of these reasons weren't yet known or thought of in 1900.

But white supremacy was always bad, and even if it may have been more casually accepted in the past, there were always people who spoke out against it. they are the ones we should name buildings after.

 

[tinselwolverine]

The idea we can breed people for desirable traits kinda reminds me of Brave New World, where people are basicaly "bred" to different stations in life, based on intelligence, and are in designated classes, based on breeding.

What people don't realize is that genetics doesn't determine everything about a person, or even as much as we think and there are observable physical and mental differences even among identical twins. For example, some times one twin is left handed and the other is right. same genes though...

If they could both pitch, they could sneak back and forth from the mound to first base depending on the side of the plate of the hitters, and none would be the wiser.

 

[thewolverines24]

That's interesting that you see people's mindsets and political opinions as coming from genetics. In my opinion, stupid people are not really a problem per se, but put them in a bad culture and you end up with ignorant opinions and poor life decisions. In a better situation, the same person can be a contributing member to society who supports worthy causes. Not everyone can be a doctor, lawyer, or scientist, we need people to work all of life's stations.

Unless you're talking about a future where many or most of those positions are handled autonomously, there's plenty of room for all levels of intelligence.

Again, someone taking my smart ass comment way too seriously.

I'm sure your mostly commenting on me saying eugenics is kind of thought police in its own way, which it is. I didn't say it is exactly like thought police, but controlled breeding could be used to create a very similar group who ends up thinking alike. Basically a homogeneous group of people living in the same area who share the same values, political opinions, etc. Kind of like a mob or sheep people.

 

[Gulo Blue]

(Disclaimer: eugenics are bad and I'm trying to be just a little bit funny.)

I'm not a eugenicist, but...shouldn't we at least be studying how facebook and tinder accelerate the march towards Idiocracy?

 

[Gulo Blue]

Conspiracy theory: what if a few programmers at Tinder were big believers in eugenics?

 

[Michchamp]

Conspiracy theory: what if a few programmers at Tinder were big believers in eugenics?

they would probably fuck up the algorithm anyway.

but isn't tinder eugenics in a way already? most users are like 20-30 something yuppies, right?

 

[Gulo Blue]

they would probably fuck up the algorithm anyway.

but isn't tinder eugenics in a way already? most users are like 20-30 something yuppies, right?

You just use Cambridge Analytica to figure out things like who is probably very serious about birth control and make sure the people that aren't only match with people that are. Easy Peasy.

 

[Michchamp]

You just use Cambridge Analytica to figure out things like who is probably very serious about birth control and make sure the people that aren't only match with people that are. Easy Peasy.

uh... wait waht?

 

[rumseyhouse77]

Eugenics is an example of the use and twisting of science to explain and justify a view of the world. Racists used it to explain and justify why their race is superior to other races and why discrimination and extermination of other inferior races was right and justified.