Forced Sterilization of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Protection or Dehumanization?

The civil rights of individuals with development disabilities have been a great challenge to protect throughout the United States’ history. The United States has not held the protection of this population’s civil rights with proper priority. The country’s actions towards the population of individuals with development disabilities carried into the 20th century, when individuals with mental disabilities were involuntarily sterilized in the name of eugenics. Currently, the goal of the sterilization of this population is for their protection, yet forced sterilization continues to be a questionable practice in regards to ethics. In this paper, I will claim that the forced sterilization of individuals with developmental disabilities is unethical on the basis of the intrinsic worth and dignity of all people. Forced sterilization of individuals with developmental disabilities objectifies the individual and denies their dignity. It infringes on their autonomy and leads to an erosion of human rights; such as those protected in the United States Declaration of Independence. This paper outlines the history of the sterilization of individuals with developmental disabilities and the effect it has had in relation to the eugenics movement as it swept through the United States into current day. Opposing views are given a voice. The paper concludes with the effects which taking away a person’s most basic civil rights has on any society. Part of Bioethics Colloquiu

Social Media Advocacy

Our research project’s purpose is to inform the local community on the ethics and effectiveness as well as the exploitive power of using social media to promote international and domestic causes. We will educate the public and professionals on the responsible use of social media in advocacy and the consequences of its misuse. We will achieve this goal by researching social media movements and their lasting effects in academic journals and major news outlets. We will then share these findings in a presentation, educating our audience and providing them with the knowledge necessary for responsible use. The presentation will compare, contrast and analyze four international campaigns conducted over social media, resulting in various outcomes. The campaigns are the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Kony 2012, the #FirstWorldProblems Hashtag Killer by Water is Life ,and #bringbackourgirls