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Margaret Sanger, "Margaret Sanger on Television Channel 13, Tucson," 27 Dec 1959.
Source: "Margaret Sanger Papers, Sophia Smith Collection
Margaret Sanger Microfilm, Smith College Collections
S72:987."
MARGARET SANGER on Television Channel 13, Tucson
December 27, 1959
1. I think President Eisenhower was
mistaken in saying that Birth Control is no part of Government policy, but is merely
a “religious question”. I believe he had insufficient information
when he made those remarks. I hope he will revise his statement.
I challenge
him to debate the issue of whether or not Birth Control is a proper part of
Government Health and Welfare policy for World Peace. I will be pleased to debate
with him at any time and place.
If he prefers to avoid a public debate, I will
be glad to confer with him, at his pleasure, about Birth Control, Family Planning
and Population Limitation for World Peace.
2. The President ought to be guided by, and put into effect, the recommendations
of the Draper Committee which he appointed. These recommendations are:
"We recommend that in order to meet more effectively the
problems of economic development, the United States (1) assist
those countries with which it is cooperating in economic aid programs, on
request, in the formulation of their plans designed to deal with the problem of
rapid population growth, (2) increase its assistance to local programs relating
to maternal and child welfare. . . . and (3) strongly support studies and
appropriate research. . . .to meet the serious challenge posed by rapidly
expanding populations. . . . .”
3. World Peace can come only if leaders and statesmen of the world, including our
President, recognize the importance of Birth Control, Family Planning, and
Population Limitation. Prime Minister Nehru, Premier Kishi, and President
Ayub, among others, recognize this
fact. They are making Birth Control part of official government services for Health
and Welfare. President Eisenhower should help these other nations, and our own
country, in a similar way to gain World Peace.
4. It is a mistake to allow Roman Catholic prelates to influence the President’s
thinking to the extent that his statements reflect their dogmatic view that Birth
Control is merely a “religious matter”, rather than a medical,
health, and World Peace benefit. The contrary declaration by the Roman Catholic officials in the United States
should not be allowed to dominate this Government’s policy in our country of free
religions where the majority of us are not Roman Catholics.
5. Families and mothers in Connecticut and
Massachusetts ought to be granted freedom to obtain medical care
from their own doctors, which includes contraceptive prescriptions.
6. The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee ought to be guided by, and to implement, the
recommendations made at its request by the Stanford Research Institute.
These recommendations are:
“. . . .There is nothing to suggest
complacency in the face of the world’s threatening population and production
problems. . . .population control will therefore become imperative; the
population problem is already acute in some parts of the world. Current
scientific developments indicate that. . .a safe, effective, and inexpensive
oral contraceptive, could soon be available if the comparatively small amount of
research now under way in this field were stepped up . . . .(p. 2)
“World hunger and population control present major long-term
international policy problems to the United States and to the other nations of
the world. . .. Some means of controlling population growth are inescapable. The
traditional means have been disease, famine and war. If other means are to be
substituted, conscious national and international policies will be required.
“Population pressures can become significant causes of social
unrest and war. In certain parts of the world overpopulation is already
prevalent, and new approaches to the problem are urgently required. While some
$30 billion are spent each year on the worldwide attack on mortality, only a few
million dollars are allocated to programs which affect birth rates. A possible
approach would be for the U.S. Government to study. . . .the possibility of
providing research funds to certain foreign agencies and laboratories. . . for
the large-scale human testing of devices, which is so necessary but difficult to
conduct without adequate cooperation and funds. In this way those governments
and peoples that feel the problem to be acute would be enabled to speed up their
quest for the physical, biological, and social knowledge needed to check
population growth by means other than disease, famine, and war.” (p. 40)
Subject Terms:
Copyright, Margaret Sanger Project
