The Collegian

A country led by a twisted, warped dictator bent on enacting deadly change. A government whose dangerous and murderous policies are established to make the change efficient and effective. A world recognized medical community whose many members disregard their Hippocratic oath and whose work became synchronized to suit the policies and ideologies of the country's government. A world that refuses to believe and intervene leaving approximately seven and a half million people to die. Sounds like an interesting movie doesn't it? However, the Holocaust was real life and it took place more than 60 years ago.

Research is still being conducted on this era and new findings are continually being introduced. On September 9, South Carolina State University hosted Dr. Patricia Heberer, a noted historian from the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Heberer presented another aspect of the Holcaust, "The Medical Profession in the Nazi Era."

Heberer's lecture provided enlightenment about the role of the Nazi Government in establishing policies based upon theory of eugenics; the idea that only healthy individuals must live and be allowed to reproduce. The "unhealthy", on the other hand, had to be sterilized and/ or eliminated. "Unhealthy" individuals were seen as persons who had mental disorders, physical disabilities and even old age or hereditary mental illnesses. Hence, as explained by Dr. Heberer, the Compulsory Sterilization Act and the Euthanasia Program were established to deal with these "problems" within the German community.

The latter was first established in the 1930's. However, in the 1940's there was a shift from sterilization to elimination and this is when the Euthanasia Program was established to enact mass murders of "unhealthy" indivduals including children. These programs were closely linked to the German medical community. This is because many doctors, nurses and other health workers implemented the policies in hospitals, clinics and concentration camps. It is interesting to note that these policies affected the entire German population and not just the Jewish people.

Hitler wanted to establish the perfect and pure "Aryan" race at any cost. Though the lecture was not well attended, those who were not there definitely missed out on an extremely interesting learning experience. Kudos must also be given to the department of Social Sciences and Dr. Carol Apt for their role in making this event happen. I encourage everyone to try to attend the next time.

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