Yea, I Have a Goodly Heritage

Damn interesting article on eugenics, the dirty little secret that North America has swept under the rug.

"Meanwhile the founders of the newly-formed Eugenics Record Office in New York began to amass hundreds of thousands of family pedigrees for genetic research. The organization publicly endorsed eugenic practices, and lobbied for state sterilization acts and immigration restrictions. The group also spread their vision of genetic superiority by sponsoring a series of "Fitter Families" contests which were held at state fairs throughout the US. Alongside the state's portliest pigs, swiftest horses, and most majestic vegetables, American families were judged for their quality of breeding. Entrants' pedigrees were reviewed, their bodies examined, and their mental capacity measured. The families found to be most genetically fit were awarded a silver trophy, and any contestant scoring a B+ or higher was awarded a bronze medal bearing the inscription, "Yea, I have a goodly heritage."