Vermont should “sincerely apologize and express sorrow and regret” for its deadly role in the eugenics movement 100 years prior, the state Senate decided Wednesday.
On a unanimous vote, senators gave preliminary approval to a joint resolution, J.R.H.2, that lays out the eugenics movement’s history in Vermont, the General Assembly’s role in supporting it and the harm that the movement caused to huge swaths of Vermonters.
Sen. Brian Collamore, R-Rutland, presented the bill, telling senators about the history of eugenics in Vermont, starting when eugenics was nothing more than an academic theory that was created “in the spirit of discovery.”
“It was thought that we could study everyone, from every walk of life, and determine how we could make a better stock,” Collamore said.
But with the help of laws passed by the Legislature, the eugenics movement quickly became focused on sterilization, segregation and institutionalization of any Vermonter deemed less-than, Collamore said.
Vermont, he said, removed children and adults from their families involuntarily, placed restrictions on marriage, and implemented policies and practices on a discriminatory basis.
“We did not apply these same principles of delinquency, dependency and deficiency to everyone — only the poor, those deemed by others to have defects and those who were clearly of a different ethnicity than those making the determinations,” Collamore said.
Significant harm was done, he said, in the name of human betterment.
In addition to the apology, the resolution calls on the Legislature to continue to work on eradicating the lasting legacy of its prior actions and recognize that further legislative action should be taken to address the continuing impact of state-sanctioned eugenics policies and the related practices of disenfranchisement, ethnocide and genocide.
Last month, the House also voted unanimously to approve the resolution after hours of emotional testimony from lawmakers, several of whom were brought to tears as they talked about the importance of the bill.
The Senate’s approval was less emotional but still drew overwhelming support from lawmakers on the floor.
Sen. Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden, said this issue was part of his household for decades, through his late wife’s work on disability issues. He said in the 1970s, his wife used to argue on a weekly basis in the Statehouse for reform of Vermont’s sterilization laws brought about by the eugenics movement.
“I just want to say how proud and fulfilled she would be of this apology … I think it would bring tears to her eyes at this point,” he said.
Sen. Richard McCormack, D-Windsor, said one of the most important things a person can do is tell the truth, and not just the truth about good things, but also own up to mistakes that have been made.
“Confession is good for your soul, but also, if we don’t address the bad stuff, we don’t have a good understanding,” McCormack said. “There are those who think we’re being too negative or that we’re denigrating our state or our nation by telling the truth. The fact is, eugenics happened. It was disgraceful, and we need to own it.”
