something to remember

that criminals and crime exist and are studied in order to further define the identity of the individual studying and the difference, and sometimes inferiority, of the studied- in this case, the incarcerated criminal. Hooton identifies himself as that human who is transcending the criminal and degenerative elements of society, and he believed that there existed in universities all over the country human stock worthy of particular augmentation. Of course, these people were like him in more ways than theu were not. Unfortunately, as much as Hooton seemed reluctant to condemn people of color, in his conversations about sterilization he includes those who do not develop enough personal capital, the mentally infirm and insane, as well as the criminal and physically degenerate. Who in the United States at the time was the object of isolation from resources and education, and generally socially identified as stupid and lazy? Black folks, in particular- and as much as Hooton may have tried to prevent the unfair targeting of this population, his recommendation of mass sterilization was primarily carried out against poor, uneducated women of color in the United States under sterilizaion laws.