The Conference made
evident the fact that in every field of scientific and social endeavour
the most penetrating thinkers are now turning to the consideration of
our problem as a fundamental necessity to American civilization. They
are coming to see that a QUALITATIVE factor as opposed to a QUANTITATIVE
one is of primary importance in dealing with the great masses of
humanity.
Certain fundamental convictions should be made clear here. The programme
for Birth. Control is not a charity. It is not aiming to interfere in
the private lives of poor people, to tell them how many children
they should have, nor to sit in judgment upon their fitness to become
parents. It aims, rather, to awaken responsibility, to answer the demand
for a scientific means by which and through which each human life may
be self-directed and self-controlled. The exponent of Birth Control, in
short, is convinced that social regeneration, no less than individual
regeneration, must come from within. Every potential parent, and
especially every potential mother, must be brought to an acute
realization of the primary and individual responsibility of bringing
children into this world. Not until the parents of this world are given
control over their reproductive faculties will it be possible to improve
the quality of the generations of the future, or even to maintain
civilization at its present level. Only when given intelligent mastery
of the procreative powers can the great mass of humanity be aroused to
a realization of responsibility of parenthood.
Pages:
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36