Sanger quote taken out of context

Clinton Reed has continued the tradition of academic inaccuracy that is quickly becoming the trademark of Boston University Right to Life (“Search for facts about abortion,” April 14, pg. 7). In Reed’s letter, he stated that Margaret Sanger “professed racist and eugenic views” and he attempted to frame her as such using a quote. Perhaps if Mr. Reed had adequately researched his own “facts,” he would have found that the quote he used in his letter is taken completely out of context and actually debases his entire argument. Here are the actual words of Margaret Sanger in a 1939 letter to Clarence J. Gamble, M.D.:

“It seems to me from my experience … in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, that while the colored Negroes have great respect for white doctors, they can get closer to their own members and more or less lay their cards on the table … They do not do this with the white people, and if we can train the Negro doctor at the clinic, he can go among them with enthusiasm and with knowledge, which, I believe, will have far-reaching results … His work, in my opinion, should be entirely with the Negro profession and the nurses, hospital, social workers, as well as the County’s white doctors. His success will depend upon his personality and his training by us. The minister’s work is also important, and also he should be trained, perhaps by the Federation, as to our ideals and the goal that we hope to reach. We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs.”

Clearly, Reed has never researched Sanger’s writing or visited the collection of Sanger’s writing at Smith College, as he suggested readers do. Perhaps a visit to Smith College is in order for Reed and the rest of BU Right to Life.