War on the Weak: Eugenics in America

NHD Documentary on the Eugenics movement. Senior Division. 2007. Second revision. I placed third at the Florida state level. Following the theme "Triumph & Tragedy", this documentary depicts the U.S. Eugenic legislation throughout the early 20th Century and chronicles the compulsory sterilization faced by many Americans. "War on the Weak" continues to analyze negative eugenics by discussing the U.S. Supreme Court case of Buck v. Bell. Furthermore, the parallels present among U.S. and Nazi ideologies on the nature of eugenics are presented, along with an exposition on the affinity Nazi scientists had for U.S. eugenics laws. The documentary concludes with a look at modern genetic research and leaves the viewer with the hopeful message of a society free of ailments but warns of the dangers on science that is not kept in check with the moral values of humanity. Director: Liam Dunaway