Conservative pundit and CNN host S.E. Cupp is catching heat after wrongly accusing Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) of supporting eugenics, a drastic method of controlling the human population through selective breeding, according to The New Civil Rights Movement.
During CNN’s town hall on climate change Wednesday, teacher Martha Readyoff asked Sanders about rising populations and added that the planet “cannot sustain this growth,” The Hill reports.
Readyoff began by saying she realized linking population control to climate is an issue that’s “poisonous for politicians, but it’s crucial to face.”
“Empowering women and educating everyone on the need to curb population growth seems a reasonable campaign to enact,” Readyoff said. “Would you be courageous enough to discuss the issue and make it a key feature of a plan to address climate catastrophe?”
Sanders answered in the affirmative.
“Well Martha, the answer is yes,'” he said.
“The answer has everything to do with the fact that women in the United States of America, by the way, have a right to control their own bodies, and make reproductive decisions,” he said.
The senator’s comments were met with applause.
Citing the Mexico City Agreement (also called the “Global Gag Rule”) “which denies American aid to those organizations around the world that allow women to have abortions or even get involved in birth control is totally absurd,” the Vermont senator said.
“So I think, especially in poor countries around the world where women do not necessarily want to have large numbers of babies, and where they can have the opportunity through birth control to control the number of kids they have, is something I very, very strongly support.”
Here's why Bernie Sanders is talking about birth control at a #ClimateTownHall https://t.co/u9qL17mflS pic.twitter.com/uEZQcPh2Ar
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 5, 2019
But Sanders’ comment caused Cupp to go off the deep end and accuse Sanders of promoting eugenics and abortion.
Let’s just state for the record: talking about needing “population control” through ABORTION for the sake of CLIMATE is talking about EUGENICS. The fact that @BernieSanders is willing to entertain this vile idea is not only disgusting, it should be disqualifying.
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) September 5, 2019
How do you not say unequivocally “NO” to the question of whether you support the idea of “curbing population growth” through abortion to reduce climate change??? Well, watch. This is apparently how. https://t.co/z5G7PCjJRe
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) September 5, 2019
According to Vocabulary. com, eugenics is described as:
“…the idea that you can engineer a better human population by breeding for certain genes. Since such a program would entail ranking human beings and the desirability of their genes, eugenics is considered widely unethical.”
Understandably this philosophy fell widely out-of-favor when Nazi Germany provided a shameful example of eugenics at work.
Cupp is completely in the wrong here. Sanders never says one word about genetics and never suggests we should even practice something like this. And more than a few Twitter users called Cupp out for her absurd suggestions.
To be fair he said yes to talking about it the topic and when on to say he supports a woman’s right to control her own body. He didn’t mention climate change and population control.
— Jessica Lynn-Lato (@Jettlynnlato) September 5, 2019
When I listened to @SenSanders answer, I hear: women should have control over their reproductive rights. And that women in 3rd world countries should have birth control options, supported by US aid.
— Jody Vance (@jodyvance) September 5, 2019
That’s a gross distortion of what he said
— Mike H (@mjh08247) September 5, 2019
I certainly did not hear Bernie mention population control. Either he misinterpreted the question or he thought the framework of the question was too stupid. He stuck to his guns regarding women's rights. He should be applauded.
— Jay Schneider (@sofarfrome) September 5, 2019
It's eugenics when the state decides which pregnancies are terminated. Sanders made no such suggestion. Calm yourself, Ms Cupp.
— Daniel Curry (@dancurry61) September 5, 2019
SE…I appreciate you…but that’s NOT what he said. He is talking about contraception. Your tweet stirs up the pot in this case.
— Steven Weisman (@Stevew16000) September 5, 2019
Sanders has made climate change a key issue for his campaign and has never said one word relating to genetics. When commentators like Cupp parrot eugenics hysteria it takes the focus off of the ever-worsening climate crisis. And really, this is nearly as bad as denying climate change is real.
Featured image by CNN Politics/Twitter
