Government's weak pandemic plan is 'eugenics effort' to eliminate the disabled, says activist

Those who stand to lose the most as a result of weak governance during a pandemic are those already most marginalized. That is, the sick, the elderly, and the disabled are more likely to be negatively impacted by poor planning than younger and able-bodied folks. Heidi N. Moore, a journalist, took to Twitter to point out that the government's inadequate response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could be likened to a "eugenics effort" to eliminate the most at risk. She affirmed that it was time to bring this discourse into the mainstream, where harmful ideas such as everyone getting COVID have been normalized.

Moore tweeted in response to an article about how the pandemic killed so many dialysis patients that their total number shrunk for the first time in nearly half a century, although few people noticed. She wrote, "People in disability activism have been talking about the weak government pandemic response as a eugenics effort, to eliminate sick, old, and disabled people, and it is really time for that discussion to go mainstream." Since it was first posted, her tweet has received thousands of likes and retweets. She proceeded to share resources and insights about the nuances of government policy and how it affects the disabled.

For instance, she highlighted how downplaying the virus' effects is actually on the borderline of the same language used by eugenicists. "Note that when people downplay the viral strains or deaths, they are participating in eugenic arguments: '"Weak" people don't really matter,'" Moore wrote. "Everyone matters. Every human will experience sickness." Furthermore, the journalist discussed why it was problematic to suggest that everyone getting COVID would be a "normal" policy response. She warned, "Be aware of uses of, 'Everyone will get COVID' and, 'We can just give up.' When anyone uses, 'Everyone will get COVID,' it should mean, 'Which is why we need to be more careful and have a stronger response, because this affects millions of people.' Saying we should give up is eugenics."

Several fellow Twitter users were thankful for Moore's thread. "So true," one user responded. "As someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable (lupus and systemic sclerosis which has caused pulmonary fibrosis) and takes two different immunosuppressants to control it, we shielded as a family for 15 months. But we felt like we didn't matter." Another added, "Thanks for this thread. My brother is special-needs (elderly parents take care of him) and all of this has made me realize some people (even supposed Christians) seriously lack empathy. I have found that those who have been through hard times generally have a good heart and care." One Twitter user suggested, "Even if not a concerted eugenics effort, I believe this is happening because the sick, old, disabled, and the poor are always the first to be thrown under the bus in order to protect the interests [and] profits of the wealthy."

Therefore, it is time for our communities to take note of those most marginalized as a result of poor planning from our local and national governments. Disability activists have called on leaders to, for instance, consider the effects of lockdowns on those requiring long-term treatment. They have also highlighted the need to ensure medical resources are not fully redirected to COVID prevention. An individual with a chronic bladder condition writes for the International Disability Alliance, "I want people to know that what everyone experienced during lockdown is what it feels like to have a chronic illness. I also want them to consider that when they are gearing back to their normal life we are still suffering and not getting back to our ‘normal life’ because we can’t have access to treatments as it feels most [resources are] going into combatting COVID-19."