I came across this designed object that is a propaganda machine, literally.
“A popular 1926 exhibit from the American Eugenics movement reads, “Some people are born to be a burden on the rest. Learn about heredity. You can help to correct these conditions.” Five panels are displayed, with flashing lights on them.
The top one is captioned, “This light flashes every 15 seconds. Ever 15 seconds $100 of your money goes for the care of persons with bad heredity such as the insane, feeble-minded, criminals, and other defectives.”
Under “America needs less of these,” there is a light that flashes every 48 seconds—“Every 48 seconds a person is born in the United states who will never grow up mentally beyond that stage of a normal 8 year old boy or girl”—and one that flashes every 50 seconds—“Every 50 seconds a person is committed to jail in the United States. Very few normal persons ever go to jail.”
Under “America needs more of these,” there is a light that flashes every 16 seconds—“Every 16 seconds a person is born in the United States”, and another that flashes every 7 and a half minutes—“Every 7 1/2 minutes a high grade person is born in the United States who will have ability to do creative work and be fit for leadership. About 4% of all Americans come within this class.”
These flashing-light exhibits were very popular at American eugenics exhibitions, and smaller, more portable versions were made to show everyone how rapidly all these costly and defective people were being born. These days, the eugenics movement is looked upon as a dismal part of American history that some would like to forget and others openly condemn. Few claim to want to repeat it.”
(http://www.autistics.org/library/thenandnow.html)
The autistic Terrance Cottrell Jr. (Age 8) died of suffocation while being sat upon by the minister during a prayer service to “release him from demons” 22 August 2003, Wisconsin, USA - Apparently two of the church goers were holding the boy down while the Minister was sitting on him. Note the date!
Beliefs, Ethics and does the designer should know better? I wonder if the designer who made that device, and even created a portable version, ever pondered the possibility that his design is ethically wrong despite his beliefs, assuming he agreed with the principles. Can we learn from our own mistakes? Is there a platform for sharing those mistakes? Somewhere, where designers could upload ‘misfired’ designs, things or concepts that are wrong or just don’t work.