Tommy Douglas

Greatest Canadian?

Over the past while I’ve been writing an analysis of the Tommy Douglas thesis written by T. C. Douglas, in 1933, and submitted to the McMaster University Sociology Department. The analysis is in four parts:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Conclusion:

The first fact that strikes one when reading the Douglas thesis, is that it relies almost exclusively on T. C. Douglas’ rationale, and not empirical data. Although the author uses twelve families as his Subnormal Family sample, the bulk of the thesis amounts to no more than expressions of opinion. As a scholarly work it is pitifully lacking and serves only as a soapbox. It is intellectually lazy, as is evidenced by the number of contradictions found within the work itself.

The fact that Douglas used the thesis to express his personal opinions is invaluable though, not for judging the merit of the work, but for judging the man himself. After all, what better way to measure a man than by his own words expressed after some consideration; these are not off the cuff remarks. The Douglas thesis as an appraisal tool of Tommy Douglas is priceless, and it is for this reason that it has been suppressed and remains obscure.

First, we must deal with the context in which the thesis was written, namely, 1933. Much has been made by apologists that the thesis seems harsh only by modern standards. That, when taken in the 1933 context, it is what could be expected. The terminology used by Douglas, such as the use of ‘subnormal family’, ‘moron’, ‘high grade moron’ could be excused as period specific, but as we will see, the concepts as they were expressed within the thesis can not be dismissed as reasonable even given the period.

Douglas proposed, as the first and foremost solution to the subnormal family, segregation, and sterilization. These two ‘remedies’ are the most callous and inhumane of his proposals, yet they are deemed primary. Furthermore, his characterization of the subnormal is more akin to one describing animals than human beings. One could argue that ignorance and lack of experience would compel one to hold such a callous view, but we must keep in mind, that Douglas worked extensively with the poor in the United States prior to the writing of the thesis. He knew the poor intimately, he knew their loves, hates, downfalls, and strengths. And, like any compassionate person who works with any disadvantaged group, Douglas should have been moved to empathy. Yet, there is no evidence of this.

After working with the ‘subnormal’ Douglas remained clinically removed from his subjects, as if they were animals. It would seem that not even a hint of what is often called “Stockholm Syndrome” so much as touched the man. We are left with the question; did Douglas see the ‘subnormal’ as humans at all? Judging by the thesis, the answer would be, “hardly.” And, when taken in context within the period, he would be in the company of a minority of that day who saw humanity in terms of genetic classes. The chief expression of this dogma was being acted out by the Nazis in Europe at the exact time of the writing of the Douglas thesis.

Taken in context with the times, Douglas’ view cannot be excused when one considers the preceding decades of literature and leadership in compassionate outlook towards the ‘subnormal’ as expressed by liberal democrats and Christians. From Catholic to Evangelical, Christians had for at least a century been focusing on the physical welfare of the dispossessed. From missionary hospitals and schools in Africa to outreach programs tenderly caring for the poor in North American cities, Christians had led the way in viewing the poor as fellow human beings in need. And, first and foremost, even above conversion to Christianity, was the emphasis on relieving suffering. As far back as the 1700’s, liberal minded North Americans and Europeans had been hounding governments to assist the needy, stop the Indian Wars, and prevent starvation. Had it not been for these forces in fact, American Indians today would be extinct. Douglas’ own church, the Baptist denomination, often led the charge helping the lowliest.

Yet, from within the ranks of the Baptist Church and others denominations, came the likes of the KKK, and a variety of racist supremacist groups. They paid lip-service to the ‘transforming power of Christ’ yet sought to carve out for themselves a select place within humanity. Undoubtedly, Douglas falls within this faction. The fact that he suggests sterilization and segregation as the primary solutions to the subnormal place him squarely in this camp.

From my personal experience, I can attest to the divide between both groups within the Baptist Church. My grandfather was Douglas’ age. My grandfather was an ardent Evangelical Baptist, a religious teacher, and a passionate follower of the Evangelical Christian faith. Yet, my grandfather would have abhorred Douglas’ stance as taken in the thesis. My grandfather would’ve rejected outright the Douglas ‘remedies’ for the subnormal, save one, and that is that faith in Christ can transform. My grandfather, and thousands like him, lived lives full of empathy for the mentally retarded, the dispossessed, the poor, the ‘subnormal’. Yes, they may have blamed much on “sin”, but they believed that “love” and compassion were the remedy, not sterilization and segregation.

Douglas displays an amazing ability to pay lip service to the Christian doctrine, without expressing an ounce of compassion. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what kind of human being can mimic, parrot, and act out perfectly the Christian tenets, yet show no empathy for those in need. Worse yet, Douglas gave no indication that the needy were equal and worthy fellow human beings. Admittedly though, T.C. Douglas, as demonstrated in his thesis was gifted with the perfect personality for taking political power; the ability to assume any creed yet remain completely emotionally disconnected. One is left with a sense that T. C. Douglas could have been anything, as long as it propelled him forward.

Lionized in film and media, Douglas is viewed by some as the Greatest Canadian. His scandalous thesis is brushed off by the Socialist Utopian class, and these same apologists continue to raise Douglas onto a pedestal. Yet, the same class rage tirelessly against any opponent who so much as offers valid critique of any Socialist Utopian pillar. So much as a murmur of criticism against the liberal judiciary, gay marriage, universal healthcare, militant feminism, or multiculturalism, is met with outcries of “racist”, “bigot”, “imperialist”, or worse yet; not representative of “Canadian Values.” Individuals who critique socialist tenets are removed from committees, raged against in the media, and called names that should be reserved for those who… who hold views like Tommy Douglas.

It is said, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and as such it is the Socialists themselves who should have long ago nudged Tommy to the sidelines. Instead, they’ve attempted to make him into the quintessential banner bearer of Canadian Values. Some values; Some banner!

Tommy Douglas: Secret of a Demigod - Part Four

Subnormals

Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four

The final and lengthiest section of the Douglas thesis is titled ‘Suggested Remedies For The Subnormal Family.’ In it, T. C. Douglas proposes three solutions for solving the problem of the subnormal family. Ironically, given that Tommy is a demigod among Canada’s socialist class, he states that one of the impediments towards solving the subnormal family problem is that, ‘To the legislator these people represent votes…’

Douglas identifies three institutions that can have an impact in solving the subnormal family problem.

The State:

The first, is the state, or as Douglas puts it, ‘The problem of the subnormal family is chiefly one for the state.’ Legislation, physical intervention, and medical intervention are seen by the author as the most logical solutions.

He starts out by suggesting that legislating tougher marriage requirements would make it harder for subnormals to marry, and thus produce offspring. T. C. Douglas goes into great lengths describing ways in which legal impediments could be used to prevent the union of the diseased and mentally deficient. But, as Douglas laments, legislation of this sort might have little impact because subnormals are people ‘to whom the marriage bond means little.’

Next, Tommy suggests that ‘Social Segregation’ might be an effective solution to the subnormal family. After all, he states, leper colonies have been used to protect society, so why not subnormal colonies. He defines segregation as follows:

‘By segregation we mean the location of this class in a community by themselves, where the physical, mental, and moral effects listed above would no longer affect the community… Another advantage of such a segregation would be that they would become less of a public burden.’

Douglas concludes his proposition for segregation by suggesting that segregation could include the separating of subnormal men from women.

Next, the author recommends sterilization which ‘seems to meet the requirements of the situation most aptly (as it) …deprives the defective of nothing except the privilege of bringing into the world children…’

As far as sterilization being a breach of human rights, the author suggests that the sterilized could still have intercourse and would therefore be happy because, ‘this is all the defective asks.’
He goes on to suggest that only defectives would be sterilized, not all subnormals, because some subnormals are capable of raising families. Subnormals though should be given training in the use of contraceptives so that their reproduction rates can be reduced.

The School:

Douglas’ first suggestion in educating the subnormal is to place them in segregated classrooms, where the teacher could dumb down instruction to the level of the subnormal. It should be noted, that although the author’s explanation of this method lacks compassion, his suggestion is, in fact, what educational institutions have been doing for decades now. The author also suggests the preparation of a separate curriculum for subnormals; one that would focus on life skills etc. For the era, this was a novel suggestion, and one that to this day has merit. The problem with the Douglas approach though, is that had it been enacted to include all subnormals as he saw them, most all poor children would have ended up in the class for morons or severe morons.

Of interesting note is that Douglas argues in this section that subnormal children lag behind their class because the teacher instructs to the normal children. However, earlier in the thesis he argued the opposite, that subnormal children hold back the normal children because teachers teach to the level of the least intelligent pupil. If anything, the contradiction shows a particular intellectual laziness on the part of Douglas.

Finally, Douglas taxes schools with the responsibility of organizing subnormal pupils around ‘supervised play.’ By this, he means that sports and such become a large part of the subnormal curriculum. Sport, Tommy argues, is an excellent arena in which to teach teamwork, discipline, and responsibility. He argues that all children should be in ‘organized’ sports, because organized sports teach life skills. Douglas' proposition at this point is again novel, and praiseworthy.

The Church:

Tommy Douglas concludes his thesis by arguing that if segregation, sterilization, and re-education, don’t work, then perhaps the transforming power of Jesus Christ will. As an ardent Christian evangelical minister, Douglas expresses his belief that god can transform the immoral, and fix what the state and society in general can’t. His arguments are essentially those of the evangelical movement, and read like a Billy Graham sermon. The author explains that faith in Christ and forgiveness of sin can make the subnormal into normal, along with the fellowship experienced with normals, who are of course, Christian. The Douglas argument, although completely unscientific, is doctrinally sound as far as that which evangelicals espouse. His approach can be best summed up when he quotes scripture within the thesis:

‘ “ If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, behold, all things are new.” ’

What is most ironic about Tommy Douglas’ belief in the transforming power of Christ, is that it is precisely this belief that the modern socialist utopian movement berates. Rightwing Christians are a favorite whipping boy of the left, yet their godfather, T. C. Douglas, thought so much of the evangelical Christian faith, that he included it as a key pillar of his thesis.

Conclusions to Follow

Tommy Douglas: Secret of a Demigod - Part Three

Over the next while I will be posting my thoughts on the T. C. Douglas Thesis. It is, without doubt, a document that the Socialist Utopian movement within Canada wishes never existed as it explodes much of the mythology that has carefully gone into building the demigod named Tommy Douglas. Part One Part Two

Part Three

T. C. Douglas next goes into what he calls the ‘The Subnormal Family and Contributing Causes’. It is at this point in the thesis, that Douglas almost articulates a more modern view of the causes of poverty. Were it not for the fact that many academics, Christians, and Liberal Democrats throughout Europe and North America had been conveying compassionate theories about poverty for decades, the Douglas view on ‘Causes’ could easily be misinterpreted as forward thinking. In reality though, it is not, because T. C. had a wealth of literature to draw from, dating well back into the seventeenth century that blamed poverty more on discrimination and economic factors, than on the victims themselves. The movement among white protestants in the United States to protect black slaves and American aboriginals predates Douglas by a long shot.

Douglas claims that there are two major causes of poverty; heredity and environment.

In his analysis of heredity, Douglas focuses on venereal disease and other transmittable diseases. These, in fact, have nothing to do with heredity and their inclusion demonstrates the author’s ignorance or unwillingness to understand. Throughout the thesis, Douglas bemoans the fact that sexual promiscuity causes venereal disease, yet he includes venereal disease under heredity. It is a giant leap in logic to blame heredity on venereal disease, and it only makes sense when viewed from the perspective that immorality can come about via bad breeding. Although Douglas doesn’t state so outright, it is impossible to read the section on heredity without seeing the author’s attempt at drawing correlation between one’s breeding and one’s morality.

Next the author looks at environmental causes of subnormality. Here we see, for the first time, some genuine logic breaking through, as Douglas states that:

‘… the subnormal family… gives rise to the undesirable home… but it is also true that the unfavorable home reacts detrimentally upon the family.’

He goes on to describe the deplorable conditions that some ‘subnormals’ live under and suggests that it is these conditions that produce immorality (crime, prostitution, alcoholism).

‘(children) are exposed to the whole disgusting business so repeatedly that it has no stigma to them.’

As far as economic factors, T. C. Douglas puts the blame for subnormality squarely on the victims themselves. He points to poor education, lack of skills, poor housekeeping, filth, bad financial management, prostitution, and theft, as environmental factors that cause subnormal families. At no time, does the author suggest that society at large bare any responsibility. He makes it clear that subnormal families are trapped in a web of their own making, and are therefore hopelessly stuck in economic destitution.

Reading the “causes” section of the Douglas thesis is particularly painful, as one cannot help but see the complete lack of compassion that the author has for the poor. He lists and describes the horrific conditions that many of his sample group lived under, yet throughout he is sure to exonerate society as a whole and always to blame the subnormal class for their circumstance. He focuses excessively on morality, which as we know, functions as an effective way of placing the blame on the victim.

In a thesis of this kind, determining accurately the causes of poverty is the most important factor, for it is from this conclusion that remedies and solutions can be suggested. It is clear that Douglas approached the matter with his mind already made up as to the remedies, because his analysis of “cause” was shallow, heartless, unscientific, and above all intended to leave all blame with the victims themselves.

Part Four

Tommy Douglas: Secret of a Demigod - Part Two

An aged Tommy: Demigod

Over the next while I will be posting my thoughts on the T. C. Douglas Thesis. It is, without doubt, a document that the Socialist Utopian movement within Canada wishes never existed as it explodes much of the mythology that has carefully gone into building the demigod named Tommy Douglas. Part One

Part Two

In the opening section titled ‘The Problem Presented’, Douglas sets out to show that ‘subnormal families’ perpetuate immorality, physical defects, and mental subnormality and are a threat to society. He uses for his sample a group of 12 women from the town of Weyburn whom he deems ‘immoral’ or ‘nonmoral’. Douglas complains that without drastic action, the number of people depending on public charity will increase, as will immorality, mental subnormality, and physical subnormality. What is striking about the Douglas thesis is its obsession with women being the primary source of ‘morally subnormal’, ‘mentally subnormal’, and ‘physically subnormal’, manifestations. We will look at T. C. Douglas’ suggested solution in the final installment.

Douglas defines ‘moral subnormality’ as anything seen by him as a character flaw, such as sexual license, criminal records, or an ‘ugly disposition’. Mental subnormality is based on the premise that anyone who does not complete grade 6, is mentally subnormal. (Keep in mind that many normal children did not go beyond grade 6 in 1933) When referring to mental subnormality, Douglas uses terms such as ‘morons’, or ‘imbeciles’. He presents no theoretical basis for the use of these and other terms.

T. C. Douglas is most alarmed by the fact that the subnormal family reproduces at a high rate.

‘Not only are these people mentally, physically and morally subnormal, but they present an additional problem by reason of rapid growth.’

He actually goes to the trouble of charting subnormal family population growth, and couples it with the assumption that they will all be defective in some way. Through it all, Tommy Douglas laments the fact that these subnormals will require charity and civic aid and that they will infect society with undesirable traits and above all, cost.

After setting out the “problem”, Tommy Douglas lays out his idea of how the subnormal family effects society. Right from the onset, he states that the effects can be only harmful as he lays out four areas in which negative effects are felt.

‘The effects of a large indigent class, of which 20% are moral delinquents, and an even larger percentage morons, cannot but be detrimental to the community.’

First, Douglas describes how subnormals degrade the physical health of society in general. Not only do they infect themselves with venereal and other diseases, but they infect the general population. Worse yet, as Tommy laments, they infect even those who are not of low moral order.

‘Sometimes men from fairly good homes, but, who are working in the city, are accosted by these women and are in due course infected’

Throughout, Douglas focuses primarily on the female members of subnormal families for the dissemination of undesirable traits into society at large, especially venereal disease.

Then Tommy examines the mental effects and concludes that children from subnormal families lower the standard of education throughout society in general. Teachers must teach to the slowest member of the class, or so Douglas claims, and therefore an entire school can be affected by a handful of mentally subnormal children.

‘ (A) large number of subnormal children in the community cannot but have a detrimental effect on the mental standards… of the community.’

Douglas then goes into the effects of the subnormal family on the moral standards of the community. He makes the judgment right from the outset, that subnormal families have a ‘pernicious’ effect. Not only do subnormal families stimulate immorality in each other, but they spread delinquency both legal and ‘sexual’ to people from normal families. Douglas makes no effort to blame normal families for their behavior, but blames it all on those from the subnormal class.

And finally, T. C. Douglas spends much time in bemoaning the cost of maintenance that subnormal families impose on society. Of the 4 effects he describes, his lengthiest description and critique is that of the financial cost of subnormals to society.

‘… the expense of maintaining institutions for their mentally and morally defective, it must run into thousands of dollars…’

This, from the demigod of modern day socialist utopians, who believe in spending lavishly on every conceivable social program.

Part Three

Tommy Douglas: Secret of a Demigod - Part One

Reverend T. C. Douglas

It is the nature of Canadian Socialist Utopians to rewrite Canadian history by erasing those things from the Canadian fact book that don’t fit, and by creating by overemphasis or exaggerated media coverage those things that imbed Socialist Utopianism into the Canadian cultural heritage. The truth, as it existed at the time, is often trampled on in the rush to mould historic events and characters into something they were not.

Tommy Douglas, the ex-premiere of Saskatchewan and father of universal healthcare, has become the darling of the liberal elite. In a CBC viewers poll, he was chosen The Greatest Canadian and more recently a horribly flawed documentary film titled The Prairie Giant, has been foisted on the public. The documentary, in particular, is more reminiscent of early twentieth century misinformation reels, than it is of a serious documentary. The shocking part, is that the production was made with the full intent of making it available for school viewing. Essentially, Tommy Douglas is the godfather of the “progressive” class, and his lionization has in recent years accelerated.

Once one scratches the paint off the Tommy demigod, though, a different picture begins to emerge. Instead of a passionate warrior fighting for the rights of the poor, we find a hardcore supremacist. Nothing exemplifies the darker side of Tommy more, than the thesis that the Reverend Tommy C. Douglas presented to McMaster University in March of 1933. The thesis, when compared to other such “scholarly” works of the period, fits in well with Nazi social doctrine of the thirties and just as well with ideas being forwarded at the time by the likes of the KKK.

Some have called the thesis a work in eugenics, but whatever its field, the work reveals in crystal terms the mind that conceived it. And, that mind was not the mind of a passionate defender of the poor, rather that of an individual completely obsessed with his own superiority and with a heartless disregard for the less fortunate. Add to this the fact that the Reverend Tommy C. Douglas never openly and unequivocally renounced the ideas presented in his 1933 thesis, and one is forced to doubt the glowing terms in which contemporary socialists view him. Could it be, that Tommy, like so many politicians, was just an opportunist who saw socialist doctrine as the quickest route to power? The fact is, that in 1933 T. C. Douglas was in his philosophy towards the poorest and most unfortunate the direct opposite to that which the modern day Socialist class claims to be.

Douglas’ thesis was titled, The Problem of the Subnormal Family. Unlike most scholarly work which depends heavily on research and corrective devices such as a double-blind structure, the Douglas thesis amounts to little more than 34 pages of Tommy’s bigoted and ultra-conservative views on the causes, impact, and remedies for families that are considered “Subnormal”. Douglas’ definition of the Subnormal Family was as follows:

‘By “subnormal” we mean (1) a family whose mental rating is low, i.e. anywhere from high grade moron to mentally defective; (2) a family whose moral standards are below normal, and who are delinquent; and (3) as a usual but not necessary corollary, a family subject to social disease, and (4) so improvident as to be a public charge.’

From the onset, Douglas makes assumptions that even when taken in the context of the 1930’s, are bigoted, cruel, and supremacist:

‘it remains for us to consider remedies that at least mitigate, if not remove, the problem of the subnormal family from the midst of modern society.’

Over the next while I will be posting my thoughts on the T. C. Douglas Thesis. It is, without doubt, a document that the Socialist Utopian movement within Canada wishes never existed as it explodes much of the mythology that has carefully gone into building the demigod Tommy Douglas. I will focus on the Douglas thesis alone, as it is a document that comes from the horses mouth, as it were, where the demigod himself expresses his attitudes toward one of societies least fortunate classes.

Part Two