Clintons apology to the Tuskegee victims

The Tuskegee Syphilis study was a study done in the mid 1900’s that targeted southern African Americans by the United States government. The participants knowingly had Syphilis and were kept in the dark about the cure for it when it became available during World War II. The participants were told they had “bad blood” and they were tricked into the terrible experiment since they had the trust of their local Tuskegee hospital. The reason for it was so scientist can see what the long term effects of the disease was. Eventually in the 70’s this was uncovered by journalist and therefore put to a stop. On May 16, 1997 president Clinton give a formal apology speech to the family, children and the men themselves saying how the government betrayed their own citizens and they study was racial and unethical for them to do. Clinton announced five steps to try and repair what has been done. First was apology to the family and the men and to build a Tuskegee memorial. Second increase community involvement so the government can again regain the trust of the community. Third strengthen the researchers in bioethics. Fourth enhance understanding of ethical issues and clinical research. extending the charter of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to October of 1999. My reaction to the apology was it was long over due. The study was ended in 1972, and the apology was given in 1997, that’s 25 years later! I felt that an apology should have been given a lot earlier. If someone had an horrific experience they had to live through, they would want to forget as soon as possible and not bring up the memories anymore. But having it 25 years later, would bring up terrible memories again. I felt Clinton did a great job listing the 5 different things that could be done to try and mend the wounds caused by the United States government. Not only building a memorial for the victims but also awarding grants to the school where all of this happened. Overall it was a great apology speech and the ending was excellent and true saying how the men and their families only they had the power to forgive, and saying this was a lesson for America will never forget.