We have discussed and analyzed Foucault’s notions of power in many different ways and in many different articles.  This time I will try to identify the notions of power in the article written by James Jones, “The Tuskegee syphilis experiment.”  This analysis of the notions of power will be different then the ones we have done so far because this time we are trying to analyze the notions of power through a scientific form.  The Jones article focuses a lot of it’s time on the fact that many of the experimental people were black, or at least a large percent of them were.  Through out my essay I will try to identify the two notions of power discovered by Foucault through the article written by James Jones.
             The Tuskegee Study according to many people was probably not the most ethical and moral thing to do.  In the article there are many arguments for and against the experiment.  We can see that there are many reasons that people think this experiment took place.  Some think that racism had a part to do with it “But they were certain that racism played a part in what happened in Alabama” (283).  Some think it was social class “other observers thought that social class was the real issue, that poor people, regardless of their race, were the ones in danger.  Somehow people from the lower class always seemed to supply a disproportionate share of subjects for scientific research” (283).  No matter what the real reason that this experiment took place is, I know that it shouldn’t of been conducted in the matter it was.  It was unfair to the people that were being tested because they were poor, illiterate, and they were taken advantage of.  “We didn’t tell them we were looking for syphilis. I don’t think they would have known what that was” (278).  This comment that was said by Dr. Williams and it is a very good example of how this study was taking advantage of it’s patients.  Even though the patients were offered meals and many other benefits, they were told they had bad blood, it was not morally correct for them to treat a human being in this manner.
             From the example I have given above I can see a form of power relations.  It makes sense to me how the Tuskegee Experiment was not literally forcing it’s patients into the experiment but it was kind of luring them in with certain attractions that were beneficial to them, like meals and physical examinations.  For a lower class, poor man it was convenient.  The reason I believe it is a form of power relations is because, the men were not battered over the head and were dragged into the study, the men were kind of trapped.  They were selected from a selection of men who had syphilis and were chosen to be the one’s to receive the benefits.  It is kind of like the example of when you are walking down the hall and someone comes in the same direction you are, you either have to move out of the way or the other person has to move out of the way because if both of you go the same way you will bump into each other.  Well I see it the same way with the poor men who had syphilis.  They could either go on with their lives (they already had the disease anyways) or they could choose to go to the experiment and receive the benefits.
 First of all the Tuskegee Study had nothing to do with treatment in the first place.  So the men would be better off with taking the benefits.  The problem with penicillin was that it was a new drug at the time and it would of caused the patients more harm then good.  “As one CDC officer put it, the drugs offered ‘more potential harm for the patient than potential benefit’” (279).  I believe that wasn’t a real harm, plus there was not a real cure for the disease in the first place the study was meant for research purposes only.  “Little harm was done by leaving the men untreated” (279).  Since the men were already diagnosed with the disease what else could happen if they were left alone.  It would have had the same effects.  This way the patient received benefits and more research was developed.
 Even though I already believe that this was wrong there are some real strong points to the defending side.  The editor of the Los Angeles times said “thus, quite part from the questions it raised about human experimentation, the Tuskegee study served as a poignant reminder of the plight of the poor” (284).  I agree with him because this who experiment was for the benefit of the government not for the benefit of the patients, which in my opinion is definitely wrong.
            One way that I can see power over, is that the men were trapped once they agreed to be in the experiment.  The same editor also said “the men had been trapped into the program by poverty and ignorance” (283).  This is how they were taken control over, since the men were poor they would be likely to do anything that would given them a little profit or would benefit them any amount.  The men were ignorant because they weren’t paying close attention to what was going on, they were just happy they had a good meal and a good place to go and stay.  In many ways these men were taken advantage of and were put to research for the benefit of science.  “From their perspective the PHS was guilty of playing fast and loose with the lives of these men to indulge scientific curiosity” (281).  The research that was conducted by the PHS was for the benefit of science and not for the benefit of the men that were involved, and that is not ethically and morally correct.  For one last quote the article says “the ultimate lesson that many American saw in the Tuskegee Study was the need to protect society from scientific pursuits that ignored human values” (284).  I think that we could learn from this as a sign of how ignorant and nieve we can be.
            Humans are humans and they should not be treated like animals for the curiosity of science.  Every person has the right to be treated fairly and equally, and I believe that what took place in the Tuskegee experiment was not correct.  As the president did apologize I think it was necessary because as Americans, other smaller and weaker nations look up to us.  Power relations and power over were very relevant in this article, I tried to express my opinion in this short essay and hope it is enough to show my understanding of this topic.