The US government is dangerous. It has always been dangerous. This simple fact is known across the country, and no one knows it better than the African American community in Macon County, Alabama. In 1932, the government began funding a now infamous human experiment: the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.” Researchers at the Tuskegee Institute, home of this scandalous study, recruited six hundred black men from a quiet town in Alabama. Of the six hundred participants, almost two-thirds were already infected with syphilis; the remaining two hundred became the control group and were mostly in good health. For the next forty years, these gullible victims, unaware of their condition, risked their health and that of their community to participate in an experiment to investigate the long-term effects of untreated syphilis, receiving only medical tests, meals, and services free burials in return ("The Tuskegee Timeline" 1). They were targeted because of their race and denied treatment for the purposes of immoral, shameful and unfair surveillance. The government violated African American men's rights as human beings by withholding information and treatment; their right to health has been taken away from them. It is the government's responsibility to take responsibility and ensure that society is not disrupted again by such an unnecessary scandal. The rights of African American study subjects and the responsibilities that the government has acquired due to the conduct of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment are more relevant than ever. In the early 20th century, syphilis was viewed with concern due to its deadly qualities. Syphilis, a thing...... middle of paper ......and decisions we make about rights and responsibilities not only affect us, but also those around us; such decisions affect our families, our communities and, ultimately, our society. In this case, the decisions made by those involved in the Tuskegee syphilis experiment remain evident, not only in the African American population, but also throughout society; this controversy changed people's way of thinking. In the 1930s, racism and prejudice controlled society. Today, however, the goal of racial equality and integral morality are more appreciated. The story of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment provides a glimpse into ourselves through which we are able to recognize our shortcomings both as a nation and as individuals. We cannot absolutely redeem ourselves completely, but we can and must ensure that history does not repeat itself in the future.