Re: your mail

[Daniel Kronemann <kron4155@uidaho.edu>]

> Daniel wrote, "Genicides and slavery have eliminated a lot of genetic
> diversity from the human population, so evolution would not have as much
> to work with."
>
> But isn't that what evolution does? Isn't it the point to eliminate
> genetic material?

No.  I'm not sure its as simple as just assigning a purpose to a
non-intellectual process.  However, I would say that it benifits
populations by promoting genetic diversity, so if one genetically based
disease comes along, it only takes out a few members of a population and
not the species.

> And now that we have taken over the evolutionary process with regard to
> our own evolution, why is social Darwinism wrong? When we consider the
> less capable among us (the less "fit"), do we eliminate them or arrange
> special protections for them? And when we do this, by what standard are
> we making the decisions?

Social Darwinism is erroneous because you are trying to use biological
theories and apply them to socialization.  Reducing everything to biology
(or physics or any one of the sciences) seems inadequant, no?

And then who is "considering the less capable among us?"  And by what
standard?  You should answer your own question relative to that issue.
Are Black people supposed to be less capable than white people?  Are
people in wheelchairs less capable than those who can walk?  Are the deaf
"inferior" to the hearing?

I think the purpose of laws and what you would call "special protections"
and what I would call common sense is to recognize that the persons who
don't follow the "norm" aren't genetically different from us and aren't
inferior to us.  They can still contribute greatly to society, for
example, Steven Hawkins.  And these "disabled" people really are just
people who are different who must cope with a society that is built
around the norm.  Because our society is built by people who can walk and
hear, people who can't walk or hear are seen as "disabled."

I'm left handed and have had to learn to adapt to a right-handed world.
You would really be surprised how much of everything is really affected by
that.  But because I've had to adapt, I can probably contribute a
perspective that most people wouldn't have noticed before.  Did you know
that on all pens or pencils that any writing is written only in the way
that you have to hold it with your right hand to be able to read it?  If
you aren't left-handed, you don't notice.  That would be the purpose of
any law that is trying to protect a group of people.  To try to prevent
those that would take evolution "into their own hands, (instead of God's
hands if you will)" from doing so.

Anyways, cheers!

Love

Daniel