Darwin, gene pools and squids (rant) - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

**Trapper** · 06-08-2006, 10:44 AM

I see all too often on this forum when someone gets killed on a motorcycle that it is Darwinism or the cleansing of the gene pool.

First of all, Charles Darwin primary study of natural selection was based on the Galapigos finches. These little birds are not known for their intelligence but for the shapes of their beaks. The food supply was different on different islands in the archepligo (sp?). He deduced that the birds that had the best beaks for the food in that area flourished due to eating more and passing on the beak shape gene.

When some 19 year old squid that is full of piss and vinegar goes out and kills himself on a motorcycle does that mean that there was no chance that he could have matured into a contributing member of society? I think it is a terrible waste of potential life and the reason I will always bew an advocate for mandatory helmet laws. Not necessarily for the poor kid that didn't get the chance to learn that a helmet is a good idea, but perhaps for the mother that loves her child like only a parent can understand and the fact that this loss of a child will ruin her life. Or the father that bought his son his first motorcycle and will have to live with the guilt of providing his pride and joy the means to needlesly lose his life because his friends told him a helmet was un-cool.

I know I've gone on about this time and time again, but let us think twice about chalking it up to Darwinism when these tragedies happen, because I AM SURE that we've all done something stupid enough to get us seriously hurt or killed but got lucky.

**End of rant... zipping up flame suit***