Common Sense, Where Has It Gone?

23rd July, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Darwin was a noted biologist who told us about the “survival of the fittest” and how certain genetic strains were improving the “gene pool” allowing less desirable traits or flaws to “die out.” This is why in courtship in the animal world the biggest or the best prevail and are allowed to have more offspring that will keep the species going with the biggest, best genetic traits of the offspring to continue the “linage.” In humans, the most handsome or beautiful have an easier time connecting with possible mates, but this does not always work out well. The richest and most successful are thought to have it easier to find mate, or have mates finding them, but this does not always seem to work out, though pre-nuptial agreements give some people a false sense of security.

The truly disturbing thing that seems to be occurring is that “natural selection” may not be working as well for humans as it worked for lower life-forms. Often unhealthy people have more offspring than healthy people. With current medical successes people who should die in infancy survive to add weaknesses to the gene pool. Medical practices fight to keep people alive who should not pass their genetic material along to future generations. People who are relatively unsuccessful as parents seem to have more children and release poorly emotionally equipped young people on our society.

We have to meet certain basic conditions to be allowed to drive cars in our society. We must be a certain age, take driver’s education training, be able to pay for licensing fees, and pass a written test and demonstrate basic competence behind the wheel to receive our license to drive on the roads. It is true that people who do not have drivers licenses or auto insurance are out there driving, but the legal system attempts to prevent inappropriate drivers from getting behind the wheel. Why? Because it is UNSAFE TO LET IDIOTS DRIVE! There is no testing for basic competence or proof of ability to pay when we allow immature people to have babies. There are no rules that suggest that people who have expensive health conditions or unstable emotional wellbeing should be supervised or refused in the process of breeding.

More disturbing, basic common sense is being bred out of the gene pool. Impulsive people are allowed to live and then they go out and make many mistakes by having too many offspring who will grow up with little or no common sense. Though unlikely that these people will find their way to the ballot box, these people will be given the right to vote for our country’s leaders and will be more easily manipulated by the bully pulpit of media and unethical political preachers lacking the ability to think and problem solve the issues for themselves. We even have had presidents elected because they would be fun to “drink a beer with” rather than smart enough to lead the greatest super-power. By the way, these same, fun to have a drink with, presidents have helped to drive the greatness out of our country, making us a less powerful positive influence. Greed influenced these incompetent politicians into selling out our moral and ethical code which once was appropriate and accepted as a positive role model for the world. No wonder people of the world do not trust us or follow our leadership. The world has gotten too small to not notice when we do not have competent leaders with COMMON SENSE running our government.

I do not claim to have all the answers to the problems created by the lack of common sense and the lack of strong moral fiber in our leaders and in our populace but I have noticed that the world we live in is more fragile than ever before and clumsy, selfish, and stupid (under-educated) people should not be making decisions that affect us as a nation. I resent the impact of people without common sense having too many offspring that cost all of the rest of us. I resent that we have our schools educating for the lowest common denominator and boring our intelligent and creative children. I resent driving on the highways with people too stupid to know that they should concentrate on their driving instead of making telephone calls or “texting.” We should have more common sense. Why do we need to pass laws about distracted driving when idiots should not be behind the wheel in the first place?

The world has population challenges and does not need the poorest genetic strains to have the most children because there is no restraint, impulse control, or common sense in the breeding parents. If we do not solve this problem, nature will find its own way through disease, famine, or war to cull the population and I do not want these negative options for our future generations…