Social Darwinism and the march to eugenics

I was thinking extensively about Charles Darwin.. debate about him always reminds me of Dover, Pennsylvania, when the national trial about evolution being taught in school played out in federal court.. eventually evolution was permitted to be taught in class, but to this day debate rages in the town and surrounding area.. Many people that debate about whether evolution occurred or not forget the science and ignore the facts. It's like debating how corn grows but ignore the farmer that is screaming the facts from a distant corner..


Darwin didn't say a Godless origin of mankind occurred, instead his theory explained how different species change over time to make sure they survive. That's it .. and that's boring! It's boring for people that want to debate about science and have a slice of good issues to talk about. It's boring for those that want to be angry at science's factual presentation of species reacting to nature and nature reacting to species. Amazing how the Scopes Monkey Trial looks comical now, but not as funny when you seriously discuss creationist theory with people that outright dismiss Darwin.. people that believe the earth is only a few thousand years old and that man cohabited with dinosaurs and dragons..



It's always interesting how Darwin's theory could be so pervaded. Adolf Hitler's extensive beliefs about eliminating the "weak" from society has often been said to have originated from studying Darwin's thoughts on how evolving species get rid of weaker beings.



And it wasn't just Nazis! America, the grand United States of America, in its infinite wisdom, had several states in the early 20th century allow forced sterilization, or as Francis Galton called it, 'eugenics' http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/la-tm-spermbank23jun05,0,247175.story?page=1 America ended up trying to save itself from mentally handicapped citizens, African Americans, and the poor. A complete perversion of science that ruined families and frayed the fabrics of the founding father's declaration of every one's right to freedom given by God. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dh23eu.html)



Frighteningly: I don't believe for a second this is only a story from the past. It could become alive and well quickly again.. When legislators propose thoughts that welfare recipients not have kids, it's popular. Right? When we talk about the earth being over-populated, it's easy to agree with, right? But then what? How far will it go? How far should it go? .. a dangerous road--that we are already on.