Survival of the Fittest
Being in the middle of hurricane season has brought up some familiar situations. High temperatures, bad weather, high humidity, empty grocery and hardware stores . . . and officials wasting time and resources going after those who choose to perform foolhardy and dangerous acts.
In the linked story, Galveston officials had to run out to the beach and arrest a man who not only ignored the mandatory evacuation order, but also decided to surf the large waves provided by Hurricane Rita. The officials then complained about having to devote precious manpower to rescuing such foolhardy people.
My question is, should officials spend their thinly stretched resources rescuing such people? In this sense I am a libertarian. If adults of sound mind wish to endanger their own life, I say let them. Why did this wayward surfer have to be arrested? He was a danger only to himself. He made his own decision; let him suffer his own consequences.
This isn't a blanket opinion. I'm certainly not in favor of allowing someone to commit suicide by, say, eating a stick of dynomite in the middle of a crowded mall. But I think the officials in this story should have skipped over this guy and worried about helping those who followed the mandatory/recommended orders to evacuate. If nothing else, it may help reduce the foolishness in the gene pool.
In the linked story, Galveston officials had to run out to the beach and arrest a man who not only ignored the mandatory evacuation order, but also decided to surf the large waves provided by Hurricane Rita. The officials then complained about having to devote precious manpower to rescuing such foolhardy people.
My question is, should officials spend their thinly stretched resources rescuing such people? In this sense I am a libertarian. If adults of sound mind wish to endanger their own life, I say let them. Why did this wayward surfer have to be arrested? He was a danger only to himself. He made his own decision; let him suffer his own consequences.
This isn't a blanket opinion. I'm certainly not in favor of allowing someone to commit suicide by, say, eating a stick of dynomite in the middle of a crowded mall. But I think the officials in this story should have skipped over this guy and worried about helping those who followed the mandatory/recommended orders to evacuate. If nothing else, it may help reduce the foolishness in the gene pool.
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