Come-on kids let's go see the big wave and be bit-players in the living expression of Darwinism

Yesterday Kiwi's awoke to the news a tsunami was on its way to our shores, sparked by the Chilean earthquake.

In the face of this imminent threat-to-safety we saw stark differences, potentially tragic in some cases, in the way people reacted.

Loosely we saw four groups in action:

(a.) Sea-side citizens who became aware of the tsunami in the early hours of Sunday morning began knocking on their neighbours doors warning them. In-turn those individuals warned others. Whole streets cleared-out even before Civil Defence and Police turned-up to say to leave.

(b.) Hearing the news & taking-heed of the warnings families close to the ocean packed their car with a few possessions, pets etc and fled to higher ground.

(c.) Upon hearing the exciting news there was about to be a tsunami hit their local beach, ignoring all safety warnings thousands packed the kids into the car and went down to the seaside, stood on sand-dunes etc to take a look at 'the big wave'.

(d.) Some sea-side locals decided to stay ensconced in their houses and take their chances.

Let's now say a significant sized wave had hit our shores yesterday morning - what would have happened to the sightseers and stubborn locals who refused advice to evacuate?

The brutal fact is the last two categories would form the largest number of those who would have been killed or injured.

All-in-all what we saw yesterday was an exercise in Darwinism at its best.

Assuming a lethal natural disaster had of occurred & putting aside the human tragedy – the gene pool in this country would have been exorcised of some individuals who lacked survival instincts and common-sense.

The survivors and their genetic imprint would be those who had the instincts to save their own skins and the community consciousness to help save others, not just their families.

The stark brutality of natural-selection at work.