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Ditto lurkette. She be smart.
Altruism can be an evolved behavior. Altruism that saves offspring is genetically rewarded...saving near blood relatives is too, to a lesser extent. Check out prarie dogs for a good example of how this works out. One guy gets to scream out loud when a hawk comes by, and may well bite it, but his/her family dives for cover. Survivial of the fittest does not immediatly mean "kill the weak." The elederly contribute the stability of society, and provide backup childcare for families in distress. The infirm...that's less of a evolution question. During the period in which our species evolved, most injuries that would potentially end life did so quickly. If a person was hurt at all, a lack of medical care meant fairly quick fatalities. They didn't burden society for very long, and so there was no strong impetetus towards euthansia.
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