John Edwards said that he would ask Americans to sacrifice their SUVs in favor of more fuel-efficient cars.
I'm sure people will be mocking him - probably already are - but it is an example of honest leadership.
Consider this - he dared talk about sacrifice. He said he would ask Americans to give up something they like for a greater good. Such talk from a politician was once not all that unusual. In today's America it is rare because as any pollster will tell you, "sacrifice doesn't sell" as a message. Why? Well, we Americans don't like giving up anything. Take a look at our waistlines - mine is 38, should be 36 - and discover we prefer yes to no.
But if the message of global warming is true, if the message of energy independence is true then it follows that sacrificing our gas guzzling SUVs is at least something to talk about... even if the idea of sacrificing is a lost idea.
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One thing I'd like to add to the discussion is the impact of marketing. Hardly anyone needs an SUV, much less a Hummer. But through the miracle of advertising, a market was created for these monstrosities. You can buy personality, power, sex appeal. Everytime I see a driver of one of these things, I am reminded of the old saying, "there's a sucker born every minute."
Actually, one of the funniest, and most either intentionally, or unintentionally (ad men can be tricksy that way) revealing ad I saw for a Hummer featured men in situations that for some reason or another seemed to bring their manhood into question. Which was everything from, apparently, being in a grocery cashier line behind a person with an entire cut up cow, and they are buying of, to other such 'wimpy' things.. and then going out to buy a Hummer to, as the ad put it, 'restore the balance'.
I know we've all sometimes said it, but ever hear of a more direct statement that buying a big car is 'compensating'?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z0bnXI4nTUQ
So, realize that even the manufacturers (who had to approve the ad, after all) are thinking the same thing.
Bob Morwell: "I listened to one of the right-wing radio pundits rag on Edwards for this. He insists that he and his family must have an SUV for safety sake...I suspect mostly because they're afraid of being crushed by one of the other SUVs on the road."
Then that pundit hasn't done his homework. "Big" doesn't necessarily correlate with "safe".
There are cheaper, safer cars than SUVs. SUVs still roll relatively easily, an inherent design problem that results in higher death rates. Furthermore, many SUVs still aren't designed with crumple zones at the most effective heights, endangering their passengers and other drivers. In contrast, most of the Honda sedans get five-star safety ratings. So does the Subaru Legacy even the higher end Volvos maintain 5-star ratings despite Ford's best efforts to ruin the line. These cars are all much better commuting vehicles than SUVs. If you want something with huge carrying capacity and the best safety for your family, get a minivan.
Some of us NEED SUV'S, even though we wish they were built for better mileage (as we assume they could be). Not because more kids will fit in them, or because they look macho, but just because "you can't get there from here" without them. We live in Wyoming. A lot of roads out here are not even dirt. Many that my family drives on are just two-lane tracks, recessed deeply enough into the sagebrush plain that any ordinary sedan will come out the other end minus its oil pan and a few other key parts. But it's either use those "roads" or walk several miles in and out, which is not a practical alternative.
Yeah, we know, most parts of the country are civilized. But we don't have that luxury. Out here, we live in a county larger than nine states, with a population density of less than 4 per square mile, and all but a few of those are clustered in just 2 towns. Most of the county is just plain uninhabited. (For instance, You'll only see one inhabited ranch home in the entire 55-mile drive to the Colorado border.)
But we do live here, and work here, and often have to go places those neat economy sedans (which I've had) just won't go at all. Or at least they'll never get back out. So we're thankful for our 2 SUV's. They're not a final answer, but they're sure one big step up from using a horse! (Of which there are plenty here.) - Pete A.
How'd people get around during the hundred years between the invention of cars, and the introduction of SUV's?
What ever happened to simple 4 wheel drive pickup trucks, geeps, and vans, etc?
And 'utility' or not, how many people do you think really DO take those vehicles that cost more than the average person makes in a year off the road to get all muddy?
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