They also want to tell YOU what to do, how YOU should do it, where YOU can do it, and how much tax YOU will pay for the privilege.
Of course, if you dare inquire about what THEY do... you will likely get this:
Posted on 12/02/2002 3:54:46 PM PST by u-89
Liberals Hate SUVs
It goes without saying that liberals hate the free market, big business, even democracy when the voters disagree with them. If truth were known, they hate the human race - at least that part of it which is not them. Darn those human beings for not living their lives according to the liberal prescription.
A sales pitch, masquerading as a book review, in The New York Times shows the liberal biases perfectly. The book was written by a New York Times reporter about the sport utility vehicle and was reviewed by a college professor who teaches journalism. Both show their low regard for others. I won't name the book; it doesn't deserve any publicity.
The professor and apparently the author do not raise the issue that is the premise of the book. The author is ticked off that sport utility vehicles are classified as trucks under the federal government's laws governing gasoline mileage. The two of them consider this a high crime and the result of nefarious moves and dark motives. Neither of them questions the government's right to regulate gasoline consumption by private vehicles, though there is nothing in the Constitution that would authorize it.
The fact is that when Congress passes bad laws, the number of which seem to be increasing, people find a way to get around them. Are SUVs trucks? They certainly look more like trucks than cars to me. The government can define anything and anybody in any way it wishes. And why should we care, given that it should not be meddling in the automobile industry at all?
The author and the professor, however, see a sinister motive even for people who buy these vehicles. "The SUV, it turns out," says the professor, "is a vehicle of aggression, a machine to menace other people with." Oh? I know two ladies who ended up with SUVs. They weren't looking to menace anyone. They were looking for a third seat and a safe vehicle in which to haul kids.
These two liberals (the reviewer alternates between quoting the author and spouting off himself) think SUVs are "tippy monstrosities with mediocre brakes that block other drivers' view of the road and inflict massive damage during collisions."
Another load of horse apples. It's a matter of the laws of physics that taller vehicles are more prone to tip over than shorter cars. Still, any car will tip over if the centrifugal force exceeds the grip of gravity. Ask a sports-car racer. Knowing how to drive means knowing the limits of your vehicle.
And in a collision, SUVs are generally safer. Again, the laws of physics. All else being equal, a heavier vehicle will deliver more force than a lighter vehicle. An SUV certainly is likely to demolish a Honda Civic, but an 18-wheeler or a dump truck will certainly demolish an SUV, and a train will destroy an 18-wheeler.
They also think it is deceptive and stupid for people to want four-wheel drive when they "obviously" are not going to be driving off-road. The liberal always knows what is in the minds of the multitude. Many SUVs don't come with four-wheel drive as a standard feature. In fact, though, in the parts of the country where there is likely to be ice and snow, four-wheel drive is definitely safer than two-wheel drive.
What is really causing these two liberals to choke on their own bile is simply freedom - a free people making their own choice about what kind of vehicle they wish to drive. They can't stand free people not agreeing with their prejudices. As it happens, I don't drive a sport utility vehicle. My children are grown; I've given up hunting; so a sedan suits me fine. But if I wanted to buy an SUV, I'd say it's none of the damned business of any liberal who doesn't like it. All liberals are just gutless wannabe dictators.
Yes !! nothing like good hygene :o)
Also a poll at same link that asks, "Should Americans be free to own SUV's" or something close to that. Same link. Freeped but might as well make it decisive.
The article to look for is by John Bragg, The American Dream: Why Environmentalists Attack the SUV. I found it to be a really good read. Frames the debate in an issue of freedom.
Also some whacky StopSUV links that are only worth checking out to see how far out there these nuts are.
Before the flames start, understand that I believe ANYONE shoyuld be allowed to buy ANY vehicle their minds and wallets will allow. I just wish that those who buy them would drive them better, and have some courtesy for the rest of us.
Note, SUV drivers: Those of us in cars can't see around you. Slamming on the brakes while on an interstate MIGHT surprise someone behind you. Also, given the size of your vehicle, turn signals and an extra look in the mirrors before lane changes would be appreciated. Thanks.
Liberals don't hate all SUV's - they just hate your SUV. They also hate your air-conditioning, your cell phone, your gun, etc., etc., etc...
Here in God's waiting room (Florida), everyone uses their turn signals. They stay on for mile after mile as the driver tools along at 40 mph in the passing lane.
I always give plenty of buffer distance to any truck for that reason. One thing I do believe is that it is quite wrong to assume that just because someone can safely handle a Honda Civic that they can properly drive a large truck (and the large SUVs are trucks, built on truck frames). Too many drivers simply have never been taught how to properly handle a vehicle with much higher inertia and center of gravity than a passenger car. Nor do they understand the limitations of the vehicle. Some people simultaneously try to handle it like a Porche 911 in good weather and a Main Battle Tank in bad weather.
Again, I stress that this is a driver and personal responsibility issue and not a vehicle issue. Maybe current driver-ed courses cover these topics. But many people my age learned to drive in an era when SUVs pretty much didn't exist, and they have not added to their skill set. As a gun owner, I feel much safer around shooters with training in gun handling than I do around untrained gun users, but I wouldn't dream of prohibiting untrained people from buying a gun. The same goes for vehicles.
Dingdingdingdingding!
Hard for liberals to feel 'elite' in their SUV's if every Tom, Dick, or Harry can have one.
Think how I feel. I drive a 2001 Camaro SS. Ricers hate me.
SUV's are just the latest targets, my FRiends. The left pulled this SAME act, with the SAME tactics, thirty years ago to kill ANOTHER type of vehicle much beloved by Americans with an ounce of spirit: the Musclecar.
It's taken all these years to regain and exceed the performance of the titans of the late '60s-early'70s pavement chewers. Those who wanted some reasonable power had nowhere to go for those years, save to light trucks and SUV's. Thus, such vehicles are now considered, like OTHER things, to be a "loophole" by the communists. And you've seen how they deal with THOSE.
We've seen what they'll do if they don't like a certain vehicle. They've done it before, and it worked. They've just changed the target. Be on your guard, SUV'ers. It's going to get worse for you, MUCH worse. Observe the formula:
1. Complain about the "environment"
2. Whine about fuel costs (our Arab "friends" are so much help here)
3. Begin the demonization
4. Start asking irrelevant questions("WHY does anyone NEED such a thing/truck/engine/gun/etc...")
5. Attempt to make the item of interest "unfashionable"
6. Vandalism.
7. Finally, demand that the item be banned or restricted by law.
Anyone remember the environmental/leftist movement and what it did towards "gas guzzlers" (read: well-performing cars) in about 1970 or so?
Hey, Trajan, isn't it fun to blast past an Echo or some equally foolish vehicle on an interstate, full bore, with the pipes screaming? The thought purely tickles my heart; I did it today, with a buddy of mine. We were in uniform, , to boot. Sailed past a sticker-covered Volvo wagon at about 100 or so. I DO love American Iron. It's the ONLY thing that carries that kind of...BRUTALITY with it.
THIS is MENACING...
Trust me, Libs hate it. ESPECIALLY when they see my Naval Aircrewman's Wings and my Air Warfare wings on the back windshield. The "non-stock" exhaust helps, too.
THIS is MENACING...
Naw, mate, that ain't menacin', it's sporty!
THESE are *menacing*.... [and sporty...AND utilitarian!]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.