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True of False: Driving a gas guzzling SUV is anti american.....

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KensPen Donating Member (676 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 12:51 PM
Original message
True of False: Driving a gas guzzling SUV is anti american.....
unless you are a rancher or need the 4x4 power.
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BlueEyedSon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 12:55 PM
Response to Original message
1. Depends what you mean by "American"
Edited on Wed Dec-17-03 01:15 PM by BlueEyedSon
Unfortunately, it is stereotypically "American" to be materialistic, to believe bigger is better, to be cavalier about creating waste and trashing the environment.

So, I guess it's quite american.

That doesn't mean it isn't stupid and bad.
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Kamika Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 12:58 PM
Response to Original message
2. It's american
We have the choice to chose our own cars :)
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Systematic Chaos Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 12:59 PM
Response to Original message
3. I don't know about anti-American, but I would call it ignorant
UNLESS you have a very large family or spend a lot of time driving 5 or 6 people around for whatever reason.

If you need to haul or tow stuff around, on the other hand, then wouldn't the logical answer be a pickup truck? At least there's a sensible reason to own one of those even if their gas mileage isn't good.

I just love the guy that runs my workplace. He has one of those "luxury" SUV's and always parks it right by where the entrance to the employee break area is. It's like he's flaunting the damn thing or something. And since he's probably in his late 50's or early 60's I suspect that he lives either alone or just with his wife. I doubt the back seats of this monstrosity have seen a lot of use.
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La_Serpiente Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:03 PM
Response to Original message
4. There is already technology out there
Edited on Wed Dec-17-03 01:08 PM by La_Serpiente
that can be used to build better SUV's. Sure, Americans have the choice to buy whatever car they choose, but I am sure they will regret not forcing automakers to make environmentally safe vehicles when the water levels start to rise.

Here is an organization that has developed that technology.

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_and_suvs/page.cfm?pageID=1249

Calculate how much money you would save if you bought environmentally friendly SUV's.

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/gascalculator.htm

I would save 6,000 dollars if I had an environmnetally friendly Ford Ranger (gas costs 2.00 in my area)
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kmla Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
5. False. This is America. You have the choice to be inconsiderate.
Edited on Wed Dec-17-03 01:04 PM by kmla
And proud of it.

You have the right to support an administration that lies, cheats, steals, and kills with no remorse.

You have the right to support an administration that spends the dollars of future generations of Americans because we wanna have it NOW.

Driving a big SUV is not anti-American. It is just damn selfish and inconsiderate. (Excepting the 2% of Americans that actually need vehicles like that, of course.)

This is America. You have the right to be stupid. And to be proud of that stupidity.
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terrya Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:06 PM
Response to Original message
6. SUV's are part of the reason we invaded Iraq, IMO.
Just my .02.

I'd have less of a problem with them if they got better gas mileage.
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nothingshocksmeanymore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
7. Not true. It is very American to waste resources and allow people
to be murdered in order to cater to our gluttony.
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GOPisEvil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #7
16. I could not have said that any better.
:yourock:
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Gringo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:16 PM
Response to Original message
8. True
It is against the long-term best interests of this country, therefore Anti-American.

Then again so is shopping at Wal-Mart, and voting republican...
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prolesunited Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. That's why I do
none of the above. :-)

Although there are very legitimate reasons to need an SUV, driving the Expedition to soccer practice or the H2 to the grocery store aren't it. However, everyone has the freedom to chose what to drive, but I wouldn't mind additional taxes levied on this category of vehicle to ensure that people choose more wisely.
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Gringo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:28 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. I think some SUVs could be banned
Just because of the fact that they needlessly block the view, and are too wide for normal roads. The Hummer H1 in particular is ridiculous. There are all kinds of laws on what is street legal. Why the hell should a modified amromored personnel carrier be street-legal? they are also a menace to people in normal cars, being so enormous, and with a tendency to roll over.

I'll never understand the SUV fad. They are so ugly anyway.
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RossMcLochNess Donating Member (125 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:17 PM
Response to Original message
9. False.
While some of the huge SUVs do have considerably worse fuel economy than your average pickup truck, most of the SUVs that you see on the road (Explorers, Blazers, Durangos) get pretty much the same MPG that a standard pickup truck or full size van gets. There was never a problem with pickup trucks or vans before, so why SUVs now? I've never understood the anti-SUV craze. Where I live, we have snow on the roads for at least 4 months of the year and driving can get pretty scary at times. I like having a bigger vehicle and having 4WD. I'm the one paying for it so I feel that its my problem, not anyone else's.
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RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:19 PM
Response to Original message
10. Well, not to sound anti-American, but I sort of like those Hummers.
But I wouldn't buy one because I couldn't afford the gas.
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KG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:25 PM
Response to Original message
12. it's anti-planet.
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OneTwentyoNine Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:38 PM
Response to Original message
14. Running any vehicle on 100% fossil fuel should be UnAmerican...
Hell,it wouldn't matter if you drove a SUV thats 30 feet long if we could get away from the politics that keep us dependent on foreign Oil.

Cars do not need to run on 100% gasoline,there is now the E-85 fuel which only a handful of cars can use but its comprised of 85% Ethanol 15% gasoline.

If this would have started 10-15 years ago nearly all cars today would run on very little fuel that has to be pumped out of the ground but rather on fuel that can be grown and re-newed each year.

But if that happened Oil Dick and his thugs at Halliburton couldn't rape and pillage the tax payers like they've done and will continue to do.

David
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phillybri Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:39 PM
Response to Original message
15. False...You're free to be an a-hole....
...and provide $ to terrorists at the same time!!!
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joefree1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:45 PM
Response to Original message
17. True, don't contribute to Terrorism
Edited on Wed Dec-17-03 01:46 PM by joefree1
How long would this terrorism war last if all the oil companies left the middle east.

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Bertha Venation Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-17-03 01:45 PM
Response to Original message
18. false
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