I was away for the weekend at the Break The Gridlock conference in Chicago (13 Wisconsin people made the trek, and the Chicago organizers were very impressed and appreciative.) When I returned on Sunday night, the news was full of tragic crashes and death.
http://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/local/59166.php A jogger killed, two more pedestrians seriously injured crossing a street, a motorcyclist dies on the far W side, and a pickup and dead driver pulled from the Yahara River. And that is just in the Madison metro area! I cannot help but notice that each of these incidents involved a motor vehicle. The carnage is just too great. If any other product caused this much death and injury it would either be banned or the owners and users of the product would have to undergo yearly, rigorous tests to assure their competence. We have laws governing the use of motor vehicles. We license operators. But the laws are not enforced, and too many people operate these products without a license. Or worse yet - after it has been proven that they are incompetent users! There is no one solution. Motor vehicle travel has become a part of our national fabric, and cannot be easily disentangled from the rest of our lives. Good alternatives exist in far too few places. Advertising encourages us to define ourselves by our vehicle. There is not enough funding to strictly enforce the laws governing motor vehicle use. The courts are clogged with offenders, yet they do not have their privileges restricted until they maim or kill someone. I don't know what the solution is, but I know something must be done. Driving is still legally a privilege, but everyone treats it as a right. If one cannot drive, one can barely operate in today's society (with the exception of a few enlightened areas of the country.) There is so much at stake, yet so many forces conspiring to thwart change. No easy wrap up to this plea. Just a hope that we will all continue to do what we can to help the change along. Continue to speak up, organize, and live by example. -- Robbie _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
