{"id":3406,"date":"2008-08-27T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2008-08-27T22:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=3406"},"modified":"2008-08-27T16:11:00","modified_gmt":"2008-08-27T22:11:00","slug":"commie-green-bloggers-55-mph-drive-instantly-enacts-crushing-law-upon-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/commie-green-bloggers-55-mph-drive-instantly-enacts-crushing-law-upon-others\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Commie’ Green Blogger’s 55 MPH Drive Instantly Enacts Crushing Law Upon Others"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I’ve been taking the occasional punch to the kidneys here at Sustainablog. That’s okay. I’m not alone, and it’s par for the course for those who put their real face, real name and real, considered thoughts out to the public.<\/p>\n

But some recent comments, especially about the Drive 55 campaign that has been in the general media again lately, have me thinking about some particular gaps in our common understanding and, therefore, overall communication.<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, I’m not even an advocate for a change in speed limit laws. I’m not against such changes. But I’m not pushing for them, either.<\/p>\n

What I am is a facilitator of a discussion about the matter that is under consideration for the purpose of saving fuel, money, and lives. <\/p>\n

Apparently, for some people, \u201csuppressive\u201d laws that save fuel<\/a>, money and lives is a hot-button issue, one they won’t take lying down. (After all, it’s not global warming, HIV\/AIDS, poverty, unconscionable war, cancer\u2026 Okay, I may be feeling a bit cantankerous with this nonsense at the moment, I admit.)<\/p>\n

And I’m only blogging this, a third post related to the notion of a law that would revert speed limits to 55 miles per hour<\/a>, because I am fascinated and perplexed by the lack of substance in some views on the topic.<\/p>\n

A commenter \u2013 and not the one who called me a “commie,” though likewise an anonymous opinionator who may have wanted to; and not the white supremacist whose comment didn’t reach daylight of the blog for obvious reasons \u2013 said there should be no governance for the well-being of the citizenry\u2026”Period.”<\/p>\n

(That paraphrasing is not an exaggeration; check it out for yourself at the recent post of mine that got this started here…St. Louis to Chicago: Putting a 55 M.P.H. Drive to the Weekend Road Trip Test<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

No governance, i.e. government intervention and control, of the, supposedly, total freedom we Americans all enjoy?<\/p>\n

Contrary to what said commenter commented upon in his comment, which implied limits of 70- and 80-m.p.h. are acceptable to him\/her, a limit at any speed would mean governance, the very thing s\/he opposes.<\/p>\n

Should S\/He Have His\/Her Way of No Government\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

That means no traffic lights, no lanes painted on the roads, no road signs, no laws against theft, murder and abortion, and no Securities and Exchange Commission to track and punish the swindlers, and no Food and Drug Administration to make sure our ultra-processed foods are “healthy” and safe for consumption.<\/p>\n

That means no law enforcement to call when the neighbors are acting out late at night, no prisons to house the criminals, no Social Security and Medicare, no compensation for injured workers, no one to force insurance companies to pay out to us when we need them to.<\/p>\n

That means no control of our national borders, no war against terrorism, no F.B.I., no “illegal” to go before the word “immigrants,” or Green Cards to go to immigrants deemed worthy of an implied “legal.”<\/p>\n

That means no free, public education for the kiddies who become adulties, no military to kill our enemies, no President to (mis-) lead the public or taxes to provide for road maintenance and oil subsidies\u2026<\/p>\n

This is becoming Dr. Seussian.<\/p>\n

And we could go on all day, night and many more days with this game. But for those inclined to take in information fully and process it fully, it should already be clear that we are all living with governance for the well-being of the majority.<\/p>\n

It’s a must to have some governance. It maintains the fabric of society.<\/p>\n

Now, whether that needs to include the reversion to a slower speed limit is debatable. Of course.<\/p>\n

Choose to Drive 55 M.P.H.\/Choose Not to Drive 55 M.P.H.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I mentioned in an earlier post a comment I read at USA Today<\/a>, in which the commenter angrily reminded everyone you can drive whatever speed you want, even a slower speed, even down to 55 m.p.h. No change in law is necessary to do so.<\/p>\n

True, true.<\/p>\n

And so I did, as I posted before \u2013 again, St. Louis to Chicago: Putting a 55 M.P.H. Drive to the Weekend Road Trip Test<\/a> \u2013 and drew a bit more fire for my “commie” ways.<\/p>\n

This brings me to a side-point of public education’s current state of disrepair, which produces citizens of such arguably limited thinking power and communication skills as to bypass thought for antiquated and ill-placed terms of loathing.<\/p>\n

Can we really afford to have our school systems lose more funding through non-governance and non-governmental taxation, and get even worse results?<\/p>\n

I jest.<\/p>\n

Sort of.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is the need for and use of governance is going nowhere. For some folks, it seems they may just be realizing it’s there at all.<\/p>\n

For those who are \u2013 and have been \u2013 awake, it’s worth remembering that such insignificant changes, such as a speed limit reduction, need not be considered soul-crushing suppression.<\/p>\n

Maybe they even do some good. Maybe we even need some more directives to get the masses to act in better Earth- and society-conscious ways, instead of making this such a battle of Me-versus-We.<\/p>\n

Then again, what do I care?<\/p>\n

I’m just a discussion facilitator.<\/p>\n

Related posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gas Hole the Documentary: History of Oil Prices and Alternative Energy<\/a><\/p>\n

The Illusion of MPG: Is It Really A True Measure of Your Car’s Mileage?<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Get 70 MPG Out of a Honda Civic<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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