SUVs not cause of world problems
COMMENTARY
Katherine Ortega

Forget Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. The new public enemy is someone you are likely to pull up next to at any stop light. You might even be the enemy yourself.

The new enemy is the sport utility vehicle drivers.

SUVs have gone from America’s favorite toy and status symbol to a threat to homeland security. Environmentalists recently started a new campaign against SUVs, claiming that the amount of fuel used by giant vehicles, like Ford Excursions, increases our dependency on oil and therefore supports terrorism. I think this is a bit of a stretch.

It has become too easy for groups that are trying to persuade the public to be against certain things to simply say, “if you use this it will support terror.” It is true that SUVs use more gas, but in the land of the free, people are and should be free to drive whatever type of vehicle they choose.

As with many kinds of protest groups, those against SUVs have gone too far. Some groups have even earned the label, “eco-terrorists.” According to an article from the Associated Press, an environmental group known as the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for setting fire to vehicles at a Pennsylvania auto dealership. The fire was started by lighting gasoline containers placed under the vehicles. That does not sound to me like they are trying to prevent terror.

Not all groups go so far as lighting vehicles on fire. Some environmental groups, including some here in Fort Worth, have started placing fake tickets on the windshields of SUVs with sayings like, “if everybody in the United States who drives an SUV drove a car instead, we could cut out Middle Eastern oil imports entirely.” This kind of passive aggressive protest is much better than vandalizing vehicles by placing bumper stickers on them, as some groups have done. That is unacceptable. I do not personally drive an SUV, but if I ever found someone placing a bumper sticker on my car, it is likely that part of that person would end up on my bumper as well.

Some of the bumper stickers contain the phrase, “What would Jesus drive?” I think the answer is simple. Jesus would probably ride a camel. While camels may get better mileage than SUVs, they are really lacking in horsepower, cargo room and safety features.

Besides, Jesus was known to travel with a large entourage. I think that it is likely that if Jesus was here today he might find the space and versatility that SUVs offer quite appealing.

While the vilification of SUVs may be well intentioned, it is never acceptable to harm other people’s property or infringe on the liberties of others. It also seems that there are other issues more deserving of attention.

How about decreasing the use of oil overall by encouraging car-pooling? How about encouraging recycling and the use of recycled goods?

Katherine Ortega is a psychology graduate student from Santa Fe, N.M. She can be reached at (k.e.ortega@tcu.edu).