Well - I fell for it. A couple of the posts here - despite my best efforts to the contrary - really got under my skin this evening, and not in a good way. So I cast my vote in the poll and I gotta tell ya - after seeing the results at this point, I'm glad I did because it seems I do have "company" after all, and lots of it.
We hunted and found our Prius for lots of practical reasons - not to make a statement, but I'm not ashamed of doing my part to help the environment either!
If the writing and sentiments of those supporting Bush and his administration, as illustrated here, is typical of those who do - God help us all. It's going to take new thinking --something along the lines outlined by Kerry in his speach last night, as he talked about new technologies being a big part of the answer, and which are available already (Lord knows - we're all driving an example of that right now!) - (See his website for details if you're interested or curious - don't fire back at me that his speach was lacking in those, the man only had an hour! -- go to the website and read 'em yourself! There's lots laid out there that needs to be seen with your own eyes...)
Name calling and insulting each other as illustrated in this and another thread is nothing but a selfish, self-indulgent, and childish distraction and destructive to the kind of constructive discussion we need on so many levels and in so many arenas especially these days.
I recommended this discussion board to someone today as a wonderful resource for wanna-be Prius owners, and now I'm a bit concerned about having done that... it seems to me we have here yet another example of how what appears to be literally maybe only a couple of foul mouthed aggressive - quite possibly just ignorant - but definitely apparently small minded thugs taking over, and quite possibly just because they can (or are we letting them?!). Case in point: Hudel outright calls Democrats and other Americans "moronic" and "spineless people" in the post above...
While all have a right to their opinion, and even a right to say so (currently - at least according to the books though that may change soon too if we don't watch out!), and while I'm always interested in *enlightened political conversation* (-- as in, courteous and respectful!!! -- ) it sure seems that this is not where it's happening! The poll appeared to have potential for a worthy conversation but instead now appears to have become a trap of some sort. Sad to say, I've a hunch there are more like this in lots of places both on and off line these days... What a waste.
