It is no surprise that asking most people to cut back or change their ways in order to save the soul of the planet is like hoping that a tree will explain global warming in common English. But one can dream. One can dream.
So when I saw this story, that dream, while not quite realized, did morph to the possibility that perhaps one of the industrial giants would instead change their ways. Okay, so perhaps it was not an industrial giant, but one of the new car designers has come up with an electric car that is quicker than a Ferrari ENZO. It did 0-60 in 3:07 seconds. And it is more economical than a Prius.
So while humans are still slow to evolve. There is hope that maybe, just maybe we have started to blend green initiatives with the basic need many people have for faster cars, and more primal instincts.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Politics of Hate
With the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, there has been a new call to end, or at least reduce the vitriol of Washington. Some people seem to think that lowering the anger-based rhetoric is an infringement on our basic freedom of speech. In some ways it is. But there is also a level of responsibility and maturity that goes along with the concept of free speech.
Sarah Palin recorded a statement in which she said, “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own,” Ms. Palin said in a video posted to her Facebook page. “Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.”
What she seems to forget is that when we raise the general level of discourse to include maps with gun sights targeting political leaders, we lower the level of discretion about what is right and what is wrong. I am not targeting Ms. Palin alone, as it comes in from both sides. But if we cannot see that there needs to be some level of acceptance and compassion in our public rhetoric, then we are truly doomed as a country and as a political system.
I agree with Ronald Reagan when he stated that society should not be blamed for the acts of an individual. However, I also agree with him that individuals should take responsibility for their actions. To date, I have yet to see any politicians do so.
If now is not the time? The when?
Sarah Palin recorded a statement in which she said, “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own,” Ms. Palin said in a video posted to her Facebook page. “Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.”
What she seems to forget is that when we raise the general level of discourse to include maps with gun sights targeting political leaders, we lower the level of discretion about what is right and what is wrong. I am not targeting Ms. Palin alone, as it comes in from both sides. But if we cannot see that there needs to be some level of acceptance and compassion in our public rhetoric, then we are truly doomed as a country and as a political system.
I agree with Ronald Reagan when he stated that society should not be blamed for the acts of an individual. However, I also agree with him that individuals should take responsibility for their actions. To date, I have yet to see any politicians do so.
If now is not the time? The when?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)