Doesn't that line of think go DIRECTLY against a post from a different thread? 
Perhaps because this is supposedly the "land of the free"?
Not really. This is the "land of the free", not the "land of the intelligent".
Yet saying if someone who owns a "whale of a car thats not needed" is socially irresponsible, and deserves an asskicking. While I agree on the environmental impact, if someone had the $ to buy one...what does does that have to do with a "me first" society.
Because owning these things (SUVs) has an outreaching effect on other people, not just yourself. It's selfishness to the letter.
You already mentioned the environmental impact yourself, which is a major deal whether most people want to realize it or not. Fossil fuels are running out, and these ridiculous tanks are making sure that happens all the sooner. While SUVs are plenty safe for the driver, that's where the safety benefits end. They are inherently dangerous for EVERYONE ELSE around, in every way. They are large and obtuse, so you can't see around them. They are heavy and if you are in a collision with a smaller vehicle are more likely to seriously injure/kill the other driver. Even if the other driver sustains no injury, it's likely your SUV will obliterate their smaller car. Your visibility of close-to-ground-level objects is extremely limited in an SUV, heightening the chances of running over a pet or small child. The size of SUVs alone is an issue-- with the world's population increasing exponentially, and available "free space" in general diminishing. You would think we'd be moving towards smaller vehicles, not the other way around.
Beyond these tangible threats, there's always the whole "f*ck you, I've got a bigger cock/SUV than you" meathead attitude that usually accompanies. While it's probably not something that's going to cause anyone any harm, I could do without it.
That can be said of any muscle car of the 60's/70's, to the overpowered imports of today. If I had the $ to own (and maintain/gas) a SUV/full size truck I would. If I don't beat the crap out of it offroad, does that make me socially irresponsible? Nope it's what I like/want.
But in a way, it does. You don't
need an SUV. Nobody does. You can't argue that point, you just can't. Society made it all these years without them. If they went away, I'm pretty sure we'd all be OK. Anyone who has enough kids to actually fill one of these f*ckers up is already acting irresponsibly right out of the gate.
Your first instinct is going to be to argue "But we don't need
this or
that either", but the difference is, most of the other frivolous things we indulge in life aren't negatively impacting society as a whole.
I like collecting video games. I don't
need to. But on the other hand, doing so doesn't pose risk of injury/death to my neighbor or have a negative impact on society in general.
Up here having 34SD wouls be a godsend a LOT. The same arguement can go for almost anything..I mean the plastic, and other components that make our games/systems caould be used to make cheaper medical equipment, etc.
I have no clue what "34SD" is, BTW.
But as for your argument, you have a great point. Probably 97% of the nation lives very selfishly in day to day life, in general. From our grocery shopping, to the stuff we don't even think about, like flushing the toilet. We have a long way to go if we want to be able to comfortably inhabit this planet for years to come. It's really, really hard to live selflessly in today's society what with mass manufacturing and how so many industries are intertwined. I try to live as "green" as possible in my life and do my part. But the "SUV epidemic" that has overcome this country in the past decade is a MAJOR, MAJOR issue.
Just because you don't agree with someone driving a battleship on wheels, their $/perogative.
I could give a shit what Joe Blow up the street does, as long as it doesn't interfere with anyone else. Unfortunately, if Joe Blow is driving around in a Suburban, he's affecting a lot of people.
Hence "land of the free." NOT the goverments job to tell us what we can drive.
Unfortunately it's this kind of mentality that will ensure there will be no "land of the free" if something isn't done about some of these issues.
