Tanker,

A beautiful piece of introspection. The hardest thing to do is look at our own role in this empire. It depends on all of us to keep doing what we're doing; and it's damn scary to think of what we might have to do to stop it all.

Let's keep trying.

dave
dave | 05.01.06 - 2:45 am | #

Most people in America live in places where there is no public transportation to speak of. Here in the Valley, all we have is a terrible bus system that doesn't run 24 hours, isn't reliable, doesn't go everywhere it should and doesn't have enough buses to handle the routes it has. There's no underground and no elevated. They're putting in a rail system but it won't serve many people cause it's a very short route with few stops. It's too hot to bike it or hike it in the summer. So people drive cars. Yes, big gas guzzling automobiles. Cheaper homes and apartments are on the fringes of the Valley, like out in AJ where I live, so people live there rather than closer to their jobs downtown. The Valley is covered with a brown cloud every summer. It's horrid. But it won't change because the auto dealers and gas dealers make too much money to allow it to change unless they (somehow) get a slice of whatever replaces the current system. If 50% of the people stopped driving and used the bus system, it wouldn't be able to handle it. And in summer, people wouldn't be able to walk the half mile or mile to a bus stop to travel 3 hours to work each way, especially if they live out here. So it isn't always the fault of people like us, Tanker. You serve a purpose in the food chain - people have been selling good food to the wealthy since time began. It's nothing to feel guilty about. If you had chains of stores all over the country, mahaps that would be different. You've carved out a small space and work hard for a living. It doesn't make you a bad person. Not everyone can be a Mother Terresa. I'm glad you're who you are and I'm glad I know you. Thanks for being YOU!
Marcia Ellen Beevre | Homepage | 05.01.06 - 4:43 am | #