Death of the Hummer

I know, I know, I'm a little behind on this one. Though I'm still not sold on the idea of blogging, how could I not comment on the downfall of one of the most ridiculous miscreants of our time? The Hummer. Don't get me wrong, our military men and women deserve a rugged vehicle that will protect them and help them to navigate all different types of terrain, but you and I? The Hummer for the mass market, the "civilian" vehicle, if you will, is no more than an embodiment of the culture of gluttony and overuse that has pervaded our societal makeup.

How is it necessary to use gallons of gas to get to the grocery store, or better yet the mall to continue the spree of useless wasteful consumption? Why does one, 20-something, childless, 100lb woman need a tank to drive from the tanning salon to the yoga studio? What is she packing in there? Or is he, the Vin Diesel look-alike, trying to compensate for a lack of something? Intelligence perhaps? Social responsibility, anyone? As NPR's Brian Unger says, on the Unger Report, it's "a steep price to pay for the confidence of knowing that, when a blizzard hits Vegas, you've got 4-wheel drive to weather the storm". Gee, isn't it comforting to know that?

So I say, huzzah for the death of the Hummer. It is a real sign that the exorbitant price of gasoline has begun to force the hand of consumers to think about just what they are consuming, even if they are still only thinking of themselves. I feel more comfortable knowing that, though there is still a long way to go, one of the worst automobile choices is permanently parked.