While I roundly condemn the torchnig of an auto dealership by the Earth Liberation Front (motto: “Because the pollution from burning down an auto dealership is insignificant next to the power of the Force”), it is more than a bit disingenuous of folks to argue this is the fault of folks calling for better gas mileage on vehicles.
The move prompted a national SUV owners’ group to condemn the incident and criticize celebrities like California gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington, a founder of the Detroit Project, which has challenged automakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles.
“While we believe these groups do not condone such activity, those who have generated the greatest amount of media coverage are creating an atmosphere where it is open season on SUV owners and their vehicles. It must stop,” SUV Owners of America President Jason Vines said in a statement.
Wasn’t the same argument made (with equal stupidity) about how Evil Right-Wing Radio Commentators were creating an Atmosphere of Hate that was directly responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing?
I don’t think Rush Limbaugh was responsible for OK City. Nor do I think that Arianna Huffington is resonsible for these arsons. To give either of them credit for that much influence is either silly or just too scary for words.
(via Ipse Dixit)