Is it unpatriotic to drive gas guzzling vehicles when other transportation will meet your needs?

Question

What is your reasoning?

I am a little surprised at the defensiveness in some answers about a hypothetical question. I appreciate those that are reading and thinking about it fully including addressing the point that when other transportation will meet your needs as well as bringing up solutions and implications. I ask the question because in these times our country is highly dependent on oil from hostile countries. Perhaps the trade-off of having the freedom to choose a gas guzzler is worth that dependence to you. In my mind, I wonder if that dependence makes us weaker and more vulnerable. Maybe the thought isn't painful enough for America to come together and tighten their belts a bit.

Answer 1

I don't think that patriotism has anything to do with it really. I do think that all of the sacrifices that the people in th 1970's & 80's made to conserve gas & energy have evaporated with the selfish attitude that has been fed into by corporations & this administration (in particular) that we must drive "Big" cars, SUV's etc. People have been induced to consume by intentional marketers.

Answer 2

It's called FREEDOM. Because the SUV takes more fuel doesn't mean that person has no right to drive it. They pay for the fuel. Why impose your thoughts on someone else's freedom? If the Suv was not legal, then you would have a point. Should we outlaw all Semi tractor trailers because of the exhaust? How would your groceries get to the market? All this environmentalism is getting out of hand. If it is too late fro global warming so be it. In the 70's it was global cooling. The planet can heal itself better than we give credit.

So in other words. HECK no it's not unpatriotic. It's patriotic when you have your freedoms and use it. To be forced to take other transportation is taking away freedom. That's unpatriotic.

Answer 3

No, its extremely patriotic. It is unpatriotic if you give in to the green people and ride a bike everywhere.

My reasoning is that Americans have been driving gas-guzzlers for along time without worry. Its become a tradition! To go against an American tradition is obviously unpatriotic.

So buy 3 hummers and do donuts in the gas station parking lot all day while spraying arousal cans into the air while shooting off fireworks and waving your American Flag.......because you are patriotic!

Answer 4

Not necessarily -- maybe that gas guzzling vehicle is run on 85% ethanol. GM's unveiling a new initiative to put out FlexFuel vehicles that can run on 85% ethanol. Ethanol is a biodegradable, high octane fuel that can improve air quality and is made from American corn. Nothing unpatriotic about driving an ethanol powered SUV.

Answer 5

Perhaps it's not unpatriotic, but it's certainly foolish.

Why drive a gas-guzzler when a more fuel-efficient vehicle will meet your transportation needs? It seems silly to waste fuel (or any of Earth's natural resources) just because we CAN.

How would you feel about giving me all of your money and letting me squander it as I so choose? I doubt that you would be very receptive to that.

Well, why should any of us squander all of Earth's natural resources just because we can afford to drive Hummer, or just because we can pay to have our trash hauled way to a landfill instead of REusing, REturning, and REcycling?

If we continue to plunder the Earth, eventually we'll run out of oil, coal, farm land, iron ore, minerals, natural gas, water, and even clean air. Perhaps it won't happen in our lifetimes, but if you plan to have grandchildren or great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren, you might want to try and save some of the Earth's natural resources for their needs.

Even if there were inexhaustible supplies of natural resources, why should we just arbitrarily waste them? It's sort of like cooking a dinner for twelve people, serving it to two people, and tossing all the leftovers in the garbage.

For the sake of your future descendants, and to protect and preserve the delicate ecological balance between man, plants, and animals so we can live in harmony as Nature intended, why don't you make a environmental commitment to use less gas, recycle more, and save as much energy as possible? -RKO-

Answer 6

Its not unpatriotic; its just idiotic to spend all that money on gas for one of those things.The sad thing is that even though gas prices are as high as they are and there is no real chance of decreases in oil prices in the near future, SUVs remain a a very popular for many American. I read a statistic in the newspaper that about 40% of all cars sold are SUVs.

Answer 7

Is it unpatriotic to purchase items transported around the country in semis when there are other methods that will meet their needs?

Is it unpatriotic to purchase items made outside of the US when there is plenty made right here that will meet your needs?

Is it unpatriotic to complain about the cars others drive when it is their right to make their own decisions?

Answer 8

Uneconomical, confident. Unpatriotic, no longer particularly. The greater advantageous call for led to by using decrease gasoline-mileage autos doespersistent up the cost, so employing a guzzler must be seen rude and thoughtless of others. yet it particularly is individuals for you. finished Disclosure: American employing a 1998 Ford Explorer getting 17mpg

Answer 9

Of course not. You see, here's how "patriotism" works nowadays: If it benefits Bush and his oil-rich buddies, then it's mucho patriotic. Even the former press secretary Ari Felcher said that Americans should enjoy resources -- even right after 9/11. After 9/11, everything was changed. In other words, if Bush screwed us over big time, it's Bin Laden's fault. Or Clinton's fault, since that answer is even more "patriotic".

Answer 10

I would not call it unpatriotic, but I'd call it plain stupid. While I drive a mid size SUV I do so for my business routinely picking up large orders and products....I could use a pick up as well but they get about the same mileage; a big SUV would be nice but I don't need it.