Bikes as the Enemy: Article

[572cv]

Sigh.

It is cast, perhaps a bit optimistically, as a sign of success: bikes matter.

OK, good on that. I am sure there are conservative cyclists and liberal cyclists, but we ALL need to work together to try to elect people who are intelligent conservatives and intelligent liberals, so we don't all have kooks calling the shots. Representatives need to be able to think, and think long term. Bikes are clearly part of the transportation picture long term, the health picture long term, the economic picture long term, the gross national happiness picture long term. end of rant.


http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/NoLMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html

[Bruce K]

Given the liberal leanings of the Boston Globe, I would take this article with a grain of salt as another way to create political division.

We certainly need to advocate for ourselves but what we as cyclist don't need is to allow our own politics to distract from our issues with road safety, access, etc.

Somehow we've managed to do that so far....

BK

[gdw]

"Given the liberal leanings of the Boston Globe, I would take this article with a grain of salt as another way to create political division."

+1 The Globe has really gone downhill since the New York Times acquired it and hasn't improved since they sold it to John Henry.

[Saint Vitus]

Given the liberal leanings of the Boston Globe, I would take this article with a grain of salt as another way to create political division.

We certainly need to advocate for ourselves but what we as cyclist don't need is to allow our own politics to distract from our issues with road safety, access, etc.

Somehow we've managed to do that so far....

BK

I'll counter the above and give you the recent trend from the right to roll back women's reproductive rights as proof.

As far as electing "intelligent liberals" and "intelligent conservatives", I proffer the thought that the pendulum of intelligence has swung more to the left these days. Yes, it had swung to the right at some point, but given the inanity of legislation and governance currently spewing from the right, an outsider might just bet on the left as providing a more balanced and reasonable political field me thinks.

And yes, maybe the piece is pure agit-prop, but let's consider the opening salvos of the piece and the attribution to the person who was elected solely on his conservative, read Tea Party values, then one must take this whole line of thinking with more consideration to the subject at hand (cycling).

[Bruce K]

I'm not sure how we go from cycling to women's reproductive rights , nor do I want to.

I also prefer to look at this individual as a problem for cyclists and not ascribe their view on cyclists as representing a whole group, even the Tea Party, as out there as they might be.

BK

[merlincustom1]

"Given the liberal leanings of the Boston Globe, I would take this article with a grain of salt as another way to create political division."

+1 The Globe has really gone downhill since the New York Times acquired it and hasn't improved since they sold it to John Henry.

Why? What factual assertions are you challenging, and which politician did he mis-quote? I just don't get knee jerk reactions to dismiss a piece solely because of the source.

[Bruce K]

You would have to know the Globe I guess.

This is a paper that ran a front page story blaming the Marathon bombings on the Boston people because we were not welcoming enough to a family that shop-lifted (mother), lived on welfare, in subsidized housing, went to college on a state scholarship, while selling drugs, driving Mercedes Benzs, and plotting and carrying out a terrorist attack, so we should some how be more forgiving of the poor,misguided, surviving lad.

These days the Globe wouldn't know an unbiased fact if it hit it smack between the eyes.

BK

[mcteague]

I have often wondered why some people have such anger towards bikes. From what I have seen they always seem to be, uh, how shall I put this?, less than physically fit. I suspect some deep down, self hatred is being projected here.

Tim