June 2, 2002

Dear Editor:

Recently there have been a number of television ads suggesting that buying drugs may go to support terrorist and terrorist activities and the countries that may or may not support them. I think these ads are extremely well done and go a long way in helping us consider some of the far-reaching consequences of our actions. I was wondering, however, if buying and using these evil drugs was the only dark habit that could contribute to the support of terrorist and the countries that may or may not support them.

After the declaration of war resulting from those despicable attacks of September 11th, our great manufactures and corporations raised the battle cry and reduced prices and interest rates to help the cause. Nowhere was this banner held higher than in the auto industry. Immediately, 0% financing was available to help even the hardest hit Americans purchase those “big ticket” items that went directly to help the war effort, in addition we received an American flag to proudly display our patriotism.

The most popular items purchased during this rallying time were those large oversized, high performance trucks and SUVs. I see them everywhere and when I do, I get a real surge of pride that our great American corporations and my fellow American citizens helped bring our economy back from the brink of disaster.

Over the past nine months, however, several unpatriotic studies have tried to show that these items have actually driven up the demand for gasoline. How soon we forget! These bastards go on to say that since demand is irrevocably linked to price, gas prices have risen. They also have the nerve to tell us that higher demand requires higher production, which requires the purchase and import of more crude oil produced by Middle Eastern and South American countries that may (overtly) or may not (covertly) harbor and/or support these godless terrorists.

Could these bleeding-heart media reports be suggesting that buying and driving these symbols of American pride and power is unpatriotic? I certainly hope not!

However, the more I think about it, I wonder if we really could punish those misguided, unchristian countries that may or may not support terrorism if we bought and drove smaller cars and trucks that are way more fuel-efficient? Wouldn’t this drive down our dependence on this unchristian foreign oil? Would we not then show the rest of the slow and backward thinking world what’s what and we united Americans really don’t need their stupid freaking oil? I for one don’t know. I suppose that’s a question best left to our wise and far seeing shepherds in Washington.

For the first time in living memory, during a time of “global war” (First and Second World Wars for example), Americans have been instructed that in order to show our patriotism we are to “spend and consume” rather than “save and conserve” and rightly so, but I can’t understand why my father and grandfather (both of whom fought in the world wars) are scratching their heads in apparent confusion over what is a perfectly simple and understandable concept.

Besides, can someone tell me why these giant trucks and SUVs seem to be driven primarily by petite single women on cell phones? Have you ever watched them try to parallel park those things with one hand while sitting on phone books? Moreover, God forbid, if these inflammatory and seditious reports on our patriotic consumption are true, well… I certainly hope that someone somewhere is not laughing up his or her sleeve during flight training.

Despite what these so called “factual” reports may say, it is still our duty as true and honest Americans to teach the next generation, (just as my father’s father taught him and my father and mother taught me), that the United States is indeed the greatest country on earth and no other form of government has or ever will achieved what we have. We must continue to teach the young that we are a united people and that everyone has the same chance of success regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual preference, age or economic position. And that as a united peoples we will achieve our dreams! Just as long as we stay in our own neighborhoods.

Sincerely,Mrs. Beth RossBoston, MA