National Protest Day Against Hummers

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

November 15, 2003

NATIONAL PROTEST AGAINST HUMMERS

From ChesapeakeClimate.org

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- November 12, 2003 -- More than ten percent of all Hummer dealerships in America will be protested this Saturday (November 15th) by activists seeking to ban all radio and TV advertising for the 10,000-pound vehicles in the same way that ads for deadly cigarettes are banned.

 

While contributing enormously to global warming, air pollution, and childhood asthma, the 10-miles-per-gallon Hummers -- made by General Motors -- are a huge threat to children and other car passengers who share the road with the Brinks Truck-like vehicles. Yet GM is now flooding our TV and radio airwaves with ads for the vehicles, including ads that market the monsters directly to children.

 

"A generation ago, cigarette makers flooded our airwaves with ads that made smoking -- which is a direct threat to human health -- seem cool to all of us, including our vulnerable children," said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, one of dozens of groups protesting the Hummers under the banner of Citizens for Vehicle Responsibility. "Appropriately, as a society, we have now protected ourselves and our children from destructive cigarette marketing. But unless we do the same for Hummers, we are hurting our kids' health as much as putting cigarette machines in all of our schools."

 

As part of the "National Protest Day Against Hummers," activists will spend hours this Saturday, November 15th, demonstrating against Hummer dealerships with chants, banners, and placards in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and ten other cities.

 

In addition to the advertising ban, protestors are calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin crash-test studies of Hummers, which presently are not required. And activists are demanding that Congress close the outrageous tax loophole that allows U.S. businesses to deduct up to $100,000-worth of the cost of Hummers and other large SUVs from their federal taxes. This unconscionable tax deduction forces all Americans to subsidize the environmental and health impacts of these behemoths.

 

The national Hummer protest will be launched with a press conference at Greenbelt Capitol Hummer dealership (6500 Capitol Drive) in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Greenbelt, Md. on Friday, November 14th at 11:00 a.m. Speakers include representatives from health, environmental, faith, and children's advocacy groups.

 

They didn't exactly get their message out early enough. I live in Maryland and this is the first I've heard of it (saw it this morning on CNN and found this article). I think the key to protesting something is that you get the word out ahead of time so people are aware of what and why you are protesting.

 

There is no way any advertising ban will happen, although I must say that the Hummer commercial with the kids in the race down the hill is extremely annoying. Also, the tax writeoff for people who buy large SUV's (6,000 lbs or larger and under $100,000) is rediculous and should be either reworded to apply to large trucks (for trucking and the like) or repealed completely. They said that dealerships are telling people to buy now so that they can take advantage of the writeoff which might not be around much longer (I doubt its going to be repealed anytime soon myself). People who can afford a $100,000 SUV don't need a tax writeoff for it.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

They didn't exactly get their message out early enough.  I live in Maryland and this is the first I've heard of it (saw it this morning on CNN and found this article).

That's because every day probably has some stupid National Protest Day against something or other.

 

I heard tomorrow is National Protest Day against wife-beaters.

 

Gulp.

 

And of course all the hippies that are going out to protest will be doing so in 40-year old vehicles that get 5 miles per gallon and spew out enough exhaust at one red light to kill an adult...

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

People should protest against the H2 - for being such a shitty car. I saw one whose entire axle system got crushed going over a maybe 1 foot high dirt jump. Another great pic is the aftermath of a broadside collision between an H2 and a Dodge Ram, I'll let you guess which car came out looking better. The H1 was/is cool, but of course a lot of people don't want to pay that much, so hence the H2 exists for people who want to pretend they are driving a military vehicle when in fact they are paying half the price for half the parts of the real thing.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Here's the pic. I'm surprised the Ram even took as much damage as it did.

 

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Driving an H2 and telling people you drive a Hummer is like driving a Mercedes-Benz golf cart* at the club and telling all your friends you drove a Benz around.

 

* Not sure if this exists, but Benz makes damn near everything in Germany.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Like some else said people should protest against the H2 for being such a crappy car. They are way to plastic looking. They look more like a big, oversized toy instead of mean SUV like the H1. The H2 looks like it would fall apart if you barely hit something. While the H1 got hit just about anything with barely a mark and keep going.

 

Hell I see the real military Hummers all the time since we have an army base, Ft. Campbell, KY. Which makes me hate the H2 even more.

[Anakin Flair 0]

I see these cars around all of the time, adn I hate how they look. The car is huge- I'd be affraid to drive it anywhere due to fear fo hitting something as I park.

 

Give me the original Hummer anyday.

[NoCalMike 0]

Instead of targeting a certain car they should identify the reasons for the protest and protest against fuel inefficient cars. I mean that is why, afterall the hummer is being protested, oh and the fact that they are unsafe on the roads.

[Guest Cerebus]

activists seeking to ban all radio and TV advertising for the 10,000-pound vehicles in the same way that ads for deadly cigarettes are banned.

 

I bet these are the same "activists" who shout against the Patriot act.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

What's funny is that I bet a lot of the people protesting grew up on 60s Mustangs, Camaros and Dodge Chargers where you could burn through a tank of gas in under an hour if you really pushed the thing hard.

[Guest BDC]

H2's are all of a Hummer-ish looking body on a Suburban chassis.

 

That's exactly what I want...