Posted by
Safe Roads on Wednesday, July 04, 2007 12:04:43 PM
I just wrote the following comment to Hugh Huwitt's, July 4 blog honoring Lt. Blecksmith:
Subject: Highways, Deadlier than Wars!
"I wish there was some way to honor a fallen hero like Lt.Blecksmith and at the same time honor all those 115 plus traffic accident fatalities that also died on 11/11/04.
Here's a fact that may surprise almost everyone: Since the founding of our nation, we've lost almost 500 times more lives on American highways than in all wars combined.
Since, the Iraq war started we've lost approximately 210,000 lives on our highways compared to how many in Iraq during this same period? So, where should our priorities be?
Maybe we conservatives ought to get as serious about our national highway safety program as we are about helping an unappreciative people in Iraq? The highway is where the real war needs to be fought."
I've had a few of you ask, why did I write something so uninteresting next to such a fine tribute to one of our heroes? Besides, what can be done about the annual massacre on our highways?
Here's the short and simple answer.
The first political party that really addresses the ineffectiveness of our nation's very expensive highway safety program (hundreds of billions if not trillions) will be in power for a long time. Whomever owns the highway safety solution will gain huge headlines.
Now, here's the real kicker. The solution is simple, almost without costs, and requires us conservatives to embrace what appears to be a huge support of yet another big government solution. The more you get informed about our nation's lack of highway safety the more you will first, agree that this problem swamps most every other human health problem we have; and second, requires big brother to be re-focused like a laser to eliminate, not just reduce traffic accidents.
Folks, this can be a big time conservative issue and solution. More importantly, we can eliminate most of the 42,000 annual fatalities and over 3,200,000 injuries associated with our road adventures.
Look, I am a conservative and I chose to share this problem and solution with you, fellow conservatives, for a reason. I'd hate to see the libs own the solution. Trust me, you will be shocked at how simple the solution is.
Mike Overturfs
http://lastaccident.tripod.com/eliminatetrafficaccidents/