Send your letters to the Free Press, PMB #178, 1463 E Republican St, Seattle 98112. Keep them short. Longer letters will be edited down. Letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Free Press. Letters which respond to Free Press articles will be given precedence.

Dangerous Road Hogs

I truly enjoyed your May/June edition and the focus on America's addiction to transportation options that ravage the environment.

For myself and many others, SUV's are symbolic of American arrogance, greed and ignorance when it comes to thinking about the rest of the world (the other 95 percent of the planet's human population), our future generations, wildlife, as well as our own air, water and land quality. It seems that the bottom line remains that Americans will always be greedy pigs, particularly when the economy is "booming."

The quote from the guy in Tukwila was most representative of that "I'll gorge myself and fuck the rest of the world" attitude. Sure, "I'll let somebody else get by with a smaller car" because Americans don't give a damn about anything but the here and now, how they look in their gas-guzzling, polluting, dangerous road hogs. Let others take responsibility for clean air and making the most of limited resources because you can afford anything YOU want in the HERE AND NOW.

Yeah, and "I'll let someone else deal with the homeless," "I'll let someone else deal with the mentally ill," "I'll let someone else deal with world poverty and hunger," "I'll let someone else deal with child labor in Third World countries," and how about "I'll let someone else pay for my fat tax breaks so I can afford another SUV and a new house in Magnolia."

It's just as Don Henley says in his new CD: "Welcome to the USA. We're partying fools in the autumn of our heyday."

--Glenn Reed

Short Shrift

Please send me a subscription of your lovely paper. I enjoyed your recent article on the original rail system in the Seattle area. I was a bit disappointed though: the cover's subhead said "How Puget Sound's original light rail system was dismantled," but the article only spent less than one paragraph on that topic.

A good account can be found in Richard Berner's book Seattle 1920-1940 (part 2 of a trilogy).

Sorry for the criticism. I really like WFP.

--Cameron

"Recife Free Press"

I just read an issue from March this morning while traveling in Recife, Brazil. Just made my day. All the excellent coverage and articles. I have to get myself a subscription when I get back to Seattle.

Thanks again for a great couple hours here in Brasil.

Keep on keepin' on.

--Albert Kaufman