tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4442212245523427827.post3574460707734887703..comments2024-03-05T03:17:25.361-08:00Comments on The Clamshell: A sad day for cyclists and non-cyclists alikeDavid Hainshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04966314092794378757noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4442212245523427827.post-21015344187345576892011-11-12T14:44:58.140-08:002011-11-12T14:44:58.140-08:00@anon Thanks for the comment, it's really grea...@anon Thanks for the comment, it's really great. I think you're right that politicians and citizens should take responsibility for the culture and climate they create, in this case a negative one for cyclist safety. <br /><br />Rather than blaming individuals like Ford, I think it's more productive to turn their emotion into something positive. By connecting the sadness and empathy for Morrison's death into a constructive conversation of cyclist safety, collective action can be geared towards positive change. <br /><br />With that said, you're right that we need to recognize the political and cultural conditions that make the status quo untenable.David Hainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04966314092794378757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4442212245523427827.post-65176685551858306602011-11-12T10:24:07.484-08:002011-11-12T10:24:07.484-08:00"I’m sure Ford is genuinely saddened at what ..."I’m sure Ford is genuinely saddened at what happened today on Sterling St. To be clear, this death was not just the result of one person’s view or one particular policy or the lack of bike lanes in the area. Preventable cycling deaths are the result of a lack of collective action to connect the empathy we feel on days like today to meaningful policies and cultural shifts."<br /><br />I'd agree--except that "one person" (the mayor) has a good deal of symbolic resonance, at the very least, when it comes to "collective action." Think, for example, of how his phrase "war on the car" still resounds, and the various emotions and arguments it still inspires. Ford did enact a "meaningful policy" when he became mayor by killing the car tax (a move I agree with, btw).<br /><br />While you're right to be diplomatic about Ford's utterances, his ramblings actually do result in a pattern that continually shore up his stupidity. His 2007 comment about dead cyclists is NOT an isolated event; it should be taken in the context of all his others. In that light, we can better understand that this boob is in many perverse ways prescient: his form of "collective action"--ramblings that reflect an untutored and uncritical 'common sense' mind, married to political actions like getting rid of bike lanes--is indeed responsible for Jenna Morrison's death.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com