Monday, July 3, 2006

this fourth of july . . .

Remember those who have died in service to our country, and the thousands of people each year who also put their lives on their line just to get a taste of the great American Dream.

There is a lot of writing on the decline of community in America, and I saw it firsthand this afternoon. Walking home from the bus stop, I stopped to speak with a good friend who lives on Musgrove Road. This four block stretch of Musgrove has become a major commuter route, it seems, for people trying to avoid the construction up at Briggs Chaney, and the 25-m.p.h. speed limit is generally ignored. I wasn't surprised that people were speeding. What surprised me, though, were all the people who blew their horns at us or yelled out their windows as they sped by.

What happened to common decency? Are pedestrians really that much of a barrier to your getting home? This isn't Kentlands; those who travel by foot like myself catch a hell of a lot of flack, but before today I was willing to give people more credit.

There is a huge contingent of people in East County who rely on their feet to get around in suburban area inherently hostile to pedestrians. Unfortunately, those of us lucky enough to drive aren't very considerate to them.

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