My Life... My Suv - Controversial Advertisements

"What Would Jesus Drive?"... and Other Silly Thoughts

"I helped hijack an airplane. I helped blow up a nightclub. So what if it gets 11 miles to the gallon. I gave money to a terrorist training camp in a foreign country. It makes me feel safe. I helped our enemies develop weapons of mass destruction..."

Sound absurd? Not to Arianna Huffington.

Best known for her "skits" on Politically Incorrect with Al Franken, Ms. Huffington co-founded groups called Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars (AFEC) and The Detroit Project. "Our goal is to mount a citizens' ad campaign aimed at getting people to stop driving SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles -- and jolting our leaders into taking action," she says on her website.

If she weren't so serious, her campaign would be great fodder for a Saturday Night Live skit with her and Franken as Stuart Smalley.

She claims to drive a 50 MPG automobile. The "G" in MPG is gallons, and my guess is gallons of gas. While my SUV may burn more of the fossil fuel, I'd bet that Huffington and her tree hugging Hollywood friends stop at the same gas stations that I do. Since she buys fuel, would it make her any less of an accomplice to terrorist activity?

It's OK Arianna, you're 'good enough, smart enough, and ... dog gone it ... people just like you.'

Maybe not.

What Would Jesus Drive?
If Huffington's comedy doesn't convince you to trade in your SUV, try looking to a higher power.

A separate group -- the Evangelical Environmental Network in Philadelphia has prepared TV ads that portray the wildly popular vehicles as a threat to the Earth and national security. Using pictures of Jesus and congested highways, the ad asks if we 'love our neighbor, maybe we should ask, what would Jesus drive?' The ad has proved to even be controversial amongst religious leaders. Youth Minister for the Christ Evangelical Church Tobin Huebner told Religious Newsnet at BYU that "I do find the use of Jesus in marketing to be irreverent."

If Jesus were in the market for a new ride, He'd probably like the 0% financing and lean towards a great big SUV. After all, He has 12 of His apostles to haul around and a boat to tow for fishing.

Just how far will these extremist go? As far as they need to push their agenda. But, it's my life, my SUV and... dog gone it... I'm not about to give it up.

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