Michelle Obama being blamed for pedestrian deaths

[RamboLiberal]

WASHINGTON -- The Governors Highway Safety Association says pedestrian deaths increased in the first half of 2010 and the First Lady's program to get Americans to be more active could be partly responsible.

Governors Highway Safety Administration spokesman Jonathan Adkins told 630 WMAL that Michelle Obama is "trying to get us to walk to work and exercise a little bit more. While that's good, it also increases our exposure to risk."

After four straight years of steady declines, pedestrian deaths were up during the first six months of 2010, the latest figures available to be studied.

Other factors include distracted drivers, distracted pedestrians and what Adkins calls "aggressive pedestrians."

http://wmal.com/Article.asp?id=2087141

No, there are a ton of other factors.

[FourScore]

1. Oh good grief! Try enacting some "no texting" laws. n/t

[vi5]

2. Jesus Christ...

That they would even think that was ONE of the factors, let alone the first one he talks about is off the charts ridiculous.

Is this some kind of right wing group or something?

[Iggo]

3. They gonna blame the NFL, too?

They're encouraging kids to go outside and play.

It's scary and dangerous outside.

[tinymontgomery]

4. How about aggressive drivers

that are listening to beck et al and being so mad they aren't paying attention to the pedestrians?

[Mz Pip]

5. The sky is falling!

Good grief this is the most dumb ass comment I've heard to date.

Maybe Michelle needs to end her talks with reminding people to look both ways before crossing the street. :sarcasm: Though I suspect someone would find fault with that, too.

[dragonlady]

15. They'd call it the nanny state n/t

[hlthe2b]

6. Oh for gawd's sakes...

What is wrong with these morons?

[Frustratedlady]

7. This is beyond bizarre. What is wrong with these people?

The comments just added to my disgust.

[Tippy]

8. K&R...For one dumb ass comment

[JBoy]

9. If only those people were unemployed, they wouldn't have been walking to work.

If obviously Barack Obama's stimulus program that's to blame.

[freeplessinseattle]

32. lol. so needed these laughs today! n/t

[GoCubsGo]

10. Just when I thought I had heard everything... n/t

[blogslut]

11. I shall make a prediction

Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Administration will be 'walking back' from that stupid bit of blah blah before the day is out.

[City Lights]

12. I smell desperation.

:eyes:

What a stretch.

:thumbsdown: to the GHSA for that one.

[jmm]

13. I'm going to post on facebook while driving so my friends know this!

(n/t)

[kestrel91316]

14. JMHO, but here in Los Angeles the aggressive DRIVERS with their

ton-plus deadly weapons appear to be most of the problem. I walk almost everywhere and must be EXTREMELY vigilant, even when crossing a marked crosswalk with a pedestrian signal light.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. He has a Facebook page if you're interested

http://www.facebook.com/jraindc

[immoderate]

17. Most powerful First Lady evah!

--imm

[XanaDUer]

18. Is this The Onion?

if not, it needs to be.

[Incitatus]

19. No, but it is getting harder to tell the difference between the Onion and these RW BS articles

[Bluenorthwest]

20. A few threads before this one I saw a video of a woman texting

and falling into a large water feature.
Somehow, that seems to tie in here somehow
Because you are walking, and constantly falling...

[JuniperLea]

21. Words don't influence people...

Nor do images; I guess they didn't get the memo.

[gratuitous]

22. Only certain words and images

There's a very subtle difference between the words and images that influence people. Please examine carefully our two recent examples, Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama. The difference should become crystal clear after a very short study.

[JuniperLea]

27. I was being sarcastic...

Using the RW talking points against this lunacy. They can't have it both ways.

I work for a PR firm, which is part of a much larger conglomeration of ad agencies, etc. My job is based on influencing people with words and images. I'm fairly well versed in the art.

There is a a very stark difference between the two incidents you mention, no question.

[gratuitous]

29. So I surmised

And yeah, working in the public relations field, I'm sure it's hilarious (in a certain way) to hear people try to put forth a serious argument in the media that words and images don't influence people. So, what do all those huge multinational companies spend all those billions on advertising for if none of it influences anyone? Every last person in any of those conversations owes a great deal of their own personal fortune to the fact that words and images do indeed influence people, their buying decisions, and their voting patterns. Listening to the "arguments," it's just ludicrous to hear the patent drivel.

[JuniperLea]

31. Exactly right...

We have a very vocal RWer in the office, and a few others who are less verbose. Yesterday we landed a big account that had to do with an explosion and fire. We use the term "blow up" or "catch fire" whenever a client's troubles go to crisis level. I advised Mr. RW that we landed the account, told him what we needed from him, and told him I was avoiding using the common office term "blow up." He said, yeah, because God forbid someone would hear that and actually blow up! I laughed and said, right... words and images don't affect people... oh, wait... what is it you do for a living?

I chuckled and left his office at that point. I hope to have the opportunity to reactivate that convo soon now that he's had a chance to spin it... ;)

[LeftinOH]

23. Newer suburban developments without *any* sidewalks may be a big problem-

[unblock]

24. gunsight, aim high, traitor, water the tree of liberty, 2nd amendment solutions...

these don't influence anyone.

but, "exercise more", that's tantamount to murder.



of course, it all makes perfect sense!

[elleng]

25. This is a JOKE, right?

[Historic NY]

26. WTF is wrong with these jerks.

[mimitabby]

28. good grief!

[Renew Deal]

30. That has got to be the most idiotic journalistic joke of all time.

More people are getting hit by cars because Michelle Obama convinced people to walk? That's BS. How about the number of people that can afford a car? Has that changed?

[alp227]

33. They ALWAYS need some dumb excuse to hate the Obamas

disguising "wah wah a black man is now president" as jealousy. Meanwhile, reality makes us have to blame George W. Bush for the deaths of 100,000's of Iraqi citizens and then many more...

[Hello_Kitty]

34. More of us are walking because we can't afford gas! eom