Five Bucks a Gallon?

As hurricane Rita nears Texas, I have read rumors that gas prices could hit five dollars a gallon. This is due to the fact that there are so many refineries in that area. Five per gallon is high, no doubt. Europeans are probably wondering what we are whining about, because they have been dealing with prices that high for years now. Still, Americans will continue to shell out the dollars to feed their Hummers and Armadas and such because they "have the right" to drive huge vehicles.

Did you ever notice how people avoid changing because they "have the right" to do as they please? Isn't that just a lame excuse for destructive behavior? Think about it. We may have the right to do a number of things, but does that make it right to do so? We have the right to use all the gasoline that we want, to throw out as much garbage as we want, to use as much electricity as we want....but is that what is best? Frankly, most people aren't going to change their ways until they are forced to by regulations or shortages, or until they see the results first hand.

I'm no liberal. I have no political affiliation whatsoever. I do look at facts, though. And the facts show that people are ruining this earth. Just look around. Look at the landfills. Look at the rainforests. Shoot, just walk down the street. And yet...people don't or won't change their habits. Maybe gas lines and five dollars a gallon isn't such a bad thing. Maybe some SUVs will see the scrap heap. Maybe mass transit will gain a foothold in places it hasn't before. And maybe...just maybe...people will stop thinking they have the right to be selfish.