Dougherty Arts Center
Offended by Column
RECEIVED Thu., July 3, 2008
Dear Editor,
As a cyclist in Austin, I am offended that the column “After a Fashion” [June 27] was even published. In the segment titled "Freewheeling," Stephen MacMillan Moser describes a group of cyclists having a great time – because five minutes of his precious time was taken by these enjoyable people, “[He] was ready to pull a Lizzie Grubman and plow right through them and be on [his] way.” This statement could be compared to discriminating against people with different but similarly misunderstood lifestyles. Take for example, Austin's gay community. Surely Moser could not have gotten away with writing that he wanted to “plow” through a Gay Pride Parade or celebration. Every member of every gay/straight/GLBT organization, and those not collectively involved, would be giving you guys hell for publishing such an atrocious article. Why should it differ for cyclists? I guess you guys aren't privy to just how dangerous it is to ride your bike in Austin (especially with this kind of driver mindset), how many times a day each cyclist is either hit or almost hit by a moving vehicle, and how real it is to see a threat published for every Chronicle enthusiast to read and spread celebrations of hating cyclists for their lifestyle. Maybe Moser didn't mean for his comment to be taken, eh, literally; it was just a comment. Well, comments like that make the threat and danger of death more real every day.
As a cyclist in Austin, I am offended that the column “After a Fashion” [June 27] was even published. In the segment titled "Freewheeling," Stephen MacMillan Moser describes a group of cyclists having a great time – because five minutes of his precious time was taken by these enjoyable people, “[He] was ready to pull a Lizzie Grubman and plow right through them and be on [his] way.” This statement could be compared to discriminating against people with different but similarly misunderstood lifestyles. Take for example, Austin's gay community. Surely Moser could not have gotten away with writing that he wanted to “plow” through a Gay Pride Parade or celebration. Every member of every gay/straight/GLBT organization, and those not collectively involved, would be giving you guys hell for publishing such an atrocious article. Why should it differ for cyclists? I guess you guys aren't privy to just how dangerous it is to ride your bike in Austin (especially with this kind of driver mindset), how many times a day each cyclist is either hit or almost hit by a moving vehicle, and how real it is to see a threat published for every Chronicle enthusiast to read and spread celebrations of hating cyclists for their lifestyle. Maybe Moser didn't mean for his comment to be taken, eh, literally; it was just a comment. Well, comments like that make the threat and danger of death more real every day.
Jennifer Grayson
