It’s the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, or as we’ve come to call it, “Giving Tuesday.”
Many organizations are asking for your support at this time of year, but we at Streetsblog have a specific call, pegged to an article published in the New York Times last Friday.
Streetsblog USA’s Kea Wilson breaks it down (and you should give her full piece a read), but here’s our pitch in a nutshell: One of the world’s best-selling newspapers seemingly implied that a cycling advocate killed by a car driver in Paris is a victim of the city’s “war on cars,” rather than being killed in a deliberate act of road rage enacted by the 52-year-old driver of an SUV.
Here at Streetsblog — unlike at the paper of record — we refuse to give narratives like this breathing room.
From Kea’s essay:
Paul Varry is no longer here to tell his story. Millions of people who lose their lives in less blatantly aggressive (but still preventable) instances of traffic violence aren’t here, either. And if outlets like the Times can’t tell the story of their deaths with far more care, they should hire writers who can.
Here at Streetsblog, we strive to do what the Times seemingly cannot. We provide our high-quality journalism and analysis (that doesn’t blame the victim of traffic violence for their death) for free — which is something to be celebrated in an era of paywalls. But the work we do is not free; we rely on the generosity of our readers to help support our reporters and editors as they advance the movement to end car dependency in our communities.
If you already support our work, thank you! Can you brag about us to your friends and ask them to support? If you aren’t a supporter yet, please join us and help us push for a more livable, walkable, bikeable, equitable and enjoyable country for all.
And happy holidays from the Streetsblog team!
- The Forgotten History of ‘Bloody 66’ And How Public Memory Helps Perpetuate Traffic Violence
Centennial events downplay the violent history of one of America’s most “iconic” highways, and obscure how that violence persists to this day. - Friday’s Headlines Are in Decline
The U.S. is becoming a dying petrostate, while China leads the world in renewable energy. - Spirit’s Shutdown Exposes America’s Fragile Affordable Travel System
“Affordable travel is not a fallback. It is what makes broad mobility possible.”
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