It is unethical to buy an SUV

Thanks for joining, First I will rebutt my opponents points, "The most important point when arguing ethics however, is that ethics are not object specific. going back to the knife example, we might say that stabbing someone with a knife is unethical, but whether or not a knife was used is irrelevant. Stabbing someone in general is unethical. It doesn't matter if it was a knife, fork, pen, sword, stick, nail. Stabbing, and hurting someone is unethical, we do not need to define the object." Most of his arguments are summarized against this but if the knife wasn't there, then there would the use of being unethical for stabbing someone. "his is just a statement about how SUVs use more gas. this doesn't mean buying one is unethical. If a family can meet all its requirements by using only one car, but has two to make life easier, and do more things, is that unethical? of course not. They have the right to have another car. " How many people do you know that just buy an SUV and leave it in their garage? NO ONE that's why it is unethical!!! "are you trying to say increasing the acceleration of a vehicle is unethical? That just doesn't make sense. it isn't a question of ethics." By producing more gas and hurting the environment is that ethical? "This is not true. SUVs are not dangerous. A bad driver driving one is. But the vehicle itself is not more dangerous than any other, it is just a matter of how it is used. For example: it i drive and SUV 20 miles an hour, but someone else is driving a Prius at 120 which is more dangerous? the prius. so again its how they are used. not the objects themselves." Again I ask you how many people do you know who drive at 20 mile per hour all the time? I rest my case. "so finally, SUV are amoral. It doesnt matter if you love them or hate them, you cannot place a ethical definition on them, because it doesn't apply" All of my arguments apply because they directly corelate to other high ethics, such as safety considered one of the highest ethics or environment another high ethic WHICH SUVS ARE DESTROYING. Now I will move to some of my points. SUVs do not have fuel efficiency standards. Most cars have to comply with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFï¿½). For example, most average-weight cars must have 20mpg. However, there are some exceptions, including alternate fuel cars, and very heavy cars like SUVs. >>Light trucks that exceed 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) do not have to comply with CAFE standards. These vehicles include pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and large vans. SUVs are dangerous to their passengers, especially children. SUVs are not safe for children and adults. People on the road with SUVs are in danger because the first increase in traffic deaths in 25 years comes as SUVs have assumed a dominant position in the market for new vehicles. >>Sport utility vehicles are the second most popular choice of vehicle for transporting children – behind minivans – but they are twice as deadly for children as minivans and more dangerous to children than large or mid-sized passenger cars, according to a new Public Citizen study released today during a news conference at the Capitol. Children are more at risk from a rollover crash in an SUV than in any other type of vehicle. Alarmingly, the use of SUVs to transport children is rising, while the use of minivans and cars is declining. SUVs don't have to be safe: a problem. They are built with less security standard then cars because they count as a truck and trucks don't need to have certain specifications like a pre-planned frame that is built to crumble in certain spots to protect the people inside. Therefore, not only is it unethical to buy an SUV, but also it is unethical to sell an SUV. >>With SUVs accounting for some 24 percent of all new-vehicle sales in the United States for 2003 alone, and, with well over 20 million on the road today, representing nearly 12 percent of all registered vehicles in the country, 86% of all SUV owners want new regulation safety standards. And now to restate all my points: SUVs are harmful to the environment. SUVs use a lot of gas, more than most other cars, so there is more gas emissions and contributes to global warming like two regular cars. >> SUV owners collectively paid almost $9 billion – $350 each – more for gasoline in 2002 in the United States than they would if SUVs were as fuel-efficient as the average car. This translates into 151 million extra barrels of oil consumed in the United States in 2002 to fuel SUVs. >> The fuel efficiency of engines increases by an average of 1.9 percent per year, but automakers chose to use these efficiency gains to increase acceleration and add weight to vehicles (mostly in SUVs) instead of increasing fuel economy. SUVs are dangerous to other motorists. SUVs are much larger and bulkier than most cars on the road. If an SUV crashed into a smaller vehicle, the passengers in the smaller vehicle would be in greater danger than if they were crashed against another smaller car. >>While SUV occupants face significant risks from rollover crashes, occupants of other cars face major risks from SUVs as well. In frontal crashes, SUVs kill 4.3 car drivers for every one SUV driver who is killed. SUVs do not have fuel efficiency standards. Most cars have to comply with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFï¿½). For example, most average-weight cars must have 20mpg. However, there are some exceptions, including alternate fuel cars, and very heavy cars like SUVs. >>Light trucks that exceed 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) do not have to comply with CAFE standards. These vehicles include pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and large vans. SUVs are dangerous to their passengers, especially children. SUVs are not safe for children and adults. People on the road with SUVs are in danger because the first increase in traffic deaths in 25 years comes as SUVs have assumed a dominant position in the market for new vehicles. >>Sport utility vehicles are the second most popular choice of vehicle for transporting children – behind minivans – but they are twice as deadly for children as minivans and more dangerous to children than large or mid-sized passenger cars, according to a new Public Citizen study released today during a news conference at the Capitol. Children are more at risk from a rollover crash in an SUV than in any other type of vehicle. Alarmingly, the use of SUVs to transport children is rising, while the use of minivans and cars is declining. SUVs don't have to be safe: a problem. They are built with less security standard then cars because they count as a truck and trucks don't need to have certain specifications like a pre-planned frame that is built to crumble in certain spots to protect the people inside. Therefore, not only is it unethical to buy an SUV, but also it is unethical to sell an SUV. >>With SUVs accounting for some 24 percent of all new-vehicle sales in the United States for 2003 alone, and, with well over 20 million on the road today, representing nearly 12 percent of all registered vehicles in the country, 86% of all SUV owners want new regulation safety standards. Thanks for this debate,