Now the Left Is Coming for Your Pickup Trucks, America — and Their 'Logic' Couldn't Be More Ridiculous

Like spoiled children, liberals never give up when they want something, and they can never get enough. Whether it’s more redistribution of taxpayer money, more acceptance of unacceptable behavior, or another cookie, left-wingers always want more. Perfect example: Rather than “only” coming after our evil, planet-destroying passenger cars, the left is targeting our pickup trucks as well, my fellow Americans.

Moreover, the idiocy is neither new nor driven only by the left’s hatred of internal combustion engines.

As I first reported in January 2021 — and this is laugh-out-loud hysterical — pickup trucks not only brazenly project “petromasculinity”; they’re also the personification (or would that be “truckification”?) of “glorification of violence and domination.” Incidentally, one of the many benefits enjoyed by conservative political pundits is never having to make crap up; the left’s got you covered on a regular basis.

Fast-forward to today. Nothing has changed.

Make that, the left has grown even nuttier about the evils of pickup trucks and their owners. The Federalist contributor Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, dropped a thought-provoking op-ed on Monday about the left’s ongoing war on “big and scary” pickup trucks, first drawing a contrast between the right to bear arms vs. truck ownership.

Unlike with the right to bear arms, there is no constitutional amendment protecting our right to own vehicles — other than a generally recognized right to move about freely (Crandall v. Nevada, 1867) — and, with almost all roads owned by the government, this could become a problem.

With that, the ongoing campaign against “Big Truck” — or, as we call them in Texas, simply “my truck” — is bound to lead to additional restrictions to “save the planet” and “save the children.”

The latest push against large pickup trucks takes two basic forms: They’re large and scary and hurt people, and they’re bad for the environment, especially with people not really needing them for anything practical.

Before we continue, the ingenious deviousness of  “climate activism” gives the left — in their loony minds — the right to attack or attempt to ban anything and everything they ridiculously decide contributes to anthropomorphic climate change — pickup trucks included.

Here’s a perfect example (emphasis, mine):

Crashes killed 16 children under age 18 during the first nine months of the year — at least 23% higher than any full year under Vision Zero, and five more children than were killed in all of 2021.

13 were killed by large vehicles like SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, or buses.

Get the message? Of course, you do. I can see it now: “assault trucks,” “trucks of war,” the whole bit. Sarcasm, of course, but the message is the same — as are the assumptions and flawed “logic.”

To make their point even “clearer,” Transportation Alternatives tweeted:

SUVs + pickup trucks are up to 3x more likely to kill or seriously injure people during a crash than smaller cars.

NYC must shift to a weight-based tax to discourage people from driving cars that are too big and too dangerous for our streets.

And there it is: a “weight-based tax.” To discourage people from driving the personal vehicles of their choice, no less, vs. the “choice” of the climate lunatics.

“The large and dangerous argument goes like this,” DeVore wrote:

Americans only drive big trucks because Americans are vain, and big pickup trucks have become a status symbol, with mostly suburban owners citing their truck’s “ruggedness” and “power.” As further proof, detractors claim most of these large rides don’t even have a trailer hitch.

Of course, one thing many Americans don’t much take a liking to is other people telling them what they must do with their purchases and lifestyle. I don’t own a large pickup truck — yet — but if these pearl-clutching busybodies don’t mind their business, I’m sorely tempted to go out and buy one.

Neither do I own a pickup truck. Coincidentally, more than a few of my good buds do — and most of their rides are pretty sweet. Big V-8s, awesome tires, “scary” grills; the whole bit. But, along with Chuck DeVore, I’ve considered buying one. Then again, after finally shooting a couple of weapons of war assault rifles AR-15s recently, I have one of those bad boys on my shortlist, as well.

Anyway, in summary, here’s how millions of normal people see pickup trucks:

And here’s how the left sees pickup trucks:

Any questions? Me neither, but do try to contain your shock and amazement, won’t you?