Piece by Piece: The End of Walking
Antonia Malchik, wife, mother, privileged American, confronts the American people on their laziness, privilege, and ignorance to the act of walking. Malchik believes that the age of walking has been overtaken by people in cars and strives to convince the people of America too pen their eyes and see what we’re becoming. “Walking is the first legacy of our post-ape genes”, she says, “H. sapiens came only after H. erectus” (par. 5). The average human was created and enabled to walk approximately three miles per hour, however, and Malchik explains, we have come to look at cars as a luxury and symbol of personal independence and, therefore, have declined in use and necessity for sidewalks. Malchik’s intentions …show more content…
4). She proceeds to inform us that the incident occurred while mother, Raquel Nelson, was jaywalking her children across the street to their home while they were hit by a driver who is legally blind and was intoxicated during the hit and run, however, the mother is the one who was charged for the vehicular manslaughter of her four-year-old son. Malchik uses this situation to greatly appeal to one’s emotions. She uses her article to reach out to all “walks” of life, however, this story, in particular, seems to be mainly targeted towards parents. It is there to make them consider themselves in Raquel Nelson’s shoes and think about the injustice that occurs just because a person travels by foot. What would you do in this situation? What if you were charged for the murder of your child when it happened at the wheel of someone else? What if you were the driver who killed a small child and knew you were guilty but did not have to take responsibility? Makes you think right? Hits you in the heart, doesn’t it? Her point, …show more content…
3). She is suggesting that the average American could do the same, however, she also points fingers towards laziness. Cars have become idolized. They are seen as a symbol of freedom, independence, and luxury, so much that to “ go somewhere without getting behind the wheel of a car” (par. 8) is “the struggle”, as this generation calls it. This laziness and idolization of the four-wheeled, gas-guzzling, sometimes electric vehicles have also come hand-in-hand with obesity rates and health problems due to the decrease in popularity of walking. Here, Malchik targets the human sense of reason, basically by saying we become more and more unhealthy as we deny our bodies the freedom and initiative to walk. She also adds, in paragraph 30, that “these younger generations prefer walking”, which even leads me to think, without sidewalks or rights as a walker, what would I
Antonia Malchik, wife, mother, privileged American, confronts the American people on their laziness, privilege, and ignorance to the act of walking. Malchik believes that the age of walking has been overtaken by people in cars and strives to convince the people of America too pen their eyes and see what we’re becoming. “Walking is the first legacy of our post-ape genes”, she says, “H. sapiens came only after H. erectus” (par. 5). The average human was created and enabled to walk approximately three miles per hour, however, and Malchik explains, we have come to look at cars as a luxury and symbol of personal independence and, therefore, have declined in use and necessity for sidewalks. Malchik’s intentions …show more content…
4). She proceeds to inform us that the incident occurred while mother, Raquel Nelson, was jaywalking her children across the street to their home while they were hit by a driver who is legally blind and was intoxicated during the hit and run, however, the mother is the one who was charged for the vehicular manslaughter of her four-year-old son. Malchik uses this situation to greatly appeal to one’s emotions. She uses her article to reach out to all “walks” of life, however, this story, in particular, seems to be mainly targeted towards parents. It is there to make them consider themselves in Raquel Nelson’s shoes and think about the injustice that occurs just because a person travels by foot. What would you do in this situation? What if you were charged for the murder of your child when it happened at the wheel of someone else? What if you were the driver who killed a small child and knew you were guilty but did not have to take responsibility? Makes you think right? Hits you in the heart, doesn’t it? Her point, …show more content…
3). She is suggesting that the average American could do the same, however, she also points fingers towards laziness. Cars have become idolized. They are seen as a symbol of freedom, independence, and luxury, so much that to “ go somewhere without getting behind the wheel of a car” (par. 8) is “the struggle”, as this generation calls it. This laziness and idolization of the four-wheeled, gas-guzzling, sometimes electric vehicles have also come hand-in-hand with obesity rates and health problems due to the decrease in popularity of walking. Here, Malchik targets the human sense of reason, basically by saying we become more and more unhealthy as we deny our bodies the freedom and initiative to walk. She also adds, in paragraph 30, that “these younger generations prefer walking”, which even leads me to think, without sidewalks or rights as a walker, what would I