The Fierce 'Religious War' Over SUVs

"On one side are devout environmentalists and icky Hollywood types as well as reputable safety experts who say SUVs can be death machines...On the other side are champions of the land barge...assorted auto lobbyists, free-market enthusiasts and moms on car-pool duty...pro-SUV forces cheered last month when it was disclosed that the Bush Administration wants to increase a tax break allowing small businesses to deduct much of the price of the heaviest SUVs from their taxes -- even when those SUVs won't be hauling anything more than the boss and his morning Starbucks...Because they are so much heavier and higher off the ground, SUVs can ride atop cars when they collide, crushing the smaller vehicles...The right way to frame the SUV debate is not whether SUVs should be dumped, but whether society pays too much, and their drivers too little, for the benefits SUVs provide."