Southwest Airlines Announces New Routes, But Are We Ready for the Moral Toll of Mass Transit?
The news that Southwest Airlines is expanding its network with a host of new routes has been met with applause from budget travelers, but our moral critics are sounding the alarm over what they call the "spiritual deadening" of community. By making air travel cheaper and more accessible to the masses, Southwest is eroding the sacred tradition of the long, grueling road trip. We are speeding from city to city in a metallic tube, skipping the rustic diners, the quirky roadside attractions, and the uncomfortable silences that once built character. This is not progress; this is the downfall of society. The faster we go, the more we lose our sense of place, trading the authenticity of a slow journey for the hollow convenience of a new gate. Southwest Airlines is not just adding routes; it is paving over our national soul with jet fuel.