Walking is Fundamental

One of the clearly tangible aspects of America's national wealth--and international power--is its extensive and seamless infrastructure.

Yes, there are many examples of bridges falling apart, roads pocked with potholes and many, many other blemishes do exist from shore to shining shore; however, what has always amazed Europeans is how easy (due to a lack of national boarders) and pleasant it is to travel through America.

I agree with them. Especially after having lived for so long in Russia, a country devoid of an infrastructure: their trains do run well and on-time, however. Russian cities and roads' planning reminds of the towns and roads I used to carve out with my hands in the woodchips in front of our house as a kid. Truthfully though, my town had more order to it then the towns and cities of Russia.

America's infrastructure, beginning to rot after 8 years of complete and total neglect--there simply is no money for it when it is all going for tax cuts and occuaptions of other countries--is the glue which holds our superpower together and which still, for the time being, separates us from the likes of China.

Yet, one small aspect of our infrastructure which has been screamingly overlooked--and it is indeed part of the infrastructure--is the ability to "walk" from point A to point B.

While traveling about rural Pennsylvania with my wife and in-laws, it came as such a shock to them that a person couldn't take a walk! Winding country roads, occupied by speeding cars with little or no visibility due to the hills and curves, were bordered by "private property: keep out!"

The occasional sidewalk which popped up from time to time in the small towns would suddenly give way to someone's front-lawn. In my own town of Freehold, New Jersey, walking is simply just not an option for most "white people". On a pleasant summer's eve, you can see a family strolling into town but even the tranquility of this trek will be challenged as the family of four tries to cross Park Avenue, Main or South Streets--I won't dare mention trying to cross Route 9!

The language of choice when walking in Freehold, and even in rural PA, is Spanish and in some cases Indian. God forbid should an English-speaking walker have a medical emergency! English-speakers, except myself, don't consider walking as an option for getting from one place to another unless the other place is safely on their street within their own development.

Walking is an option that exists for either the poor or those wanting to shed a few extra pounds by strolling the 1/4 of a mile to the store for a gallon of milk or the paper as opposed to driving there. Yet, in our obese and unhealthy nation, as Congress debates the needs for economic recovery via investment in our "infrastructure", not one dollar is being allocated for the construction of walking pathes, sidewalks, crossing zones, pedestrian bridges, etc.

A federal commitment to walking will not only, over the long run, make America a closer, tighter-knit nation; but, it will be a right and progressive step in the direction of combatting obesity and especially teenage obesity. If we are not willing to cover our citizenry with univeral health care, then let's at least in-put the means by which the recently-retired, the middle-aged, the young could spend 20 to 30 and even 60 minutes a day to physically moving their soft, weakened bodies.

Walking is a means of transportation. It will lower the use of fossil fuels. It will lower the costs of health care in our country. It will make us a healthier, happier and more fit nation. Walking is needed now.

Sadly, however, nobody is making money by lobbying for walking-routes and sidewalks and unless our new president, whose promise to make us all again inclusive is real, does push this enevelope then sadly, we will invest billions into the same, wrongheaded areas of the past: roads, roads and more roads.

Fast walking is the healthiest form of exercise there is; if fast-walking uphill then even better. It is time we realized this, got up from our seats and walked to the store, church, gym or bank.

PS: Why would a mall-cop need a Segue? Can't they walk around the mall?