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Abbey, And His Fear Of Progress

Abbey, and His Fear of Progress

Edward Abbey

The day that the gray jeep with the U.S. Government decal and "Bureau of Public
Roads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that progress had arrived. He had foreseen it,
watching other parks like his, fall in the face of progress. He knew that
hordes of people and their "machines" would come (Abbey 50-51). Most people see
progress as a good thing. Abbey proclaims. "I would rather take my chances in a
thermonuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60)."

"Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher goal; an advance; steady
improvement (Webster's)." Is progress really all of that? How can you improve
on mother nature? Progress actually detracts from the parks natural beauty.
Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attributed to "progress." In this frame
of thinking "progress" kind of contradicts it's self.

The most detrimental aspect of progress is the automobile. "'Parks are for
people' is the public-relations slogan, which decoded means that the parks are
for people-in -automobiles." People come streaming in, driving their cars.
They are in a hurry because they are trying to see as many parks as possible in
their short vacation time. They have to deal with things such as: car troubles,
traffic, hotel rooms, other visitors pushing them onward, their bored children,
and the long trip home in a flood of cars. Many of them take tons of pictures,
possibly so that they can actually enjoy the park without all of the hassles
(Abbey 58). Without leaving their cars they will never actually experience the
beauty and wonderment of the parks. They will only find the stress and chaos
that they sought to leave at home (Abbey 59).

There is a minority though, that prefers to be able to get away from the modern
world completely, and travel throughout the parks on foot, bicycle, or horse.
With these vehicles they can travel on quiet trails that are impassable by
automobiles. These trails will lead them to places where...