The first Earth Day was held 50 years ago next month, and student activists at the University of Michigan staged a month-long "teach in" leading up to Earth Day to inform the public on how modern living is imperiling our planet. The activities included a mock trial where a car, specifically a 1959 Ford sedan, was put on trial for the crimes of “murder of the American public, crossing state lines to pollute, inciting traffic jams, creating physical and psychological dependence, and discriminating against the poor.” Yes, they prosecuted a car -in Michigan. While the case for the prosecution was pretty damning, the car had a slate of witnesses for the defense.
“Rob Rockyfeller,” witness for the defense, testified that his (fictional) foundation had found that auto exhaust was only half as toxic as aspirin. His appearance lampooned the various foundations that supported business-friendly policy in the name of general prosperity. Another witness attested to the importance of cars to the American economy. But no witness evoked the country’s car mania more vividly than “Dr. Sigmund Ford,” who sat stiffly on the stand with his head tilted slightly back, looking down his nose at the crowd below him.
“The automobile is essential to the maintenance of the American’s psyche,” Ford shouted, urging the court to consider the emotional security a car gives to the American man. “You can’t take it away from him! How else could he know his power and virility? How can we show our neighbors we’re stronger and more powerful than they are without a Lincoln Continental?”
“But what would actually happen to [Americans] if you took away cars?” asked the prosecutor, wearing a plaid skirt-suit and, of all things, leather driving gloves.
“But you see, cars are very important,” Ford began, dodging the question. “They serve a function—”
“What would be the effect on people?” the prosecutor interjected. Ford couldn’t provide a satisfactory answer. “You just can’t take away their cars,” he shouted. “You can’t take away my car!”
While the scripted trial may seem silly today, it had positive effects on the auto industry, public policy, and the lives of those who participated. Read about the trial of the car at Smithsonian.
(Image credit: Mark Aspinall)