My email to John Kelso

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/17/0217kelso.html

Mr. Kelso:

I have read and enjoyed your column for many years. Whether I’ve agreed or disagreed with your positions, the humor and good natured poking of fun has clearly shone in your pieces. Maybe I am just too close to this subject and am not seeing the humor, but your suggestion that the Austin Marathon and the thousands of Austin runners who run regularly should be prevented from their chosen recreation because of the occasional inconvenience to drivers is hurtful, shameful and exposes a true bias.

It is your right to chose not to exercise, to dine on outstanding Texas Bar-B-Q 4 nights a week and smoke a pack of cigarettes daily. It is your right to drive your gas guzzling car to every destination beyond your mailbox. It is your right to find the occasional closing of your normal driving route irritating.

But make no mistake, I too pay my Federal, State and Local taxes. I have the same right as the hundreds of thousands of commuters who clog the roads 5 days a week twice a day for hours to use the roads of this town whether in my car, on my bike or god forbid on my Nike running shoes. Have you ever tried to get to Pflugerville from downtown on OU weekend Friday? Those damned Texas football fans bring this town to a standstill for an entire day making their way to Dallas for nothing more than a silly game. And don’t even get me started about SXSW. You can’t get anywhere near downtown for weeks and forget finding a hotel for friends wanting to come to town for a visit.

When I hear people like you bellyache about the inconvenience of our once a year marathon or our illustrious council member Leffingwell making claims that Austin has just gotten too big to allow street closures for these types of activities I get angry. I ask you to look at cities that have embraced their running community and gotten behind their marathons. Cities like New York, Chicago and Boston take great community pride in these events. Hundreds of thousands of residents come out to cheer the participants. Churches involve their congregations to staff aid stations or open their doors as shelter to spectators in adverse weather. The shortsighted and mean spirited assault on clean healthy events like the marathon by our political and editorial leaders dooms Austin to second class status.

As you have pointed out in many a column, Austin is loosing its identity. Our laid back tolerant reputation is no longer a reality. I hope that you will look again at your recent column to see if perhaps you have lost your own way. Is your irritation at finding your preferred route to a speaking engagement really cause to use your considerable public voice to attack the very lifestyle of many of Austin’s best and brightest not to mention fittest citizens?

Respectfully yours,

Charles "Geezer" Collins
Marathoner, Marathon Coach, Native Austinite