TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL PILLARS OF I-49 CONNECTOR SUPPORTERS – Vic Hummert

TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL  PILLARS  OF I-49  CONNECTOR  SUPPORTERS – Vic Hummert

Linguist Benjamin Whorf introduced the Whorfian Hypothesis, ” an undeniable principle stating “If we change our  language, we will  certainly change thinking of people.” Rather than  sadly state “Mother died today,” children are more peaceful in announcing : “Mother has just   entered fullness of life.”

Psychologist Kurt Lewin describes the” Approach – Avoidance syndrome” in which we draw near to a person or situation then impulsively  reverse course at the point of contact.

*It is obvious  proponents of the I-49 connector are  glibly describing a route that will knife through the center of Lafayette as an aesthetic, economic boost to a city of 125,000. Nothing  is said about  elevated highways being removed in other cities globally, displacement of local  homes, businesses or gross  inconvenience to those once described by a  Lafayette city official as living “on the wrong side of the railroad  tracks.”

For decades residents of Lafayette have known about  toxic wastes left   by one major railroad. The owner of that  negligent, irresponsible  corporation  is also  CEO of Berkshire-Hathaway. The prominent financial wizard’s   net worth in US dollars is over  $63 billion. With the swish of his 85-year old wrist, an order could be given to clean up Lafayette’s toxic mess.

 Nine Superfund sites  already found  in  one of the poorest states of the union are draining money from tax payers. Should the  prominent billionaire or Louisiana  citizens be responsible for cleaning up  known poison deposits  adjacent to the proposed connector?

 Vocal  I-49 supporters cannot deny existence of the toxic mess, but will cleverly avoid   any discussion of reality. Deflecting, ignoring   any  admission of   threats to our aquifer  is essential to the project’s survival.  Whorf and Lewin are our professors.

“Recent polls” on the  I-49 subject  by citizens  are presented with the presumption many  residents do not know from where their water comes, nor to where it will flow as wastewater.

One  high school student from St. Louis, MO made his private research of asking residents in  any city he visited: *What is the population of your community? *What is the source of your drinking water? His unpublished research indicated the vast majority had  feeble awareness about population,  water sources or   forthcoming  international water wars. Colorado has seven water courts as thirty million people contend for drawing from the Colorado river.

The Vermillion river is not an alternative if I-49 harms the Chicot aquifer.

If impoverished  Louisiana (#49) had water courts would the  I-49 connector  be permitted to continue?