Tesla owners speak out to balance the narrative
Commentary by Lisa Ormond and guest Randal Ormond | FāVS News
Please forgive us. We’re a bit confused and maybe a bit behind the times by a couple days. From the news reports, we have learned our communities in Eastern Washington and cities across Idaho are “peacefully” coming together to protest Elon Musk’s leadership, actions and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) policies by protesting Tesla dealerships, repair facilities and by setting fire to Tesla vehicles and charging stations.
We seek to understand
We have been Tesla owners for four years. We are concerned and confused by the spreading demonstrations against Tesla and its car owners as a method to “punish” Musk, cripple Tesla stock and to coerce current Tesla car owners to dump their electric cars. We question the justification and want to offer our perspective as the momentum of protests seem to be picking up speed across the country.
Our Tesla ownership does not reflect accurately how we think, what our values are, or why we own the car. To be clear, we in no way object to the protests nor our fellow citizens voicing their displeasures.
Our Tesla story
For the longest time we wanted to own an electric vehicle for economic and environmental reasons. Increasing gas costs motivated us to search for alternative fuels transportation to take the bite out of the budget. Also, we are environmentally-conscious individuals and throughout our lives we have searched and embraced ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
We almost purchased a used electric 1990s Ford Ranger for sale in Sacramento, California. Its range was about 100 miles on a charge. To us, it was perfect for short commutes to work and back. We were ready to buy the Ranger in 2010. But our lives changed quickly, and we both lost our jobs. We picked up our young family and moved to Pullman, Washington, for employment. Our electric vehicle dream was put on hold indefinitely.
Fast forward to 2021. We ordered our Tesla Y at a showroom in downtown Seattle after visiting our son who lived there. We were so excited to own the car because it was a dream of ours. Since picking it up in Spokane, we’ve driven nearly 50,000 miles across the Pacific Northwest taking advantage of Tesla Superchargers along the way. Today, it’s our primary household vehicle which we share daily.
Not about politics
We ask that you, our neighbor, not judge us by the car we drive. We did not buy our Tesla to make a political statement or to be the first one on the block to own an electric car. We chose Tesla because it made the most sense for us in terms of electric car ownership.
We did detailed research about all electric cars on the market before we purchased ours. We learned Teslas could go farther (300+ miles) between charges than other manufacturer’s electric cars. We also determined Tesla had the greatest quantity of fast-charging stations across the U.S. This sold us, and Guppy (our car’s nickname) found a place in our garage. We have no plans to sell Guppy.
Concerns for safety
Friends are asking us questions. They are concerned about our safety since news reports around the world continue to show attacks on Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations, and privately owned cars. What to do and what to think here.
We tell them we have not had any trouble to date. It’s been our experience that people in our region generally tend to mind their own business. But the other day a pick-up truck driver saw me exit my Tesla.
He stopped and asked if I’ve had experienced any trouble while driving the car in lieu of Tesla demonstrations. I told him no, and he was happy to hear that. He said he didn’t understand the backlash being directed towards Tesla owners. He shook his head in disbelief and wished me a safe day as he drove off.
Liberty Lake service appointment
Protesters have been gathering at the Liberty Lake Tesla dealership and service center. Recently, we dropped our car off for service and noticed the employees were quite edgy. We did not take offense but offered kind words and patience. Employees there are still striving to provide great customer service in a difficult time of public dissention outside their business. We appreciate and applaud their efforts. Be aware Tesla employees and their families are impacted by these events at their job sites, in their communities and around the world.
Disheartened by protests
We are wondering if protesters know Tesla CEO Musk is actively involved in the operations of five other companies including Space X, X, Neuralink, xAI and The Boring Company. Possibly, it doesn’t matter though.
Why target Tesla? We acknowledge these points.
- The obvious is the name recognition and it’s an easy go-to location if Tesla showrooms and repair service centers are in your area.
- Tesla is, after all, Musk’s most profitable company. But Tesla does employ approximately 125,000 people worldwide.
- Yes, he made most of his fortune from owning Tesla stock.
The value of Tesla stock is dropping thus decreasing Musk’s net worth. But hold on, efforts to crash Telsa’s stock has a greater negative effect on the American people than maybe most realize. Meaning, Tesla stock is owned by individuals, and the stock is part of most financial portfolios within people’s 401K and Roth retirement accounts. This is relevant. Protestors may not realize they may be hurting themselves long term as well as hurting Musk’s pocketbook.
Keeping peace
We understand the strong emotions surrounding Musk and in general our government’s recent activities. We support citizens’ rights to speak out against wrongs they see, experience and want to change. But please don’t hate or find fault with all Tesla vehicle owners because of Musk.
Keeping perspective is important. We are Americans and your neighbors. Again, we repeat, our Tesla is just a car and not a political statement. Thank you for understanding and for protesting peacefully.
Let us all hold true to the words of Jesus found in John 14:27 as we continue to traverse our paths ahead together: “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
While I applaud your speaking up and respect your feelings regarding your choice of vehicle to own, I ask you to please respect the feelings behind the protests, especially locally. Yes, in other cities across the nation there have been “violent” protests against Tesla, but not here, not locally. When you characterize the protests here as “peaceful” you are questioning the integrity of the local protesters. That is not fair. While I have not personally protested at the Tesla dealership, I have friends who have. I know they are committed to protesting peacefully (no quotation marks!). As for myself, I participate in other peaceful protests in our community and am committed to keeping them peaceful. You may choose not to protest, and I respect that. Please respect our decision to do so peacefully. This is how I manifest following the words you quoted from Jesus.
Thank you, Julie, for your thoughts. We were in no way trying to create division or to polarize with our comments. That was not our intent; only to inform and to offer a different perspective about this topic. I do respect your decision and desire to protest about Tesla or any other topic as was stated in the commentary. It’s welcomed and healthy. I, too, have participated in several peaceful protests in my own community as a concerned citizen which I’m grateful that I have the freedom to do so. And, I’m also grateful that others as yourself and your neighbors have the ability to make those same choices because we live in this country.