Here, Too

What happens in Detroit does not stay in Detroit. The auto industry's woes have consequences for the entire country, as Central Virginia learned this week.

On Thursday, Chrysler announced the closing of Airport Chrysler Jeep in Henrico and Pearson Dodge in Chesterfield. Yesterday General Motors said it will close dealerships, too. The local consequences were not known by Editorial deadlines. Previously, Ford idled an assembly plant in Norfolk.

Despite the caricatures of used car salesmen, many consumers form bonds with dealerships. They buy cars from the same showrooms and lots, and frequent the premises for service and repairs. Brand loyalty may not be what it was, but it remains strong. Sociologists have studied the social significance of automobile ownership. Nationally, autos completed industrialization and helped to create the middle class in its modern form.

The interests of newspapers and auto dealers long have intersected.

The Times-Dispatch values its relationships with the region's automotive community.

And speaking of community: Dealerships play leading roles within their communities. They sponsor teams, tournaments, and events. Their names often rank among the most visible in the neighborhood. Donald Hall, president of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, writes in tomorrow's Commentary section about the negative economic effects of forcing dealerships to close.

The auto industry is not alone. Companies throughout the economy are shedding jobs. The newspaper has had to let people go. And as readers learn of closures, shutdowns, and reductions in force, may they remember that behind every lost position is a human being -- a father, a mother, a daughter, a son, a child of God.