I’m sorry but this is not the change I voted for
I’ve been wrestling with what to say about the magnitude of the oil disaster in the Gulf for a while now. I mean, what can be said that hasn’t already been said? Who is to blame? Did the government do enough to regulate? Did the President invoke his full power to force anyone to take responsibility? We the educated already the logical answers to those questions. BP. No. No.
But there is something that has been eating away at my nerves over this whole thing. There are people out there actually defending the oil companies, saying that any fines levied or regulations imposed or stoppage enforced will cost jobs. While that may be true, as this muck chokes the shoreline of the Gulf, an entire industry is already being wiped out. The commercial fishing industry.
Oysters, for example, are gone. Gone! Shrimp, crayfish and others are not all that far behind. And this affects the food industry as a whole, beyond the gulf coast. Whereas, if we stopped drilling for oil, new jobs can be created in the search for alternative solutions while we use up our current oil reserves.
The defense of an oil industry that repeatedly destroys our environment at the expense of one that feeds families is ludicrous. And the fact that our government and this president is allowing BP to take it’s sweet time to capture as much of the oil as it can rather than stopping the hemorrhage is sickening.
For eight years we had President Bush ramming policies thru like a bulldozer. Never stopping to worry about partisanship or the constitution. He was able to start two wars and severely deplete our personal rights based on whims. Not even a shred of evidence was offered to back any his claims.
Then came a new hope (or so we thought). President Obama swore he would be different. And yes, in many ways he has been different. But in this case — with the livelihood of not only the gulf coast, but the whole nation at stake — we need him to be a bit more like his predecessor.
I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it is true.
We need him to grow a set of balls and proclaim, “Damn the consequences, this is the right thing to do!” and then do it. He can sign one of those executive orders that Bush loved so much and tossed around like confetti at a parade. This time, it can be used in order to save our lives.
Our government seems more concerned with saving the oil and just forgetting the rest. Kowtowing to the corporations instead of the people.
Is that the change you voted for?
It’s not the change I voted for!
So here is my message to Obama, his administration, Congress, the Senate, and anyone else blocking the resolution of this disaster:
- Stop worrying about BP and the oil industry
- Stop worrying about the lobbyists and politics
- Stop worrying about the next election
- Just do the right thing
- Blow up the damned well
- Seal it the fuck shut!
After all, over 90% of the oil coming out of the thing is useless. Besides, once you seal it up, you can eventually drill again because one thing is clear, this president — like all the rest — is a coward when it comes to the oil lobby. So you know, no matter what happens in the gulf, we will be drilling again.
