Right off the bat let me say that I have not been fully following this story, because every time I attempt to watch an interview, or listen in on a discussion, it only angers me so much that I have to turn off the radio or the TV and step away. What I do know, is again, here we have a situation where human lives and livelihoods are at stake, the environmental repercussions that will be felt for years and years to come cannot even be measured, and we are holding Congressional meetings to talk to a guy who has no answers for us.
Oh sorry – August 2010 “hopefully” they will decrease or stop the flow of oil. In the meantime 60,000 barrels of oil A DAY are spewing out into the Gulf of Mexico and wrecking havoc on our Third Coast. Born and raised in Houston my childhood memories that I hold so close to my heart are one of me and my grandmother searching for sharks teeth in the sand on Galveston Island. As I got older and went to school in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas and North Padre Island were places I could visit to enjoy pristine clear water, wildlife and excellent company.
Now all of that is threatened. And it hurts my soul.
Being raised close to the Gulf of Mexico you get to meet the true salt of this country. And when I say salt, I really mean it. Salty people. Tan-skinned, rough around the edges, bleached hair and perhaps some missing teeth, always barefoot and with a dog in-tow somewhere.
Listen to their stories. Listen to the lives that they have led. Take in the lessons they could teach you. Spend an afternoon on the edge of a pier, fishing pole in the water (knowing your bait has long been stolen away) and enjoy the wisdom and crass humor of a person who knows all they need in life to survive is a tent on the beach, a pack of smokes and of course, their dog.
Forget about the fast pace of life back home and play a game of pool with a shrimp boat captain who supports his family working tiredly day in and day out to cast nets and HOPE he gets a good catch. Ask him if he would ever consider doing anything else for a living. Don’t be scared by the look he gives you as his answer. Take him away from the salt air, and this man would surely know the meaning of depression.
These are the people of the Gulf of Mexico. These are the people that are watching pelicans die along the shoreline, covered in a slick gooey substance that they don’t understand. These are the people watching their coastline turn into a media event, and ultimately disappear into a cesspool of despair. These are my people, these are people I admire and envy and pray for everyday.
And now Mr. BP CEO Tony Hayworth, you say you don’t have answers? Seriously? This is your industry, and an accident has happened, and you have NO CLUE how to stop it? Lies. I’m watching this BP Oil Spill Hearing and hearing the words that are coming out of your mouth right now, and I’m just not comprehending. This happened April 20th, 2010, and there are still critical questions that cannot be answered? I find this SO HARD to believe. I can’t imagine how you don’t know how it happened, or have clear ideas on how to stop the flow of oil?
I just can’t believe it’s taken this long to make decisions and meanwhile BP is budgeting close to $20 million for their public relation campaign. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You are now trying to look good in all this? Why not budget for people who have lost their jobs, widows mourning the loss of their husbands, or the fishing industry who is struggling to make sense out of this disaster. THAT is your PR campaign. Not ads or speeches or TV commercials.
Get it together, and fast.
Not much else to say, except to keep praying for the people and the animals that call the Gulf home. Out of tragedy come inspiration, hope, recovery and then justice. We will be a stronger community because of this, learn from mistakes and be better prepared for the future. I only hope the future will shine brightly coming out of this time of darkness. It has to…
