Gulf Spill
I just returned from Louisiana; New Orleans and Grand Isle to be specific. I don’t think there are any words to describe how out of control the oil spill really is. If you think there are trained professionals in Hazmat suits walking around “cleaning up”, think again. After seeing what little I saw I’m beginning to think that any photo with President Obama, and the clean up crews was just a simple PR stunt.
Not only does no one know what they are doing, or have a plan, but it doesn’t feel like BP has a real sense of urgency about it all. I realize I’m not writing anything new from what has been said or felt on this matter.
I started thinking in my idealistic fantasy mind why doesn’t Obama just go for it? Forget being re-elected, and just go hard for the four years. He could be a radical President that makes all these progressive moves and then say “see ya”, and go make a boat load of cash in the private sector. Instead it is all starting to just look like politics. Who cares if he made all these policies that someone could come into office and change? At least he would be giving them something they have to make different then things as status quo?
I admit I am not smart enough on any level to know how to make change. I do know it starts with me, my family, my neighbor, my community, and so on. Laird and I went down there to see it for ourselves since we are trying to be positive advocates for the humans who have lost their lives or livelihood, and positive advocates for the environment. Once you get there it is so easy to feel like “what can I do”, but I think if we all just do a little then we can make the change together.
It’s critical to learn from the Gulf spill, and protect future drilling sites. For example, in the Arctic now that boats can get thru, (since the ice has melted) you can bet that will be one of the next places they start trying to explore drilling. This isn’t just about how can we clean up the Gulf, but how can we get policies past in government to legally protect other places?
I realize I’m naive about big corporate money, and politics, but in the end I do know that the rain does fall on everyone’s roof, rich or poor. So when Tony Hayward says “I just want to get my life back” I think besides being insanely narcissistic he is missing the greater point. All those greedy executives who are in such a hurry to make an extra buck forget that if they screw the environment, the “small” people who make their living off of it, and kill the animals eventually that will catch up to them in their fancy London homes and G4 jets. I may be naive, but I am not foolish enough to not see how we are ALL CONNECTED on this planet. Oh, and by the way I don’t care how much money BP throws at resolving this Gulf spill, NO MONEY in the world can undue what they have done because of greed. Plain and simple!
Why don’t we all encourage President Obama to become a bad mama jamma and get radical. Hell, why not show us what it’s like to lead with some balls, and not the same old rhetoric. I love the idea of President Obama and that’s why it will be even more heart breaking if he just turns out to do it like so many of the men before him. They start out with great intentions, and get lured right into the b.s. dance of politics.
Pray, activate in your community, give, and let’s see what positive change we can do even if it’s inch by inch.
One parting image I have in my mind is a mother and baby dolphin swimming in the oil filled water, and you just knew that they were not going to survive. They would either die from the toxic water or lack of food.
Last time I checked survival was not about being a Republican, Democrat, Christian, or Catholic. How about that simple idea of humans who need love, shelter, clean air, water, and food?
I wish all of you my best, and encourage you to get pissed!
By Gabby Reece
By Gabby Reece
6-19-10
(more photos below)
I just returned from Louisiana; New Orleans and Grand Isle to be specific. I don’t think there are any words to describe how out of control the oil spill really is. If you think there are trained professionals in Hazmat suits walking around “cleaning up”, think again. After seeing what little I saw I’m beginning to think that any photo with President Obama, and the clean up crews was just a simple PR stunt.
Not only does no one know what they are doing, or have a plan, but it doesn’t feel like BP has a real sense of urgency about it all. I realize I’m not writing anything new from what has been said or felt on this matter.
I started thinking in my idealistic fantasy mind why doesn’t Obama just go for it? Forget being re-elected, and just go hard for the four years. He could be a radical President that makes all these progressive moves and then say “see ya”, and go make a boat load of cash in the private sector. Instead it is all starting to just look like politics. Who cares if he made all these policies that someone could come into office and change? At least he would be giving them something they have to make different then things as status quo?
I admit I am not smart enough on any level to know how to make change. I do know it starts with me, my family, my neighbor, my community, and so on. Laird and I went down there to see it for ourselves since we are trying to be positive advocates for the humans who have lost their lives or livelihood, and positive advocates for the environment. Once you get there it is so easy to feel like “what can I do”, but I think if we all just do a little then we can make the change together.
It’s critical to learn from the Gulf spill, and protect future drilling sites. For example, in the Arctic now that boats can get thru, (since the ice has melted) you can bet that will be one of the next places they start trying to explore drilling. This isn’t just about how can we clean up the Gulf, but how can we get policies past in government to legally protect other places?
I realize I’m naive about big corporate money, and politics, but in the end I do know that the rain does fall on everyone’s roof, rich or poor. So when Tony Hayward says “I just want to get my life back” I think besides being insanely narcissistic he is missing the greater point. All those greedy executives who are in such a hurry to make an extra buck forget that if they screw the environment, the “small” people who make their living off of it, and kill the animals eventually that will catch up to them in their fancy London homes and G4 jets. I may be naive, but I am not foolish enough to not see how we are ALL CONNECTED on this planet. Oh, and by the way I don’t care how much money BP throws at resolving this Gulf spill, NO MONEY in the world can undue what they have done because of greed. Plain and simple!
Why don’t we all encourage President Obama to become a bad mama jamma and get radical. Hell, why not show us what it’s like to lead with some balls, and not the same old rhetoric. I love the idea of President Obama and that’s why it will be even more heart breaking if he just turns out to do it like so many of the men before him. They start out with great intentions, and get lured right into the b.s. dance of politics.
Pray, activate in your community, give, and let’s see what positive change we can do even if it’s inch by inch.
One parting image I have in my mind is a mother and baby dolphin swimming in the oil filled water, and you just knew that they were not going to survive. They would either die from the toxic water or lack of food.
Last time I checked survival was not about being a Republican, Democrat, Christian, or Catholic. How about that simple idea of humans who need love, shelter, clean air, water, and food?
I wish all of you my best, and encourage you to get pissed!
Gabby