This is me

I was reading the blog Bower Power earlier today, and Katie was talking about in one of her recent posts about ways to build your blog and keep it authenticate.  One of those things was to be yourself, and blog about your passions.  This post may make some people crazy, but this is me.

I have been MIA because I have been distraught or worried.  I am going to assume that unless you live under a rock in a cave in Antarctica, then you have surely watched the news about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  You maybe closely following it or you may just get a snippet every now and then, but perhaps I can provide you a different perspective.

You see, my grandfather worked for Standard Oil Company back in the day, which has gone through a few changes and now is known as BP.  Therefore, you might realize that in some ways this oil spill hit a little closer to my life than maybe some others.  My grandfather has passed away, but my family does still have ties to the oil company, and this spill lingers in my subconscious all the time.

Do I think BP made a mistake?  Yes.  Do I think they should be responsible for cleaning it up?  Yes.  Does it break my heart that so many are being negatively affected in the gulf states?  Yes.  Do I think BP is a big evil oil company?  No.  Do I think the company should be destroyed over this? No.  Some might disagree with me.

Accidents happen – sometimes really big ones.  Do I thing the government should be able to take their assets from other profitable wells to punish them until they fix this problem?  No.  This is a horrible accident, and it has never had to be fixed before.  At first, I was thinking, “Gosh, just plug the hole already,” but then I had to realize that they are over 5000 feet underwater, in the dark, in the cold.  This wasn’t ever going to be easy.

It is easy for people without to attack those with.  Did you follow that?  Often times in our society, we want to “stick it to the man.”  We don’t like to success unless we have it.  We don’t care if somebody has worked hard to achieve a lot of wealth or success unless we do too.  All you have to do is look at current tax brackets and proposed changes by the current administration to realize we really punish those that have obtained wealth.

Many people want BP destroyed over this, but have you thought about the fact that they employ 30,000 Americans?  If you have read Mark Levine’s book Liberty in Tyranny, then you may be thinking about when he talks about how liberals love a disaster.  They can use the chaos and fear to coerce us into giving up more of our freedom.  I fear that if conservatives don’t also quit attacking BP that the current administration will just have more fire power to try and get all drilling in the US stopped.  What do you think that does to gas prices?  Then the big federal government will have to swoop in and entirely take over the entire oil industry so they can regulate it further.

I may be going a little far in my mind, but I won’t say it couldn’t happen.  Honestly, all of this makes me think about Toyota and how it seemed that our government was intent on taking them down. 

I don’t know.  I just feel sad and overwhelmed and sad for all involved: fisherman that can’t fish, the workers who were lost and their families, and yes, for BP and their employees.  Trust me, BP was the last person on Earth who ever wanted this to happen, and no one wants it to stop more than them.  I pray that it does stop soon.  I pray that God protect his creation by keeping the oil from further impacting the gulf ecosystem.  I pray that God comfort the families that lost loved ones.  I pray that God help the engineers find a solution quickly.  I just pray. 

This is me just trying to say that yes, this is a tragedy.  It is awful that life has been lost.  But just remember, that big evil oil company is still comprised of people, just like me and you.