At present, oil saturates the Gulf Stream. An official six-month cessation of permits for new drilling did not actually affect the industry or government decisions. Despite Moratorium, Drilling Projects Move Ahead. To explain such an authorization and waiver, the Department of the Interior and the Minerals Management Services Division which regulates drilling, pointed to public statements by Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar. He did not intend to forbid all first cuts in the Earth's crust. Absolutely not. The Federal Government approved wells off the coast of Louisiana in June. Regardless of the day, or realities that are anathema to our citizenry, little has truly changed. Today, just as in yesteryear, we, the people of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect Union, polishpolicies to appear as though our civilization would wish to protect and defend all beings, equally.
Citizens heard the news. In West Virginia, twenty-five people perished. Hard-working miners left their homes and loved ones, never to return again. Upper Big Branch, a colliery owned and operated by the Massey Energy Company exploded from within. The cavern, filled with gas, was often thought to be a death trap. Family, friends, and familiars knew this, as did government officials. Actually, any American who cares to be cognizant of the countless considerations associated with coal mining could have predicted what occurred only days ago. Yet, most choose not to think of their own culpability in the most recent deaths. Nor do our countrymen and women contemplate the constant infirmity and harm they do to our fellow humans. We are busy.
Nonetheless, that does not negate that we have blood on our hands. Every person who resides in this country is partially responsible for this blast and the loss of bodies who will forever lie still. We, the people, love our luxuries and all the energy these consume. We allow ourselves to be appeased, and say nothing of our dependence on coal. We only wish to free ourselves from foreign fossil fuels. Hence, we declare, coal is clean.
Weeks ago House Representatives refused to award the auto industry a blanket bailout or even a bridge loan. Policymakers insisted they must see a reasonable plan to revamp a business near bankruptcy. The legislators set a deadline for delivery of the proposal, December 2, 2008. This same date was reserved for another auto review; in Florida a delayed vote on emission regulations would finally be realized. The two tales may seem separate; certainly, the cities where Congresspersons will meet are far apart. Nonetheless, the sagas are inexorably connected.
Sarah Palin speaks and America listens. This evening, on October 21, 2008, the Vice Presidential aspirant shared what she believes are her strengths in an interview with Cable News Network Drew Griffin.
Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin vowed on Tuesday to use her executive experience to tackle government reform and energy independence if she and Sen. John McCain win this year's presidential election.
"It's going to be government reform because that, that is what I've been able to do as a mayor and as a governor, you, you take on the special interests and the self-dealings. Yep, you ruffle feathers and you have the scars to prove it," Palin said Tuesday in an interview with CNN's Drew Griffin.
"You have to take that on to give the American people that faith back in their own government. This is their government and we've got to put it back on their side," she said.
The American people are the allies Palin seeks in her pursuit of the Vice Presidency. However, she realized, belatedly, earlier in this month she offended a few. Sarah Palin expressed her sincere sorrow.
The Chief Executive from Alaska, Palin proclaimed, surely, her words were misconstrued. She never meant to imply that the patriotic values of some are evident in "the real America," the "pro-America areas of this great nation."
"Drill baby, drill," is the now ever-present and popular battle-cry for many Americans. From Presidential candidates to everyday people, those who wish to consume sweet light crude as they have for a more than a century remind me of my hair, and the current President's energy policy. I ponder the parallels and invite you to consider . . .
During a recent press conference, as I gazed upon the President of the United States, noticeably aged after years in the Oval Office, I thought of my hair and my history. His wavy gray locks are not as the strands that fall from my head. Nor did the diminutive curl that danced on his brow remind me of my own tresses. The style the Chief Executive donned did not resemble the permanent waves, pompadours, or ponytails I once wore. As George W. Bush spoke of his energy policy, I pondered. His approach to petroleum and power were as the methodology I embraced when I colored my hair.
The skeptics snickered; if man was meant to roam far and wide, he would have been born with wheels on his heels. They said it could not be done. Yet, circular tubes were made to ease travel on the ground. Cynics sneered when someone said we might travel on water. People would be born with buoyant blubber if they were intended to float and move with the flow of the current. Rudders would protrude from our behinds if we were supposed to navigate the seas. They said it could not be done; still someone invented a boat. If people were meant to fly, disbeliever declared, humans would have wings. Orville and Wilbur Wright did not accept that logic. Travel to the moon; how absurd an idea. Surely, the skeptics thought, if he was destined to soar to such heights, he would be physically able to propel himself far above the atmosphere. Then, John Fitzgerald Kennedy set a goal and devised a mission. Neil Armstrong took a giant leap for mankind. Currently there is a cry for green energy. However, doubters think the job cannot be done.
People may wish that the fuel tanks on the automobile they drive were full of gas. Yet, recently, due to the rising price of petroleum, many crude containers are empty. American citizens feel the crunch, the energy, and economic crunch. They have cried. They clamored. The public craves attention for what they think is issue number one, the cost of Texas Tea, Alaskan oil, and fossil fuels from foreign sources. John McCain hears the call. His Vice Presidential pick, Sarah Palin feels the pain of the poor persons, of all Americans, who scream for relief at the pump. Even Barack Obama has proposed a compromise on a previously held position.
This morning as I sat in what I would wish to think of as my safe little sanctuary from danger, I watched you mount the stairs and ascend into Air Force One. The television announcer spoke of your impending trip to the Midwest. As one with family in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, I was grateful for your travel. I am certain the people in these regions will be comforted by your presence. Most will feel they have reason to hope that you will offer help. I truly appreciate you "swift" response to their needs. I am gratified that you have decided to fly high above the flooded terrain, and perhaps spend a moment with an individual or two. Perchance, you will speak to my sister or my Dad.
In 2007, the State of the Union was not as we were told it was; nor is it as we were told it would be. Each year, and for eight long years, George W. Bush promised to unite us, and perhaps he has more so than most other Presidents. Collectively, Republicans and Democrats alike understand that as a nation we are not strong.
Each and every week, the Bush administration offers inconsistencies. This week a contradiction seems so strikingly absurd, I cannot ignore it. I feel compelled to comment on the recent change in the Bush energy policy.
In September 2002, the President of the United States spoke emphatically of energy concerns. He spoke of consumption and the importance of this. At the time Baby Bush said, "Congress also must understand they've got to pass an energy bill. You see, an energy bill will be good for jobs. An energy bill will be good for national security. We need an energy bill that encourages consumption [sic]."
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