MY PERSONAL RAILINGS AGAINST BP

Friends,

I have been watching this story with great interest, and it's because my roots are in Southwest Louisiana. For those that do not know, SW La is the heel of the boot, and is rich in culture, cuisine, and and good times.  It is also an area rich in oil reserves, and oil and sulphur refineries dot the coast.  These refineries are so common that a city is called Sulphur, and when driving into this part of Louisiana, visitors and residents are greeted by the plumes of white fluffy smoke emerging from 'the plant', and usually the smell of rotten eggs that accompanies them. Welcome to Louisiana..or...Bienvenue en Louisiane.  Though this plant and many more like it that dot the coast are a major source of industry in Louisiana, the subject of this particular post is a matter of concern that these plants, and offshore drilling plants also bring. The incidences of cancer are high in these areas, and it manifests itself in varying ways. For instance, my Grandmother passed of breast cancer, my uncle of lung cancer (and he was not a smoker), my Godfather died of lung cancer, and my cousin is a  survivor of this disease.  Like my Uncles, he also is  not a smoker, and was 19 when she was diagnosed with it. Thankfully, she is in remission, but other family members, such as my deceased Grandmother's brothers and sisters all have died of this horrible disease. They have all been life long residents of coastal Louisiana and since the water is right there, no matter how much they 'clean' it up, there are traces in the water..water that the residents drink, and that contain a main staple in Louisiana cuisine: fish and shrimp.

This brings me to BP.  Like my fellow Americans, I was outraged at what I perceived to be a lackadaisical response to this problem. As of today, BP is capping the oil. The oil has been gushing into the Gulf since late April at the rate of 5000 gallons a day. After viewing the tar balls that have washed up on the shores, as well as some oil covered wildlife, I became incredibly upset that instead of immediately addressing the problem, BP rather blamed the 'other guy' for not capping the valve correctly. As this is their company, BP needs to show accountability. Additionally, the money that is being taken out of the Louisiana economy due to this spill should be paid back. As it is, fisherman and boaters have been advised to stay out of the waters until the cleanup. But the question is: when will this be, and how long will it last?  What will be the effects on coastal resident's health?  We could only wait and see, but as it is, usually I am an optimist, but this situation looks dire, as the potential effects could be devastating.

...still following this issue,

-DG