We knew it was coming, but knowing does not prepare the heart for this kind of hurt.
Oil has landed on Gulf Shores. Besides the fact that this week is my vacation, that I've been planning this for months, that my sister drove down from Tennessee...besides all that, look at what they've done to my beach!
Even though I am an "inland" resident, I can call it my beach. I can call it my beach because I live here. This beach belongs to all of us. I spend my time here. I bring my kids here. I celebrate life here. If you have been following me you know that the beach is "my" place. It's my place to relax, to unwind, to clear my head...to worship God. To see my beach in this state makes me weep. It makes me sob like a child. It makes me want to apologize to God on behalf of the whole human race for the bad stewards that we have become on a global level.
Yes, the shore line is long here on the Gulf Coast. Yes, I can drive further west and find a still-clean beach. Despite the fact that I shouldn't have to, which at this point is irrelevant, how do I know? How do I know that the water is safe? Just because it looks clean and doesn't have visible oil floating in it, does that mean it is safe? How can I be sure enough to let my children play in it? What about all the chemicals they are spraying into the Gulf to "disperse" the oil? Where is all of that going?? I don't trust....well, anyone at this point. Why should I? Neither the Government or BP has done anything to make any of us trust anything they have said so far. It's been two months, to the tune of 40,000 barrels of crude a day, and nothing that doesn't resemble trying to plug a dyke with a cotton ball has been done yet.
So, I will probably not get to see a clean beach this week. I will probably spend way to much money while shopping with my sister this week. None of that is important. The Gulf is important, the animals are important, the residents are important, the fishing/shrimping/oyster industry is important, the tourism is important. My beach is important.
BP: You have to fix this. Make this right.
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