2008 Woodie Awards
Polar bears, oil: American greed needs to be restrained by people
Christina Clark
Issue date: 6/17/08 Section: Opinion
I am tired of hearing about rising gas prices, but not for the reasons you might think: I am tired of hearing people who do nothing to help the environment complain about gas prices.
These people insist that we drill on U.S. soil, use our own natural resources and stop fighting for oil in the Middle East. The same people blame Democrats for the problem, saying they are at fault for not allowing drilling in Alaska and the Arctic. They blame Congress for not doing something.
My thought is that the American people are to blame for our current situation.
They twice put a president in office who is a known as an "oil man," who led us to war in the Middle East over just that. They drive Hummers and SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles and then complain that it takes $100 dollars to fill their tank.
They refuse to recycle because they believe global warming isn't real and it's too late to save the planet anyway. They say it's sad that the polar bears are dying, but people are more important.
Is oil honestly more important than polar bears?
Everyone talks about energy independence, but no one wants the unsightly wind energy panel in their back yard. Everyone wants to use our natural resources, but what happens when those are gone? Who will the American people blame next?
The problem isn't Democrats or Congress, or even President Bush, much to my chagrin.
It's the American lifestyle. Everything has to be bigger, better and faster, and no one wants to wait for a real solution.
Quick fixes that lead to generations of problems are perfectly fine as long as they make us comfortable right now. Who cares about our children and our children's children? Don't they deserve to see polar bears?
What infuriates me the most about the people I hear these complaints from isn't the gas issue.
It's that they are more upset that we are begging for oil in the Middle East than that we are fighting an illegal war in the Middle East. People are ready to march on Washington and demand a revolution for oil, but not for the soldiers who are over in Iraq dying every day.
This leads me to believe that people not only think oil is more important than polar bears, but people, too. America needs a revolution, but not the kind we're looking for.
These people insist that we drill on U.S. soil, use our own natural resources and stop fighting for oil in the Middle East. The same people blame Democrats for the problem, saying they are at fault for not allowing drilling in Alaska and the Arctic. They blame Congress for not doing something.
My thought is that the American people are to blame for our current situation.
They twice put a president in office who is a known as an "oil man," who led us to war in the Middle East over just that. They drive Hummers and SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles and then complain that it takes $100 dollars to fill their tank.
They refuse to recycle because they believe global warming isn't real and it's too late to save the planet anyway. They say it's sad that the polar bears are dying, but people are more important.
Is oil honestly more important than polar bears?
Everyone talks about energy independence, but no one wants the unsightly wind energy panel in their back yard. Everyone wants to use our natural resources, but what happens when those are gone? Who will the American people blame next?
The problem isn't Democrats or Congress, or even President Bush, much to my chagrin.
It's the American lifestyle. Everything has to be bigger, better and faster, and no one wants to wait for a real solution.
Quick fixes that lead to generations of problems are perfectly fine as long as they make us comfortable right now. Who cares about our children and our children's children? Don't they deserve to see polar bears?
What infuriates me the most about the people I hear these complaints from isn't the gas issue.
It's that they are more upset that we are begging for oil in the Middle East than that we are fighting an illegal war in the Middle East. People are ready to march on Washington and demand a revolution for oil, but not for the soldiers who are over in Iraq dying every day.
This leads me to believe that people not only think oil is more important than polar bears, but people, too. America needs a revolution, but not the kind we're looking for.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Jack
posted 6/16/08 @ 9:59 PM CST
SO TRUE! I have a few ppl 2gether & we are writing 2 Sarah Palin about this.
Lauren
posted 6/17/08 @ 1:55 PM CST
After reading your column, I have a problem. Well I have many, but I will try and present my arguments with facts and research rather than complain about someone who is complaining about people who are complaining. (Continued…)
sstewart
Scott Stewart
posted 6/17/08 @ 2:54 PM CST
I don't think the writer here intended for a sophisticated argument for her positions, but rather was giving more of a rant. Such things are good for judging how much you might agree with someone's opinion -- they're not good for forming your own opinion, because they don't provide a lot of facts and reasoning for developing such views. (Continued…)
Lauren
posted 6/17/08 @ 4:42 PM CST
I absolutely appreciate the links that you provided. They provide more legitimacy and credibility to your opinion.
I don't think a newspaper is a place for a rant, and in fact I believe it tends to undermine the power and credibility of a journalist if we allow them, even in a forum of opinion, to write 500 words "ranting" about something with no coherent point or sources or facts to enhance their message. (Continued…)
Christina Clark
posted 6/17/08 @ 5:20 PM CST
To be fair, this was a rant on my part. I freely admit this. And to your credit, I did not provide much fact or research in my rant. I won't address all of your points right now, but I am more than willing to do the appropriate research to prove what I said, or to disprove what I said. (Continued…)
Christina Clark
posted 6/17/08 @ 5:24 PM CST
Last thing, which I forgot, concerning the polar bears. My day job requires me to listen to people complain about US policies and politics. I heave heard more than once that polar bears aren't more important than oil. (Continued…)
Buy Salvia
posted 7/10/08 @ 11:07 AM CST
I agree that it is largely our fault. We were guzzling gas long before it was in style. But it's important to also remember China and India's exploding populations, and India in particular manufacturing a car that costs just hundreds of dollars. (Continued…)
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