Hard Truth

Sometimes looking in the mirror is not easy to do. Sometimes it is damn hard, especially when what is looking back at us is a truth we do not like, a truth that is unflattering, yet one we know to be accurate. As the horrendous oil spill off the Gulf Coast rapidly approaches the three-month mark, I believe Americans are ever so slowly looking in the mirror and not only not liking what they see. Yes, Americans hate the incredible irresponsibility of the British Petroleum Oil Company and the consistent lack of candor displayed by the company through the disaster. And, yes, they are becoming increasingly resentful of the cozy relationship that BP and other oil conglomerates have had with the U.S. federal government for decades now that contributed to this situation. But there is another truth that is even more unsettling that either of these. When fully grasped, it has the potential of being life altering.

Throughout our country's proud history, we have been a nation of consumption, expansion and virtually limitless potential. With our many freedoms, we have become the envy and beacon of much of the rest of the world - and rightfully so. Unfortunately, we have not always worn that mantel well. At times we have displayed greed and arrogance most unbecoming. Yet through it our times of benevolence and aggression, selflessness and pettiness, we have lived lives of more, more and more. Collectively, we have behaved much as the grasshopper in the fable where the ant prepares for the winter while the grasshopper frolics and consumes, putting off for another day what it should be doing today. That "today" is here. The BP oil spill is that hard truth.

We have allowed ourselves to become too dependent on oil and that needs to stop. Sure, BP is negligent, but so, too, are we for being so immorally casual about something so vital to our lives and to the welfare of our nation. We have allowed our thirst for profit to over shadow our need for safe and responsible survival. A balance between the two must be restored. I believe people are slowly beginning to realize this. It is this realization that, in part, is driving the anger we all feel even if many of us do not yet recognize it. Such a shift in national priorities is enough to make anyone angry, especially if it not a change we really want to make. Nevertheless, it is adjustment we need to make and soon. As terrible as the BP oil spill is, it also represents an opportunity for all of us to regain a more appropriate balance. Doing so, of course, represents a giant communication challenge for our nation. But the good news is people are in a listening mood. Yes, I'm talking to you President Obama, members of Congress, community activists, and anyone who says they give a damn about our country's future.