Obama needs to do the right thing in the Gulf

The situation in the Gulf has become intolerable.  Now, I have to admit that I was quite surprised when President Barack Obama announced that he was allowing an expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling some time ago. 

As someone who had supported Obama even before he formally announced his candidacy in Feb. 2007 and who closely followed his green agenda, I did not remember him supporting offshore drilling.  I do remember that he did voice some support for nuclear energy and "clean coal."   While I disagree with him on these latter forms of energy, I never expect any candidate to agree with me on every issue.

However, when you are faced with the truth of things, then you have to change your opinion.  You can no go against the tide of evidence.  We now can see very plainly that offshore drilling is not worth the risk of the dangers that it presents. 

Many people do not realize that even the relief wells that they are digging might not work!  You do not have to be a genius to figure out what kind of catastrophe that would entail.  And no one has suggested that the amount of oil offshore is anywhere near what we need to solve this country's dependence on foreign oil.

No union or bunch of workers has the moral right to clamor for jobs against that kind of threat.  They have no right to risk other people's lives and livelihood for a high-paying job on an oil rig.  They have no right to destroy a vast habitat for untold generations just because they do not want to look for a new job.