A crime against man and nature

The New York Times and The Washington Post are doing a good job of covering the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, I don't think the average American is grasping the magnitude of this disaster or how it might eventually impact them. This is about more than just not being able to eat your favorite seafood.

Here's a link to a decent assortment of multimedia graphics on the Times site. And here's the latest on the scope of the spill from the Post. If you're relying on the network television news to give you substantive reporting, forget about it. The best broadcast reporting is being done by the PBS Newshour. I recommend tuning in.

I've said almost everything I can say about BP and other oil executives. Just looking at those three suits pointing fingers at each other in front of Congress last week confirmed everything I suspected. It's the same old story. Lies, arrogance and extreme corporate wealth continue to allow people and companies to wiggle their ways out of being held accountable. These guys need to go to jail. Getting a scolding from a senator or President Obama isn't exactly a strong deterrent. We fine people for littering. What should be the penalty for a massive oil spill?

Americans need to wake up and demand better from business leaders. From sketchy coal mine operators to shady bankers, slimy oil executives to greedy Wall Street investors, we are letting bald-headed men with designer suits and private jets destroy our environment and economy while they continue to prosper. They are doing more damage to this country than any illegal alien or would-be car bomber.

Calling this an accident is not a valid reason to not prosecute these oil executives. Negligence in certain cases is a crime. At the very least, BP was negligent in not having a plan to contain this spill after the fatal accident occurred. Oh yes, people on the oil rig did die. That seems to get lost in the story. And in terms of destroying property, livelihoods and local economies, I can't think of a bigger crime than what is taking place in the gulf.