Letter to the editor

Eric Read, SVSU student

June 23, 2008 —

I've been interested lately in President Bush's call to lift the offshore oil drilling ban and read an article in the Christian Science Monitor by its editorial board called the "Monitor View" that yes, it would be a good idea to develop domestic sources of petroleum but it would not help us until 2030 when, by the government's own estimates, it would be ready to go on the market.

The bottom line for oil prices is that we are just going to have to get use to it. And also, we should not allow this election year ploy by President Bush to succeed because it will achieve only one thing in the short term: President John McCain. I know if you are as liberal as I am, your mind just quivered as you read that; my arm twitched as I typed it.

I'm pretty sure that up there in Bush's head he knows the Democrats wouldn't be as receptive to the idea of lifting the offshore drilling ban when it was proposed for environmental reasons. It makes sense to question whether or not it is a good idea because we have to take care of the environment, because after all we are shepherds of the land and what we do to it ultimately affects us. I believe that by taking some time to find out the best ways to extract the oil, we can help out next generation of Americans with its energy needs. Remember when I said these reserves wouldn't be online until 2030? Wouldn't it be a good thing to help our next generation of Americans have a source of energy that doesn't come from a foreign source? Also, we need to step away from oil and develop other methods and we'll have those in place by the time these reserves come online. We are a very resourceful society and we will find ways to overcome this adversity. I know we will because that is the America I have grown up to know and love.