Dear Editor:
The loudest voices berating the president for the current oil calamity in the Gulf area are the very people who have been advocating oil drilling for the past few years, stating that we are too dependent on others for our oil supply.
In a typical hypocritical move, the conservative opponents of the president, in bemoaning our reliance on foreign nations, have vehemently heralded the necessity for drilling. Nevertheless, these staunch defenders of American independence have suddenly forgotten their former position and act as if they have never heard of drilling.
In the past, the affluent segments of our society have, for the most part, blundered their way into any risky venture if the ultimate aim was to achieve a satisfying dividend. In this instance, the resent disaster is a symbolic reminder that preservation of the environment should have taken precedence over how many dollars could be deposited in the cash registers for the avaricious.
As the president employs every measure to correct the present situation, the opposition continues to regard him as a socialist and enemy of the people. These destructive forces fail to look within themselves for, if they did, they would find the real enemies of the people.
It is, indeed, lamentable that we cannot unite under the president at a time of crisis, be the Republican or Democrat, for the common good of the nation, while reserving vicious criticism for campaign time. Instead of Democratic mistakes being compared to Republican miscalculating, let us unite under the present Chief Executive for, if he fails, the country fails.
Howard Lawson