Here’s a letter from the daughter of a friend I met at the Sea to Shining Sea demonstration against offshore oil today on Duval Street in Key West. Everyone joined hands from one end of Duval Street to the other to show support for protecting our gulf and ocean waters. It was inspiring. DV
June 7th, 2010
President Obama,
My name is Sophia. I am going to be a sophomore in High School this upcoming year. When politics affect me specifically I care. I’ve grown up in Key West, FL. It’s an island surrounded by water.
My entire life I have grown up in the water, I’ve spent so much of my life going to the beach, sailing, going out on the boat, snorking, diving and swimming in these waters. These waters are the home of the third largest reef in the entire world, and home to thousands of life that is not found anywhere other than here.
I’m sure as a father, souly a father, you have great memories of your family and yourself spending days at the beach, and teaching your children how to swim, and feeling the sand squish between your toes. I am also aware that as a elected representative of our nations people, here to do what right and wanted by the people, you understand the predicament we are in due to the deep water horizon oil spill. It has been about 48 days in counting that the leak has not been stopped. From the views on effect on economy, to the recession, to our waters, to tourism, to the very politics of BP’s responsibility on this matter, we all know there is a major problem in our mitts.
I am asking you, as a teenager who should have been worrying about finals and summer plans of going to the beach, as a daughter much like your own, and as someone who wanted you in office to represent the people including myself, to do something about the oil spill. I am not unaware at your own frustration and anxiety in the matter. I feel the same. But I am only 15 and have little say in the world. But I do have a right to say how much I love our earth, and would do anything to protect the mangroves to the fish to the beaches that I am fortunate enough to call home.
BP has not done much about stopping/cleaning up the spill, and who knows when they will. Please, as our President, as a person, as someone who has more resources to do something about this that I, do something about the spill. Listen to the ideas suggested at it all, there are thousands. And we have only failed if we did not try at all.
Please don’t let our nation fail.
Please, I would like this to actually make it to the President’s own eyes. I am not just another person asking him to do something, I am asking him as a real person. A living breathing individual not to just be a face in the crowd.
Respects,
Sophia Skoglund