On April 20, in the Gulf of Mexico 45 miles off the Louisiana coast, the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon experienced a blowout. The resulting explosion killed 11 men and started a fire that burned for several days before the drilling rig collapsed into the Gulf. The drill pipe broke off on the sea floor, and the well began dumping up to 110,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf. Now, over five weeks later, the oil flow continues. In fact, the TV picture of the flowing oil has become a daily staple of our TV viewing.
TV comedians have tried to deal with the situation with humor. David Letterman said that BP has put more birds in oil than Colonel Sanders. Jay Leno said that if the spill gets much worse we’re going to have to start drilling for water in the Gulf. Jimmy Kemmel reported that BP is making progress with the leaking oil. He said that they’re going to heat the Gulf to 600 degrees and use it to fry chicken. We might as well laugh as cry.
There is a lot to cry about. Many persons are out of work on the coast, and the oil leak is one of the biggest environmental catastrophes in our history. There are daily reports on the location of the oil slick and some fears that it may spread, not only to the entire Gulf, but also up the eastern seaboard.
One of the interesting things about the oil spill is that no one wants to take responsibility for it. Makers of the blowout preventer, Transocean—the operators of the oil-drilling rig, and BP have all been busy pointing fingers at each other. Beyond that initial circle, fingers are being pointed by and at regulatory agencies, local, state, and national politicians, etc.
This tendency to evade responsibility and blame everyone else is as old as the human race. Adam and Even sinned in the Garden of Eden and then promptly began looking for someone to blame. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent blamed God.
Last December I saw an “In the Bleachers” cartoon. The cartoon shows a football player who has a grasp on the opposing player’s facemask. The referee has thrown a flag, and the player who is holding the other’s facemask is saying to the referee, “He intentionally entangled his facemask in my hand.” That’s something the chief executives of the oil drilling companies, or any of us, might have said.
We would do better to learn from Gilbert K. Chesterton. The London Times asked a number of writers for essays on the topic, “What’s Wrong with the World?” Chesterton submitted the shortest and most to-the-point reply. In response to the question, “What’s Wrong with the World?” Chesterton wrote: “Dear sirs, I am! Sincerely, Gilbert K. Chesterton.” That’s not a very long sentence, but it is an exceedingly hard one for us to write or say. For confirmation of this fact, direct your attention to the Garden of Eden or to the Gulf of Mexico.
