Left Field: Offshore drilling is no way to deal with the energy crisis

Date published: 7/1/2008

THERE ARE a number of qualities that make America magnificent--freedom, liberty, opportunity, etc. All of these, however, have their foundation in America's most important characteristic, which we will celebrate this Friday.

Even more than simply a commemoration of the founding of America, Independence Day is a day to remember the free-spirited sovereignty that has guided the nation throughout its overwhelmingly successful existence. It has been this American self-sufficiency that has most defined the people of this nation; but it is also the quality that I fear is most lacking in our present-day country. As a result, I have had a hard time preparing to celebrate the independence of a nation that now seems so dependent on things it has allowed to slip from its control.

The issue that has most profoundly affected the way I view American independence is the ongoing energy crisis. Make no mistake--this is the most critical matter facing the nation today, because it is directly influencing many of America's other high-profile problems. It is also extremely important to address this issue immediately, because we are staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.

A future where only the highest echelon of America's population can afford fuel and ordinary citizens resort to Mad Max tactics to ensure their survival is quite possible within the next 25 years. This is not alarmist, either--just last week a Spotsylvania man was arrested for allegedly stealing $50,000 worth of gas. At this point, with gas prices permanently above $4 a gallon, these sorts of shenanigans will only get worse as the law of supply and demand continues to work with ruthless efficiency.

Date published: 7/1/2008