It's been 25 years since a drunken captain and an inept third mate put the Exxon Valdez hard aground on Bligh Reef, a couple of miles away from my favorite spot in Prince William Sound, Snug Corner Cove, first recorded for white folks by Captain Cook's expedition artist, John Webber, in 1778.
I'm still afraid to go there. Afraid that my anger and rage would boil over, anger and rage at the oil that's still there buried in the gravel is still killing and causing genetic malformations through the entire food chain, anger at the number of Alaskans that died waiting for Exxon to pay them for their losses, anger at their bullying of Alaskan legislators into lowering their taxes for taking our oil, anger at their former lobbyist, Governor Seanoco Parnell (R-Conoco-Phillips) for appointing former Exxon employees to the state board supposedly overseeing oil and gas companies.
25 years ago today, and Big Oil is still buying Alaskan elections. When will we wake up?
(edited to add picture)
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