My Faith and My Work are Under Attack by My Own Government and Countrymen

As I mentioned in my last post, I am a project manager for a company that fabricates much of the subsea equipment shown in the video I posted. I've had the privilege of being the project manager in charge of fabricating some of the SCR's and flowlines for the worlds deepest gas platform. The technology involved in producing these components is truly amazing. It is beyond unfortunate that our president wants to destroy the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico by increasing taxes and removing incentives to drill and produce our domestic offshore resources. It seems plain to me that if you punish companies for producing these resources domestically, the following results will logically follow:

1) Our dependence on foreign oil will INCREASE. Oil companies will move their production efforts overseas to avoid being penalized by the US government. This is already happening. Production in West Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe is increasing while production in the US GoM is decreasing. Rigs are being stacked. Large installation vessels are moving to other fields as soon as this year. I am already seeing a sharp downturn in the drilling, exploration and production market.

2) Unemployment will rise dramatically along the Gulf Coast. Virtually everyone living within 100 miles of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas is employed by an oil company or an oilfield service company. Even if they are not working in an oil and gas related industry, they inevitably provide goods and services to people who ARE. If this industry is hamstrung by president Obama's arbitrary penalties for providing energy to the nation, the unemployment rates in Michigan will pale in comparison to the devastation he will cause along the Southern Coast.

3) Energy prices will INCREASE. Any financial penalties imposed on oil companies by president Obama will simply be passed along to the consumer. The additional cost of transporting resources from foreign countries (who's governments allow offshore drilling) to the U.S. will also be passed along to the consumer.

4) Our national security will be compromised. If you think I'm blowing this out of proportion, step back and look at the war in Iraq. That war was fought (in part) over the free flow of oil to the U.S. We have ALREADY FOUGHT A WAR over this. President Obama's efforts to destroy domestic oil production will lead to greater dependence on foreign oil.

All of this in addition to his obvious and documented opposition to the Catholic Church's teaching on the sanctity of human life makes me feel as though my faith and now even my work have been targeted for destruction by our president and the majority of Americans who elected him. On top of this, our nations most well know, "Catholic" (I stretch the term so broadly you can see through it) college, Notre Dame University (gag), is honoring president Obama by having him speak at their graduation ceremonies. This in spite of the USCCB's very direct instructions NOT to do EXACTLY this sort of thing. I quote:

"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

Our own institutions have lost their values. They are crumbling under the crushing weight of secularism. It is absolutely depressing to watch all of this happening at the same time.


These are dark days that call for intense prayer.