BIG BROTHER GOES TO THE BEACH

Who are these people, and why do they think they can restrict access to a public beach?




I understand that BP want's to make the disaster seem less....disastrous, but this is not the way to go about it.  People are becoming more and more angry about this situation because they are not being leveled with.  We want answers.  When will these people in power learn that when you build a wall to keep information in and people out, the people become even more determined to scale the wall.  Or. as Nancy Pelosi says, parachute over it. 

That reporter had every right to be on that beach and interview the workers on how things are progressing.  BP has hired beach bouncers to keep the press at bay, but in this country, the only people that can keep citizens off a public beach are local or federal authorities.  It's interesting to note that once the police got involved, the bouncers were forced to allow the press to talk to the workers.

Please note, however, that the bouncers shadowed the press and spoke for the workers whenever possible.  Is there intimidation at play in the worker's reticence to talk to the press?  Maybe threats of losing their jobs?  Considering the fact that security details have been hired at all to keep the press away, the odds are good that yes, the workers are being...persuaded...to keep quiet. 

These are our shores and our ecology, and we have every right to know what is going on. With a little luck, our watchdog press will sniff this story out and hound BP's beach bouncers until they get free access.  There has already been a worker who has talked - the odds are good that there will be more.  These people cleaning up the mess are locals; this affects them directly.  Someone will speak up. 

Maybe Giles and O'Keefe could head down there and do their thing....