I made some promises awhile back.
I made a promise to myself to reduce the amount of fossil fuel I use. I did it because when I was in the Marine Corps in a faraway desert, I knew that I was helping to secure our country’s oil supply. I did it because I knew that the money we were spending on oil was leaving the country and going into the hands of folks that really didn’t like us and they were possibly using the money to fund strikes against us. I did it because I couldn’t afford to keep burning oil at the rate I was burning it.
I remember the day of the World Trade Center attack like it was yesterday. I was working for an oil company as a technician fixing heating systems. I remember being angry, wondering why someone would do this to us. When it was revealed that a rich son of an even richer Saudi oil tycoon was upset that we “invaded” his homeland, everything became much clearer. We needed to stop using foreign oil if we ever hoped to be safe again.
But I guess that the most important promise I made, the one that gets me up in the morning, the one that pushes me to do my best at work, the one that keeps me awake at night is the one I made to my Son.
LCpl Justin Landry, a Marine rifleman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment who is currently in harm’s way in yet another desert. I promised him that if he was going to fight for oil, I would fight to get folks off oil in the hopes that if we don’t need the oil any longer, then he can come home.
