WHY is BP allowed to block access to the beaches

[Are_grits_groceries]

and other areas???? If it isn't BP, it's someone working with their minions.

Anybody who works for them has to sign a nondisclosure agreement that tells them not to talk to others about their work or anything related to it.

Do they now own the Gulf, the airspace over the Gulf, and the shores?

I know they are trying to cover it up. WHY are they being allowed to do this???

If they are worried about it being misrepresented they don't have to. You can't misrepresent that kind of horror.

Hayward wants his life back. I want the Gulf back, oil and all.

It's not theirs to ALLOW us to visit. It still belongs to the whole country whether it is damaged or not.

We will own it and the consequences for a long time after BP is gone.

[Bonobo]

1. I wonder if the DU'ers who denied this ever happend could answer?

But I doubt they will dare show up on this thread.

Who can blame them though. It takes a person with courage to admit they were wrong.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Do you have links

to those who denied it ever happened ? I've never noticed any.

[JoeyT]

4. Would that count as calling them out?

I've never really been terribly clear about what that meant, but I've been worried about linking back to posts because that seems like it might mean that.

Anyway, I don't think they meant the people denied the oil spill ever happened. People were denying BP was restricting access to the beaches to whoever they saw fit to let on.

[Bonobo]

5. There are a couple of deniers that were all over the first few threads.

One even started an OP titled something like "I'm sick of threads saying there is a news blackout". They went on to spread their lies on threads about BP stopping reporters. I don't have the energy to dig them up. They know who they are and many people saw them.

[Cetacea]

24. All true. And thanks again for your thread at that critical time.

K&R

[Scuba]

3. So let's breach their lines...

...and see if and how they might stop us.

[KharmaTrain]

6. Cause Its A Crime Scene

The DOJ is all over the region and each tar ball that washes up is yet another piece in a building case of negligence and breach of contract, among other crimes. BP has done all it could to minimize the assessments of the damage as they will have to pay "by the barrelhead", thus they want to keep prying eyes away and go with guestimates rather than hard fact. In the early days of this disaster they thought they could "manage" both the government and the story and it's failed big time. The more they try to hide, the more people want to know what they're hiding.

In no way is this to defend BP, but are people being kept away from private areas? If so, that's the perogative of the property owner...public lands is another story.

[Are_grits_groceries]

7. They are denying access to public lands.

In addition, how do you know they are paying any attention to what a property owner may or may not want?

[KharmaTrain]

8. It's All About Covering Up A Crime...

There's no way I condone BP calling any shots...especially about journalists getting access to public areas but there is a crime involved here and I can see the government trying to cut back access while they got a handle on what was going on. Despite their best efforts BP can't cover up the damage they have and are doing...this mess is too widespread, however I'm still hearing the corporate media using their numbers as "gospel"...journalists have an important role in refuting those lies, but the government also needs to have or get control of what's happening as well...and that's where I saw them trying to play catch up once they realized BP was lying to them...I think we saw the attitude go from cooperation to antagonists over the past two weeks.

Bottom line is we know there's a lot of devestation going on...I'm more concerned with the efforts of cleaning up and limiting further damage...and that's where the focus should be...what's being done and whose doing what.

Cheers...

[ShamelessHussy]

10. the beaches are NOT a crime scene, and the press should have access, and the scientist should have

access to the leaks/gushers for ACCURATE measurements... unless we now live in a corporate controlled country.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Yes It Is A Crime Scene...

There are 11 men who needlessly lost their lives due to BP recklessness and their liability in paying for the clean-up is based upon the amount of oil that is spilled...an accurate accounting as well as its impact is the responsibility of the government, not journalists or armchair "experts" to guestimate. Thus, if you can't trust BP how do you get a handle on this? You rope off the areas until you can get an idea of what you're dealing with. When it comes down to a court of law and assessing damages, it's what the government discovers that will matter, not some free lance journalists. Thus, this is being treated like a crime scene.

[ShamelessHussy]

16. the men who lost their lives, lost it at sea, not on the beach - and to get an accurate flow rate

you don't do it at the beaches, you do it at the source, where the oil is gushing.

but of course BP is blocking access to that as well.

sorry, I ain't buying it... all the evidence thus far points to PR, not a 'crime scene'.

[KharmaTrain]

17. The Damage To The Shorelines Are Sure A Crime...

How do you assess where the oil is and what damage it is doing? Trust BP? This is especially the case in a wildlife refuge where people are supposed to be kept out (or limited) and the impact could be the greatest. Damn right its a crime scene. If BP were going for "PR points" they've failed miserably as I'm seeing more and more pictures and reports of the damage this is doing. The DOJ is looking at a wide array of charges against BP, including violations of environmental laws and the evidence, unfortunately, is in those marshes and mangrove swamps.

[ShamelessHussy]

20. agreed

but, keeping reporters off the beaches is stupid PR.

doesn't really matter now anyway, since it is hitting all over :cry:

[old mark]

9. Police and even Coast Guard kept people away from beaches

and forbid people taking pictures or video of beaches and animals. Ther have been news stories about this all day yesterday online as well as on TV news channels.
BP obviously rules by money.

mark

[bdamomma]

11. it didn't stop that Boston.com photographer taking pictures of

oil soaked birds.

[old mark]

19. But it DID stop many others before and since....Big oil owns a lot of politicians

and can do pretty much what is wants. It owned the entire Bush regime, in fact both of them - in effect ran the country in its favor for at least 16 Bush years, plus Reagan's 8 and probably more...


mark

[blindpig]

13. Just goes to show...

Capital own the government. For this same reason this nation is the largest military machine in history, our healthcare is in the hands of profiteers, our schools are being privatized and they're coming for our Social Security too.

Is it intolerable yet?

Kill Capitalism

[CanonRay]

14. This question has been plaguing me as well

Why would the local cops help BP? Why is there no civil disobedience? Who the hell do they think they are, anyway?

[ecstatic]

15. devil's advocate: If someone goes to the beach and gets sick

Wouldn't that person want to sue? NOT DEFENDING BP, just stating the obvious.

[Sebastian Doyle]

18. Well, then I guess the fucking assholes should have thought about that

before they punched a huge hole in the earth's crust, under miles of water.

[bdamomma]

22. correct, plus they are using old technology for disaster like this.

using the same technology that they used at the Exon Valdez incident. They are too damn greedy, and they do not give a crap about the environment.

[azul]

21. Speaks volumes about corporate power and rights.

And shows poorly of our government and ourselves. The people are too stupid and might frolic in the mess and become ill, so the nanny state must keep them off this playground?

Then there are desperate poor people and scammers that might get to pretend that they were on this bus wreck if allowed to wade into this enormous crash scene. BP don't want more lawyers involved you know.

[lib_wit_it]

23. I've been wondering the same thing, and I would like to know the specific details of who has been

denied access and by whom. (who/whom--I'm clueless.)