LETTER: Shame on The Sun and those who won't drill down

Kudos to Mr. Swiercz for his column in last week’s Walton Sun. He rationally, logically, and simply explained away highly charged emotional fears (by the use of facts and common sense) about offshore drilling.

This fear mongering “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) attitude regarding offshore drilling comes from self-important, ego-centric, bell-ringing tavern-keepers (without doubt an Obama fan too), and their imbibing patrons, who have no concept of reality beyond their hostess' doorway.

The situation as described by Mr. Swiercz's column is the “upside.” The “downside” is that presently the military uses a very large majority portion of the eastern half of the Gulf as a bombing range (which can't be too popular with non-voting marine life species or boaters and sport fishermen).  

When you consider that Eglin (the biggest landmass Air Force base in the world) has always had a bombing range, why would we suppress our energy reserve potential by not drilling in the Gulf — especially in the face of ongoing Middle Eastern coercion by OPEC? (Are we saving it for China, who is already slant-drilling off Cuba?)  

Maybe these NIMBY tavern people should try to resist the nightly rhetoric and try to gather some facts that would be beneficial to the entire country and not merely within the sound of their “sundown bell.”

Meanwhile, Deborah Wheeler’s “SIGN OF THE TIMES” photo (immediately opposite Mr. Swiercz’ article) is an abomination — a newspaper editing placement insult to Mr. Swierz. It is a blight on the landscape and I hope she reported it to Walton County Code Enforcement like a good citizen should.  

If “Shorty’s” in Grayton Beach had anything to do with erecting this eyesore on the dunes opposite them, they should be cited and the sign removed along with errant beach chairs and umbrellas.

Deborah Wheeler is the Walton Sun writer who reports birthdays, resident vacation trips, and snowbird comings and goings, (no doubt all tavern attendees where the rhetoric and wine flows thick and freely). Those facts are as memorable as faces on the bar-room floor.     

It's no wonder that the readership of The Sun is setting.  

We're tired of reading about the same circle of birthdays and visits “to and from” as well as warmed-over items from other failing newspapers around the country (Hmmm, I wonder if those other papers around the country report our warmed-over birthdays from here on 30-A).  

R. Shaffer
Panama City Beach