Run time: 02:23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_07y1LB3UE
Posted on YouTube: March 18, 2011
By YouTube Member: ProjectGulfImpact
Views on YouTube: 135
Posted on DU: March 18, 2011
By DU Member: Dokkie
Views on DU: 1540 |
BP oil spill activist Cherri Foytlin talks exclusively to Project Gulf Impact about her feelings on how the president has handled the crisis in the Gulf, why she is still fighting, and her plans for changing the way we all fight.
In this EXCLUSIVE new Project Gulf Impact interview, Foytlin explains her message to the world: that it is time to start a movement. Looking to leaders of past social change such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Ghandi, Foytlin realized the way to bring change was to make a personal sacrifice.
Along with Project Gulf Impact founders Matt Smith, Heather Rally, Gavin Garrison and PGI team members Hunter Chapman, Sami Abdou, Justin Daly, and Lamar Billups, Foytlin has began her 39 day journey to Washington, DC - on foot.
Armed with two trailers and three cameras, the team is walking over 1,200 miles to garner attention for the continuing crisis in the Gulf, as well as elsewhere. It is a non partisan fight for every human beings' right to clean air and clean water.
Garrison, Smith, Rally, Daly, and Abdou are walking as the Project Gulf Impact team, documenting, recording, interacting, and engaging with the residents of the U.S. all along the way.
It is a personal fight for them, Smith saying, " People need to understand that there comes a time when they must awaken to the fact that they are not as protected as they think. We must stand up for our rights and let our government know when we are unhappy with something, not just sit back and be apathetic to our plight. That's why I am walking, to show people that one person can make a difference."
Garrison adds, "I am walking because the rules are changing, and just sitting behind a computer isn't the same as shaking someone's hand and talking to them face to face.":
They are walking with musician Drew Landry, whose song "BP Blues" has been an inspiration for residents and activist all along the Gulf coast.
Rally adds, "With the recent mass dolphin deaths, possibly associated with chemicals in the oil spill, it is evident that things are getting worse and not better. Nothing is changing, and we are just now seeing the real severe consequences on the health of the ecosystem."
Foytlin is walking not only to bring attention to the people of the Gulf, but also to show the world that these problems are not unique, but in fact they are happening all over the world.
Foyltin: ""This is a pilgrimage of love for the people of the Gulf. I am taking their concerns about health, the economy, the environment and the claims process to the President of the United States. I asked him to come down at the height of the spill so he could meet the people who were truly impacted. My request fell on deaf ears, but we will not be ignored. My walk is a universal and non-partisan event; it is about preserving our civil rights as a nation, and our human rights as a global community"
Justin Daly, a member of Project Gulf Impact from the Montgomery, AL who spent his summers on the beaches of Destin, FL, says: "I'm walking because I care about the people who were affected by the spill, both health-wise and emotionally. I think someone needs to do something huge like this to get the point across, because from what I've seen, people aren't taking action. There are only so many meetings and forums you can have before you can realize it's not working."
All members of The Road To Washington team hope to garner support across the nation. Rally says, "As the days go on, we hope that our team will grow, so that many others can help us make the biggest impact."
Smith says, "This walk is history in the making, and there will be so many who want to be a part of this movement, and we encourage them to be. This is history in the making."
"We need your help supporting this journey, and we rely on our supporters' generous donations to help us pay for food, water, gas, and RV parks all along the way. Even if it is $10, every little bit helps."
And there you have it. To find out more and to donate, go to www.theroadtowashington.com.
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