Declaration of independence

Davon Gray
Published: July 6, 2008

America needs to declare its independence from foreign oil.

The reason for this declaration comes from who we are getting our gas from. Take Venezuela for instance. Here we are begging for gas from Hugo Chavez; a man who clearly has no love for America.  Not
that you have to love the USA to do business with us, but the idea of referring to our leaders as somehow associated with Satan doesn’t bode well for future relations. 

Then there is our complicated relationship with Iran. Complicated might be too nice of a word considering we suspect them of providing technical expertise and materials to the insurgents in Iraq who are
killing our soldiers. 

When you think about it — I mean really think about it — we are being our own worst enemy by getting the main portion of our oil from these countries. 

Then there is Saudi Arabia.  Now here is a country that is suppose to be a friend of America.  Yet when our president goes to their leaders and asks for more oil they say no, repeatedly. Of course now,
there is the chance that OPEC, made of many of the oil producing nations of the Middle East, is considering an increase in oil production.

So you might be wondering what all of this has to do with our need for a declaration of independence. Well the answer is that America was never exclusively meant to be just a consumer nation only. Yet,
that is exactly what we have become. We are consumers of what has been produced for us and not so much what we produce. I think that classifies as a dependency.

Instead, we were meant to be a producing nation; one that produces for itself and then for others.

Another reason for re-declaring our independence is simply national security. Here’s a scary thought: what if all of the nations who don’t like us but sell us oil decided they no longer wanted to sell it to
us? After all, the oil is in big demand and there are other buyers besides us.

What could make these other nations stop selling to us? How about other things more important than our money, like a confrontation with Israel for instance. We know that Iran and Venezuela do
communicate with each other and they both have a strong dislike for the U.S. in common. Should Israel and Iraq enter into a conflict, this scenario is not far from impossible. That would be a significant
thing considering we get 15 percent of our oil from Venezuela

What would happen if Iran teamed up with Venezuela or if there were interruptions in supply from military conflict? The answer is economic disaster. Which is sad to have to consider if Iran does seriously
develop nuclear weapons? Military action should never be dependent primarily on our economy or supply and demand for oil. Yet that is what is happening now. Arguably, some would say that is the
primary reason we are in the Middle East in the first place. That is a debate and argument for another day.

Nevertheless, we need to be independent, truly independent of other people’s oil supplies. Independence doesn’t mean we won’t trade with other nations but it does mean our trading is based upon wants
and not needs. Right now it is a need.

This is not just about oil. However, in the short term that is an obvious solution. We need to summon the best of our intellect and national will to produce alternative sources of energy at a heightened
rate. 

So there you have it. Let’s declare our independence. Not from colonial imperialism but from foreign oil dependency. There is just something wrong with having to depend on other nations for a resource so
important to our own economy.

I am not talking a fanatical nationalist way of thinking or an isolationist way of thinking. It is a common sense way of thinking based on independence and true freedom so that we can do what is right no
matter the supply of oil.

Davon Gray works in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at .