U.S. prosecutors are considering whether to pursue manslaughter charges against BP managers for decisions made before the explosion on the rig that killed 11 workers and caused the biggest offshore spill in U.S. history, a report from Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter.
A U.S. official said the Department of Justice is investigating possible criminal charges related to the deaths of the workers. These charges could include manslaughter, but the official declined to confirm this was under consideration.
Well, this is interesting. Could it be? Is there really justice in the world? We'll see. I know at times I am cynical when I should be hopeful and hopeful when I should be a cynic but if there is truth to this...THIS...IS...BIG!
Why? Is it just me or does it seem like corporations are holding all the nuts around here? (and I don't mean the nutritious kind) Now, I know that no matter what comes of this corporate personhood will still be intact and we will still have a long way to go but will this be the case that sets a precedent for corporate accountability for lives lost?
See, if someone who is BORN a person kills one person they go to jail or worse BUT if a corporation that enjoys corporate personhood kills thousands slowly via pollution or industrial "accident" they get slapped with a fine and sent on their way. How is this possible you might ask. I think Thom Hartmann may be able to explain it better then I can:
As he said,
"We need to add the word 'natural' before the word person because its absence in the last 150 years has mortally wounded our democracy."I would add that our democracy is not all that has been mortally wounded. If a corporate person kills someone it's not like we'd be able to put it in jail. All we can do is fine them and to multibillion dollar corporations that's like shooting a rubber band at an elephant.
In the BP explosion 11 workers were killed and 17 were wounded and BP should not be able to get away with that. This company has a long history of poorly enforced and outdated safety standards that have resulted in deaths before as the documentary at the bottom of this post called Frontline:The Spill will show. But what about the OTHER victims of the BP oil spill?
I'm talking specifically about the hundreds of workers hired to help clean up the oil spill that are now coming up with a multitude of health problems. Jennifer Rexford; a former P2S employee, was one of these workers. She opened a channel on YouTube for the purpose of documenting the many health problems she and her former co-workers are now having as well as the hard time they have been having getting any help from insurance companies or the government...and yes this is going on on Obamas watch.
In this video she shows the persistent, excessive and reoccurring boils she has been having on her body.
In this video she shows proof of her medical problems and exposes the endless harassment and intimidation she has be suffering since she decided to speak out.
In this video she takes a walk along the shore in Panama City, FL and show the oil and COREXIT that continue to wash up on the shore there as well as the sea life that have suffered.
I don't know how long her channel will be available. A bulletin on it says that she has been diagnosed with Luikemia and seems to say that she continues to be mocked and harassed. I hope she doesn't even though I know she must be going through a lot. He story and the stories of many like her need to be told.
jmrexford YouTube bulletin from 3-28-11
To those of you who have suffered at the hands of big oil my thoughts are with you. Stay strong and please continue to tell your stories. If you don't...who will?
Frontline: The Spill (Please follow the link below the embed and watch the whole documentary.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
