It didn't just go away

The photo taken by photographer Bryan Thomas of the oysters sitting atop the deck of an oysterman's vessel may at first seem like an average photo, but it actually holds a strong message about how quickly people can forget about tragedies such as the BP oil spill in the gulf when it doesn't directly affect them. The oysters pictured are a deep black, likely a discoloration caused by the oil that seeped into the gulf two years ago. At the time of the spill, America was in uproar over how something so substantial and impactful on the environment could be allowed to occur. Thousands of photos of animals and entire ecosystems coated in oil flooded the media, invoking rage from everywhere. But eventually the hype died down, and people quickly lost interest in the cute little birds and fish that were covered in sludge. But how many people were interested in the lives of the people who were affected by this travesty? I certainly don’t remember much being said about the fishermen whose livelihood was taken from them when the local sea life population plummeted. This photo reminds us that even two years later, despite a lack of interest in the issue, the repercussions of the oil spill have yet to even come to close to being resolved. Men and women who struggled to make ends meet with such a highly volatile career are facing terrible odds when they go out to try to bring in enough catch to support their families. The marine life they so greatly depend on for income will take decades to recover to their previous levels, but the people of America turn a blind eye on their plight because bigger and better things have surfaced in the mass media that are newer and more interesting. A photo of a distraught fisherman would be successful in showing people that the problems aren’t over, but Bryan Thomas goes right to the source with his photo, showing that even the simple mollusk hasn’t made a recovery, and thus the struggle goes on for those people who must work twice as hard as they even did to achieve one third the success. His entire collection of photos makes people stop and think about how just because we can’t see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If Americans can’t respond to problems facing their own people, and continue to support them when they need it the most, how can we ever be expected to do so for global problems that seem so far away?