So, if British Petroleum is so concerned about making things right, if the economy is on the mend, the environment a-ok…in short, if everything in the Gulf is so good British Petroleum could really leave any time, but won’t, because they are just that committed and that benevolent of a company, then why all the trouble at these schools?

Trouble such as:

Kids coming to class in dirty school uniforms and trying to take showers without others noticing because their parents lost their jobs and are living in homes with no electricity or running water.

Kids not getting the medication they need for ADD and other ailments, leading to kids acting out in class and fights.

Kids missing classes to stay home and take care of their siblings while parents are out looking for work or trying to keep their jobs.

Kids suffering from increased trauma as a result of increased substance abuse and domestic violence in the home.

Oh, and there’s more:

According to a study by the University of South Ala­bama last spring, 35 percent of the students at Bryant High School in Irvington re­ported being significantly and personally traumatized by the oil spill. A third of them said they were very concerned because the spill had caused their parents to lose jobs. The number of students getting in trouble at Alba Middle School in Bayou La Batre had doubled in a year, according to the study, and was up by 20 percent at Bry­ant.

“There are tons of stories,” said Paige Rucker, state di­rector of Project Rebound, which, in tandem with Alta­Pointe Health Systems, has 21 counselors on a recovery team concentrating on south Mobile County. “You take a community that was already suffering, with Hurricane Katrina and the economy, and you layer the oil spill on top of it.” With that “trifecta,” she said, the community is more than hurting. “It’s on life sup­port.”

Claims money is running out. The jobs haven’t come back. Utility bills are going unpaid. The foot pantry shelves are emptying out and the use of mental health services is on the rise.

This is almost two years after the spill.

Making things right…for who? British Petroleum and their connected politicians…

As Iris Cross says in one of BP’s latest commercials:

“And the economy is showing progress, with many areas on the Gulf Coast having their best tourism season in years. I was born here, I’m still here and so is BP. We’re committed to the Gulf, for everyone who loves it and everyone who calls it home…”

Yeah, well, that’s just wonderful Iris, BP, but how about the kids at schools in south Mobile County? How about you take a little time from your ad campaigns and commit yourselves to these kids and their families?

You know, because you care enough to not have the effects of your spill span across multiple generations.

Read the article:

South Ala. students still suffering from oil spill

Have a nice day.