Dear President Obama

A letter to President Barack Obama concerning his promises to the Gulf Coast concerning the affects of the 2010 Oil Catastrophe. Currently June 2011 we still have oil, toxic dispersant and deceased wildlife coming in daily. Many people are ill, devastated financially, and our ecosystem is in crisis. For more information on how you can help please go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gulf-Change/229360920411954 and learn more.

Dear Mr. President,

Many of us were either in Grand Isle or watching you in other media forms, as you gave this incredibly encouraging speech a year ago.

And more recently, we walked to the White House from New Orleans, with hopes of meeting with you to discuss the promises you made that day.

While we have had audiences with some of your folks on the hill, and have been on media outlets around the world, we feel you have been largely silent concerning our continuing needs for true, accountable and sustainable action here on the coast.

With all due respect sir, we do not wish to be angry with you, we understand that a lot of the issues in the text of this video were not directly your fault, but that of a lack of honest representation in Congress on our behalf.

However, we expect and deserve your full attention on our behalf in this matter, as you promised.

We would like to be able to stand behind you in this next election - around 11.5 million of us Gulf Coast citizens. We would like to be able to say that you heard us, and acted in a way of honesty and compassion with all you had, for our benefit.

And yet, we cannot and will not stop fighting for the protection, health and economic well being of our people and ecosystem and will only support those who hold us and our children in high regard and with essential advocacy on our behalf.

Many of us are ill now, many more are suffering financially, and even more are demoralized by the lack of urgency or attention by the government of the nation that we love.

We are asking you again, to come and meet with us or invite us to the White house, in order to discuss our needs and the responsible fulfillment of the promises you made in Grand Isle. As well as, to activate those posts and entities who need to be moved to action.

Because like you said, “I ultimately take responsibility for solving this crisis. I’m the president, and the buck stops with me.”

Please do not mistake our resiliency for resignation. We will not stop, until we are made whole again.

In hopeful solidarity,

The Gulf Coast

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Cherri Foytlin is an oil worker's wife, mother of six, Louisiana resident and journalist whose family has been deeply impacted by the BP Oil Disaster and consequential moratorium on deep water drilling. She co-founded Gulf Change, blogs for www.BridgeTheGulfProject.org, and walked to Washington D.C. from New Orleans (1,243 miles) to call for action to stop the BP oil disaster.  She has been a constant voice, speaking out to the Obama Administration's Gulf Oil Spill Commission, and in countless forms of media.  Cherri will continue her fight for the industries, people, culture and wildlife of south Louisiana and the Gulf Coast "until we are made whole again."