The first time Dave Rauschkolb staged a rally against offshore drilling with people holding hands across the beach outside his restaurant in Seaside, Florida, barely anyone noticed. Four months and a colossal oil spill later, the second Hands Across the Sand event held at noon on Saturday was nothing short of a worldwide movement.
In all, mainly by connections made through Facebook, 820 events were scheduled in all 50 States and in 34 countries. Thousands of people worldwide stood hand in hand — with some, in South Beach at least, breaking the chain only for surfers or topless women — to protest drilling and to demand cleaner energy sources. “I believe every American and every person has a beach that they hold dear to their heart,” said Rauschkolb, 48, a lifelong surfer.
He added: “This is not rocket science. Our basic message is no to offshore oil drilling and yes to clean energy. Why is it that it takes a disaster in the gulf of this magnitude to get our leaders to pay attention? They need to stop taking that oil money and listen to their constituents.” -- New York Times News Service
