THE ISSUE: BP CEO Tony Hayward’s R&R on a yacht following his testimony in Washington, DC.
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It’s ridiculous to criticize BP CEO Tony Hayward for watching a yacht race. What difference does it make to the cleanup effort or stopping the leak (“Capt. Clueless,” June 20)?
Is he supposed to cover himself in sackcloth and parade up and down the beach with a vacuum cleaner, sucking up the oil?
Curiously, our commander-in-chief isn’t facing the same rabid criticism, even though he doesn’t seem to be losing much sleep over the irresponsibility of his own government inspectors.
Apparently, it’s OK to be unconcerned enough to play a game of golf or attend a baseball game, but watching a boat race is a major faux pas.
L. White
Dover, NH
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How could Hayward go to a yacht race when billions of gallons of oil continue to spill into the Gulf of Mexico?
This man should be ashamed of himself.
Hayward seems to have taken a very condescending attitude regarding his responsibility for what has happened.
Hayward certainly has a lot of arrogance. If he worked for me, I would fire him in two seconds.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
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Being a Floridian, I am certainly no fan of the way BP spokespersons have conducted themselves.
But what I find hypocritical is the condemnation of Hayward’s returning home following his testimony here.
Hayward certainly was not exactly an elegant PR spokesperson for BP, but if our president can play during such terrible times, surely another man can also take a break from the complexities of life’s unexpected accidents.
If President Obama, who some claim has superior powers, can’t scuba dive down to stop the flow of this destructive muck, neither can a mere mortal such as Hayward.
Mark Seid
Tamarac, Fla.
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Your headline chastising Hayward is fine, though incomplete. Where’s your condemnation of our president and vice president who were out for a stroll on the golf course that same day?
The gulf is under siege, but you’d never know it by the actions of the country’s so-called leadership.
John Tell
Staten Island