Another Roxana Is Possible

When asked about the refinery, a lot of people respond similarly: it provides for our community, but simultaneously, it pollutes our community.  Some describe it as a love/hate relationship for the refinery.  I find myself in a similar place--I wouldn't want to chase away jobs or lose a major (if not the only) moneymaker in the area but I must ask, are those our only options?  It's either no refinery and clean air or refinery and dirty air (and all the things that go along with both)?  Or do you think there is another solution? Perhaps there is another way possible for things to work out.  

I think it is this false dichotomy that keeps everyone chugging along with the status quo which continues to cause major health issues for some residents and even students!  I can't help but compare it to some sort of pagan sacrifice.  How many people will have to suffer for it to no longer be worth all of the supposed economic support the community is gaining from the refinery? 


There has to be an alternative but we will only begin to take steps towards such a thing if we step away from our apathy and our assumed powerlessness. We have the power to create.  We have the ability to change our community--to change the future--and we need to because we know better.  We are lacking in only one thing, and that is creativity. Fortunately for us we have an entire high school of young minds involved in the issue.  Perhaps our most valuable resource in Roxana, Illinois, is the youth attending Roxana High School, not the refinery.  And, instead of readily turning our heads as another young life is affected by the refinery, we should empower the young people in our lives to work towards another way of living.