As an insider in the American oil and gas industry I've seen over the past several decades a concentrated effort to demonize me and those in my industry as a whole. It is incumbent on those of us in the oil and gas industry to be vocal and to stop this unfair characterization of us as greedy and inhuman. We work hard everyday just like everybody else to provide for our families and to provide a service to our country that many of us consider noble.

The environmental lobby in this country has done a much better job at getting their message out to the American People. Many times this message is far from the truth, such as the idea that oil and gas companies aren't developing federal leases but just sitting on them. Us as industry insiders know that this is a distortion of that facts that is so extreme that it could be considered comedy except that it is harmful to us and the American People. The problem is that, for the most part, the general public doesn't understand a business as complex as the global oil and gas industry. This is our fault as we have not stood up as an industry and countered these falsehoods.

The American People also don't realize that federal oil and gas royalties are the second largest revenue stream to the treasury. An attack on domestic oil and natural gas producers does nothing but reduce federal revenues and bolster the economies of other oil producing nations. In most cases these other nations are far from friendly to the American People. In these times of economic trouble we need all the American jobs that we can get. We also need to protect our domestic oil and natural gas industry instead importing our needs from unfriendly regimes.

Industry insiders such as ourselves must take a stand on our principles and speak out. If we care about our country and the industry that we've worked so hard for then we need to educate the American public on the facts. It's an individual responsibility. If we all stand together and speak the truth then we'll be able to make a difference. If we keep silent while special interest groups define us, then we are partly responsible for the destruction of an industry that is so important to American national security and energy independence. As Americans it is our responsibility to make a stand against those who would do our country harm.

John Smith is a professional oil and gas landman actively working in the State of Texas. John is also an avid blogger with multiple websites covering the oil and natural gas industry.

Tags: culture, gas, oil, society, oil and gas, current affairs, environmentalist