Mac Owens writes a brief, clear, and straight-to-the-point argument calling for reason to prevail in the debate over whether or not we should proceed with plans to allow off-shore drilling.  Without dismissing the tragedy of what happened in the Gulf of Mexico, Owens is able to see through the fog of emotion and give us three compelling points--including one previously noted here by our own Steve Hayward--for consideration.  In brief, the costs (in lives, toil, treasure and environmental risk) are too great to permit us to rush to a hasty and regrettable reaction.  We should, of course, do what we can to prevent future large scale disasters.  But the moment we imagine we can eliminate the risk of them from life is the moment we begin the deliberate creation of far greater disasters.