I live in northeast Ohio. When I was growing up, my parents would take my sisters and I down to North Carolina every summer for two weeks. We'd drive from Akron to Emerald Isle, and along the way pass through southeastern Ohio and West Virginia--parts of what are commonly called Appalachia.
We used their roads, ate their food, drove past their houses--and never heard a word about mountaintop removal mining, ash slides, black lung, or anything else like it. It wasn't until I watched October Sky in eighth grade that I had any idea what kind of hardships miners faced.
Within the past couple of years, I've considered this more closely: in my Marxism class last year we watched Harlan County, USA, and it was probably the most haunting documentary I have ever seen. Heartbreaking, I can't describe it, you'll have to watch and see that that right there is the epitome of capitalism. Rich people screwing over poor people in whatever way possible.
I went down to North Carolina again this year, on those same roads, to visit my sister at school. This time I was armed with Ann Pancake's Strange as This Weather Has Been (yeah, it's taking me a while to read, I've been reading too much non-fiction and too many school books to finish it quicker). The stories of Lace and Jimmy and their children struggling against poverty and possible destruction. Lace's father dying from black lung. The slurry that nearly wiped them out before the start of the book. The debate over whether to stay or leave. Lay-offs. Scabs. Destroyed mountains. That's all there.
But we don't hear about it. We aren't given the chance to care. Writers like Pancake and the United Mountain Defense are speaking up about it, but it's getting zero major news coverage. Last month, the people of Roane County, Tennessee, were devastated by an ash-slide. And the first I heard about it was today, on Feministing. Feministing? This should not be the purview of feminist websites. This should be the purview of every major news outlet. And some feminist websites, if they want. But they should not be the ones essentially breaking the news to anyone who doesn't live in Tennessee. But they have to be, when no one else is talking.
This makes me so angry. The TVA, they're not doing shit. They told the Red Cross not to even come. This United Mountain Defense group, a local non-profit, is doing the aid work. Enschuldigen Sie? How can people claim that America is the greatest nation ever with the greatest government ever when people are suffering and they're not receiving aid from anyone remotely affiliated with our government? People who know what's going on are turning a blind eye to the problem, and they're not letting anyone else even know about it. Yes, this is a horrid environmental disaster, but even if you don't give a shit about the environment (which many people don't, sadly), think of the people who have been hurt. But they don't. Because these people are poor, they have few resources, they have few choices. The powerful in our system are encouraged from birth to screw over the powerless in any way they can. Education? Money? Homes? Clean water? Check. You can see this playing out in any system of oppression. We can take away anything you find valuable and you cannot stop us. This is capitalism. Cold, hard capitalism. And it is hateful and evil and frankly inexcuseable.
We have to stop allowing this shit. We need to start talking about this, we need to make sure it does get on the news, we need to rise up against oppression, we need to read, learn, get out of our little boxes and stop just accepting things the way they are. We can change things. We do not need to listen to oppressive authorities. We do need to respect each other, as people, as human beings. Not as cheap labor or fuck toys or tools for breeding or anything else.
So. Write letters. Post on your own blogs. Donate money to the United Mountain Defense. Do fundraisers, clothing drives, canned food drives, anything will help. Go down (or up, or out) to volunteer for the UMD yourself, if you can. I'll be donating, at the very least.
And talk. Educate. Write to senators, representatives, President-elect Obama. Don't let this happen again.
Twenty Years Ago Today
4 hours ago
6 goats saying what:
Dear Genevieve:
Coal miners are proud of who they are, they stand up for what they believe, they take care of their families, and they trust in God but rely on themselves. I'm sorry you were hoodwinked in your Marxism class about who coal miners are and their proud heritage. Read Rocket Boys and also my book We Are Not Afraid and maybe you'll understand better what the message of October Sky was and is. One thing for certain, it has nothing to do with Progressive politics. Be critical in your thinking and be suspicious of anything that smacks of propaganda. Most likely, it's hyperbole.
Best wishes for expanded reading and understanding of why freedom and the marketplace is the better combination to improve humankind, not socialism and big government.
Homer Hickam
www.homerhickam.com
www.rocketboysthemusical.com
Mr. Hickam,
I understand why people would feel proud of their heritage, I am certainly proud of mine even if there is much of my upbringing I disagree with. My knowledge of your work is limited; the film version of October Sky was more of an insight into a life which I had never known (due to the time period as much as the lifestyle), and I wasn’t really thinking about progressive politics when I saw it, I wasn’t really thinking politics period as much as oh, this is cool. Because I was thirteen.
The political angle on the mining world was not something I saw until viewing Harlan County, USA a year ago—and no, I do not think I was brainwashed. Nor am I an outright socialist or proponent of big government. I agree with some socialist views, but no government will ever be good if it does not care for the needs of its people, and I think ours has had a pretty bad track record when it comes to doing so, especially of late. This is what I want changed. As for my views of a free market and/or capitalism, this essay sums it up—they’re not one in the same, and the free market does have its merits.
Also, I’m not sure if you’ve seen Harlan County, but the miners in it were relying on themselves—they were the ones striking for better pay and working conditions, they were the ones who wanted a union—so they could take care of their problems themselves instead of needing the companies to do so for them. That is what I encourage people to do—take action when they see something wrong in their world. Which is why I applaud the efforts of United Mountain Defense.
I understand that our political opinions vary. Thank you for bringing civility to this discussion.
Dear Genevieve:
Dear Genevieve:
I suspect we agree far more than we disagree. Thank you for caring about coal miners but give some thanks also to the hard working foremen and, yes, even most of the owners who, believe me, have learned many valuable lessons over the years and do care about their men and women. It's a tough industry but one that elicits a great deal of pride from its members, both miners and management. Over 50% of the USA's energy comes from coal. That probably won't change much for many years so thank a coal miner when you turn on a light switch and be glad there are those good companies out there who are willing to go after the coal while also safeguarding their miners. Although losing anyone to an accident is one to many, last year less than 20 miners in the USA were killed. In China, there were over 4000. You read that right, astonishing as it is. That says something right there about the improvements in the industry. However, with that said, I am a proud member of the UMWA which did what had to be done in the bad old days and may yet have a role to play against coal companies that still haven't figured out what is really important. It isn't profit. It never is. It is helping to give men and women a way to make a good living, a place to raise a family, while also allowing them to feel and be productive to society. That, in fact, is the key to a good life for just about all of us.
Peace and have a great, wonderful new year.
Homer
PS - You still need to read Rocket Boys.
Hello, found your blog via Feministing.
I'm going to agree with you and say that the pride coal miners have in their heritage doesn't make up for the fact that the homes of 12 families in Tennessee are now covered in mercury-addled sludge.
I too am sick of the cover-up.
I did my own post on the subject on my blog, hasn't gotten much of a response (the serious posts never do, do they?).
K.
smartbykrae.com
Homer--
Your book sounds quite interesting, I'll add it to my ever-growing stack.
And of course, I'm thankful. I'm always thankful for the people doing the jobs that need to be done, especially the difficult ones.
K--
I don't usually have famous engineer/writers commenting on my blog, so this post has gotten fairly good response, in my opinion.
My mother is from rural West Virginia, and the amount of poverty there is astounding.
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