Year: 2017
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Appalachia’s Coalfields Weren’t Always Red
Since the last presidential election, I’ve witnessed a near constant stream of ridicule against Appalachian people who voted for Trump, “They are getting what they deserve,” “They had a choice and they chose a lying bigot,” “They screwed us all.” I have even been told “We don’t have time to deal with them (Trump voters).…
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Stereotyping Appalachians Feeds Only the Coal Industry
Trump won the vote in Appalachia because people are tired of being looked down upon. Considering the work of powerful industry interests, a century’s worth of negative stereotyping, and culturally insensitive protests against coal—a source of people’s pride, heritage, and income—it’s not difficult to understand how.
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A Few Thoughts on Climate Change
Let’s face it…climate change has become so heavily politicized in coal country that it’s nearly impossible to have an intelligent conversation about it. If people even get so much as a whiff that someone is an “environmentalist” they might as well save their breath. I myself have been accused of being a liberal environmentalist, a…
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With Liberty and Justice for All*
The following is an excerpt from a reflection I wrote December 2015. It was a warm afternoon when we arrived in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Our Blue Toyota Corolla was overflowing with camping gear, the large Thule setting us apart as travelers, not locals. We’d never been in Mississippi, but as soon as we crossed the…
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Voting against their best interests
People ask me “Why do Appalachians vote against their own best interests?” Some are friends who are honestly trying to understand the situation from a point of concern. I know that they seek the cause for the discrepancy, rather than assume coal mining families are incapable of making intelligent political decisions. The question still stings…
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Appalachians Have Lost More Than Coal, We’ve Lost Who We Are
Over the past few years, we have witnessed an amazing downturn in the coal industry. Mines all throughout Appalachia have closed, leaving thousands of coal miners and their families in dire straits. For as long as the coal industry has existed, the people of Appalachia have lived at the mercy of a boom and bust…
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Appalachia’s Captive Workforce
To believe that the coal industry has given up their desire for cheap, expendable labor, is, for the lack of a better term—ridiculous.
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The Manipulation of Southern Pride
When I was a teenager, I went to a meeting of the new Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter in my home town. I quickly became caught up in the ideals of the SCV and hoped desperately that I could find a Confederate soldier within my lineage so I could join. I was not racist thanks…
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As Coal Production Ramps Up, Companies Should Pay Their Debts to Mining Communities
According to reports from the Energy Information Administration, coal production will be on the rise due to increases in electrical generation from coal fired power plants and coal exports. This means that coal companies, who have come out ahead by shirking their financial responsibilities in bankruptcy court, will be primed to make yet another…
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The Ongoing Fight Against Media’s Misrepresentation of Appalachia
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Daniel Flatley from Bloomberg News. He was working on a story aimed at understanding why coal miners were not retraining into healthcare careers as the healthcare industry grew in Appalachia. I tried my best to answer his questions and give a broader understanding of miner retraining and…
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The Real Presidential “Delegation”
We all know the stereotype, the clueless boss who has no idea how to do a damn thing. You go to them with a problem and they instantly point you in a different direction, bumbling along like you just hit them between the eyes with sledge hammer (stop visualizing it as much as you want…
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Maintenance, safety, and the drive for production
I just read an article about Daniel L. Couch Jr., a mine maintenance chief who pleaded guilty to falsifying safety documents. Before people go throwing him under the bus, it’s important to understand a few things about mine maintenance, safety, and the push for production. Certified mine electricians don’t just repair electrical equipment and perform…
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Against Our Own Best Interest: Why Working People Shouldn’t Elect Businessmen Into Office
I’ve run across many people who believe business executives are a good choice for lawmakers. Many of these same people also complain about the poor treatment of employees and off-shoring of manufacturing jobs, decisions that are often made by business executives. After getting into a variety of debates, the prevailing logic can be summed…
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Searching for Justice in Appalachia: Part II
In my original post, I skirted along the edges of some personal beliefs that I often spare my readership, beliefs that I must admit, cause me to doubt myself and this work. As I mentioned in my first post, one of the downsides to being a justice advocate is realizing just how bleak the situation…
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The Love of a Coal Mining Father
Like many fathers living in central Appalachia, my dad didn’t have a lot of choices after he graduated high school. He couldn’t bare the thought of leaving his mountain home and all the family and places he’d always known. So he did what he could, going to work in the mines—risking his life and sacrificing…