Archive for October, 2006
Submitted by Joe Burrell of Reedville, VA
When I visited Kayford Mountain, WV for the first time I experienced a number of emotions:
Horror – How could anybody do this to the beautiful mountains
Shame – To be part of the human race that perpetrates such a crime
Sadness – Those sites will never be beautiful again
Anger – I hated Massey and the others
Helplessness – What can anybody do to change things
Joy – A lot of good people are working on it
Hope – Progress is being made
Lord, please give me the strength to harness these emotions to work for positive change. Help me turn hate to love, and treat those who agree with mountaintop removal with the repect and dignity they deserve. Help me find the strength to continue working for what is right.
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Submitted by Frances Burrell, a Roman Catholic from the Northern Neck of Virginia
Lector: For the people in the Appalachian coalfields.
May they get what they need and be treated with respect and dignity
Congregation: We Pray To The Lord
Lector: For the poor, the sick and the elderly there
Congregation: We Pray To The Lord
Lector: For all miners. May they have safe working conditions,
and receive better pay and benefits for the hard work they are doing
Congregation: We Pray To The Lord
Lector: For all the people who are working to end Mountaintop Removal.
Give them strength, courage and wisdom
Congregation: We Pray To The Lord
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This November is shaping up to be one of the toughest election seasons for the coal industry in recent memory. No industry other than oil has benefited more from the attack on environmental and safety regulations over the last 6 years by the Bush Administration and the congressional leadership. From weakening mercury rules and attempts to weaken the Clean Air Act (in the form of the Orwellian “Clear Skies Actâ€?), to weakening the Clean Water Act by allowing mining waste to be dumped indiscriminately in our nation’s waterways, the massive investments by the coal industry to buy the favor of Congress and the White House has never seen a better return on investment.
In the upcoming election, those tables seem to be turning. Of the 6 incumbent senators that have accepted the most coal industry money, 4 are at serious risk of losing their seats. According to opensecrets.org, the senators receiving the most coal industry money are:
Rank State Senator Coal industry contributions
1 PA Santorum, Rick (R) $93,050
2 VA Allen, George (R) $69,050
3 MO Talent, James M (R) $54,050
4 WV Byrd, Robert C (D) $41,350
5 KY McConnell, Mitch (R) $41,350
6 OH DeWine, Mike (R) $26,300
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Unions have come out swinging against the recess appointment of coal executive Richard Stickler to head the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Stickler, a former employee of Massey, was TWICE rejected by the US Senate. The President circumvented this requirement and made a “recess appointmentâ€? that put Stickler in charge of all American mining safety even though he was strongly opposed by miners, both West Virginia Senators, and the United States Senate.
Why was he so strongly opposed?
“The mines (Stickler) ran when he was in the industry were some of the most dangerous and most frequently cited for safety violations in the entire industry,â€? [West Virginia Democratic Senator] Rockefeller said. “His mines had a rate of preventable accidents that was much as three times the national average. In fact, despite broad bipartisan support for new, more aggressive mine safety laws, Richard Stickler said in his Senate nomination hearing that no new laws were necessary.â€?
The United Mine Workers of America is picketing at the MSHA office in Washington for their own safety! Workers from West Virginia and Pennsylvania are pouring in and are ENORMOUSLY upset at Sticklers appointment, and for good reason. 
AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said in a press release:
But just like on so many other matters, the President refused to listen and proceeded on a dangerous and unwise course of action. Hopefully, the November elections will send a clear message to the President and his allies in Congress that the American people oppose their anti-worker policies, and the outcome changes the balance of power in Congress so worker’s concerns and interests will be a priority.
cross-posted from the Appalachian Voice Front Porch Blog
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The folks at Daily Kos, and Americans across the nation, are working to produce a 20-point plan to guide our national energy policy toward greater energy security and cleaner energy production. The plan is called called Energize America, and folks working to end mountaintop removal should pay attention and get involved – particularly in regard to Section VI, which is (unfortunately) titled, “The Clean Coal Generation Act.
While the use of the term “Clean Coal” is objectionable to many (click the “High Cost of Coal” link on the right menu if you have any questions as to why), some are working to include language that would ban mountaintop removal in section VI – a great start toward cleaning up coal. Check out Devilstower’s diary on Daily Kos for a first cut at drafting language to end mountaintop removal.
Also, check this page regularly for updates on the development of this section of “Energize America,” as the folks who brought you iLoveMountains.org intend to be quite involved in the drafting of this language.
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Contributed by NuLiForm
Don’t know about you, but i pray Fervently that mankind comes to their senses. After the Resurection, as He was leaving them, the Apostals asked Yeshua, “Where can we find you?â€? He simply replied, “Look for me in the Wood.â€? He did not say look for me in any church, with walls. Mankind has never understood this.
Yeshua always taught that All life Needs all other life to survive in this beautiful world which sustains us, that we are All interdependent upon each other, and must Accept each other, Co-exist, man, beast, every living thing, according to Yahwey’s plan. Mankind has never understood this.
We were All created by Yahwey, and All are Loved by Yahwey. Mankind has never understood this either.
Who are We to decide what life is more worthy than any other? Somehow, i got it, and from the very first time I was taught to pray, I prayed for All living creatures and the world upon which we all live. Walking the talk, I made it my life’s mission to help others ‘get it’ too.
We are the ‘oddballs’ you see on street corners and wooded lots, protesting clearcutting, mining, extinction, talking about Respecting the Earth and our fellow creatures. We push the envelope and ruffle a lot of feathers by pestering governments and business to be reasonable. We teach anyone who will listen how to do the same, and why we should never give up.
The Time has Come, and nearly Gone, for mankind to understand. One has only to Sincerely care, open their eyes and look around to see this is true and happening Now. The world is changing, re-arranging, right before our very eyes, and we in our ignorance, arrogance, and silence, are rushing this upheaval with our toxic, all consuming, thoughtless Greed.
Soon Yahwey will simply scratch us up as another loss and start over, as is the Natural game plan for All worlds. Then, mankind will not need to understand anymore, because mankind will cease to exist… as it should be if mankind is so defective as that. Look around you my friend, the mountains really are crumbling into the sea.
Pray, yes, pray our hearts out, but obviously we Must do More than that if we are to Change anything.
Pretty words and poetic prose look nice and make us smile, but they do little more than that. The clock is ticking down Fast. Yeshua also taught us to Act against injustice, to Help, and Protect the less able, remember? What would Yeshua say to us Now? Can you hear him? If not, maybe you are not looking in the right place.
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Submitted by Sheridan Bushnell
The mountains know our history.
They hold the hardness of our struggle,
Releasing but a few grains
To the soft earth below.
Trees speak the language of our hearts.
Softly pulsating the life blood,
Of our lung’s longing, they wait,
Watching the river’s flow,
Over and through
The rocky remnants of our resistance,
Waiting the awakening,
As the young mother watches,
Her infant stir in its crib,
Its newness to the world,
Opening wide the door to her heart.
Knowing,
In the adolescence
Of our souls,
We must so thoroughly reject
That which has fed us for so long.
Trusting,
We shall return
When the ego is strong enough
To realize,
The pain of the separation
Was but a mirage of the mind.
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Contributed by Dan Siler of Robbinsville, NC
As I grew up here in NC, mining and hard rock jobs were a common part of my life. I was a part of 4 generations. First, I worked the jack legs underground, then I graduated to operating the air tracks above ground and learned to use powder.
Now, building a beautiful road for others to see Gods handiwork is one thing. But the absolute and total removal of a mountaintop is wrong. I don’t care whose standards you judge by. Coal will always play out. My Mom was born in Welch, West Va. and her whole family wound up moving as big coal played out. I have made many trips outta the hole just to watch the power go off. I helped load and seen the tops of mountaintop quarries be removed. And how long, how long before it all lands here in N.C.
I just hope there are those who will forgive me for destroying nature. I hope our creator does!
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