Print |
E-mail to a friend
OPINIONS
Terry & Wilma Steele: Diverse team standing up to Blankenship and mountaintop removal
The United Mine Workers of America is getting ready for its 71st Labor Day Rally at Racine. There will be much talk of clean coal, pro-coal, pro-union and to top it off, a bashing of environmentalists. Our president, Cecil Roberts, will probably support mountaintop removal, because the union represents a few hundred MTR miners. A few of them will be there, but some may be over in Holden on a MTS site for the "Friends of America" Event.
That event is hosted by Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey. He says: "America's working families are under attack from several fronts. America's job providers and workers must rally together and let our voices be heard. We are proud to provide Central Appalachia with good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced, and we will continue to fight to make sure they aren't taxed or regulated out of existence."
Regulations passed to protect workers, the environment and our water. I'm sure they will be calling the unions, Democrats and environmentalists: reds, communists or anti-Americans.
Don's guest: Vietnam draft dodger Ted Nugent. I wonder if he will once again come on stage with AK47s ranting obscenities about Obama and Hillary. If only he'd used those guns in Vietnam.
Next, Hank Williams Jr. singing, "Why do I drink and why do I roll smoke? It's just a family tradition." Teachers, how's that for an excuse? Or maybe the union MTR miners will join him in the lyrics, "...union against the worker, working against his will..." I'm sure your union granddads would love that.
Then Mr. Fox News, Sean Hannity. He might teach Ted a few new lines in Obama hatred. Don could say he's a man of great faith -- he moves mountains.
Among guests will be politicians. They usually would be at Racine but there may be 25,000 at Holden! Many were Democrats, but since it's now fashionable in W.Va. to be a Republican, they may change. Some will give speeches at Racine and/or at Holden. Will they be able to keep straight what they are for or against straight?
What the UMWA had better realize is that some of its strongest union men are fighting with the environmentalists against MTR. These miners, like this writer, have lived and worked all their lives in W.Va. We have watched the deep mines close; MTR mines take our jobs, our land and our union. More recently, we watched the muddy flood waters pour off these sites, as it took roads and homes. Just a few MTR mines chained the union to the real enemy.
There are only two sides to this issue. On the right is Don standing at Logan, wrapped in the pretense of American freedom, with his bought judges, DEP agents and many misled souls. Don stands with promises of jobs and security. In one hand, is a new mining permit, and in the other is dynamite. In his heart and mind is power to put down the UMWA, the environmentalist, and to mine coal his way: nonunion, unregulated, any way he wants!
Over in Racine is Cecil Roberts, a descendant of Bill Blizzard. In one hand is the mine safety laws that saved thousands, in the other hand is a history of the proud stand of the working man that yielded a better life.
Today, miners are divided between Racine and Holden. In the middle is Blair Mountain. Eighty-eight years ago in the months of August and September another Don, backed by big coal and Gov. Morgan, rained down explosives on Blair Mountain and the union miners. There were many red bandannas streaked with blood and sweat but redeemed by honor and courage. Don won the battle but lost the war!
Now, another Don, backed by big coal and Gov. Manchin, removed Blair Mountain from the historic register. Don has it in his crosshairs and armed with explosives, he plans to blast it away. Standing up to this giant is a rag-tag, multicultural, red bandanna army made up of old UMWA miners, their families and the environmentalists. The only weapons they carry are courage and truth. Their mission: stop MTR!
They scale the highest cranes; row across the dirtiest sludge ponds; ride trains and fly planes; they dance in peace amid obscenities and threats; they lobby Washington; chain themselves to the DEP office doors and trees; fight to protect graveyards; write grants; clean mud from floods; photograph and film history to shout the truth until someone listens! Unchain yourselves from Don and let the truth set you free!
Terry L. Steele is a member of UMWA Local 1440 and Wilma L. Steele is a Mingo County teacher.
