Amber Nitchman, Eric Blevins, David Aaron Smith, David Baghdadi, Benard Fiorillo, Josh Graupera and Isabelle Rozendaal stopped a blast site on Coal River Mountain for nine days, now their total bail amounts to $9,625.00. Nitchman and Blevins are still in jail, held for a combined cash-only total of $5,000.
Please donate to Climate Ground Zero: Paypal, or another method.
Bail is paid to the state of West Virginia to release people who have been arrested. The state then returns it in full when the person goes to trial. A donation to the legal fund stays in the campaign and enables us to expand the campaign of civil resistance.
The most egregious charge out of all seven people was the concealed weapon charge levied against Baghdadi for a limb saw. He was trying to get the saw to Nitchman so she could saw off a sapling that was being repeatedly slammed into her platform. The three sitters were charged with trespass, conspiracy and obstruction, while the remaining four were charged with trespass and conspiracy.
Thank you everyone who has supported us for almost a year on the front lines. Friends have loaned thousands of dollars to get people out of jail, but those loans must be repaid soon. Some people are also not able to pay all the fines that judges gave them after arrest.
It’s equally important, in order to maintain a robust action agenda, to continually raise legal funds as we stick it to mountaintop removal and the largest coal mine operator in Appalachia: Massey Energy.
You can also support us in a more indirect fashion through the purchase of the critically acclaimed Still Moving Mountains CD, or the long-awaited photojournalistic exposé, Dragline.
The wife and I are so proud of you.
Guys I think you all should try out for American Idol. I’m trying to get support (money) for you all through my connections. I’ll send what I can again. Hang in there. You what you need is some corporate sponsors…maybe an alternative energy company or something. Appreciate what you’re all doing.
I am so proud of you all. Words can’t express how impressed I am with the courage and will of these young folks. We are behind you!
Y’all are ridiculous. I mean that in the best way possible. I miss you a whole damn lot.
I’m proud of all of you, and I love you all very much, even though I don’t know you.
CGZ has a problem. No, not just the fact that it can’t raise the pittance to support its cause or to bail its lawbreakers out of the hoosegow. The much larger problem is the real killer, the one that assures that CGZ will never be successful. It’s this: CGZ is a Ruckus Society baby. That means that CGZ’s siblings include a slew of anti-capitalist, anti-American groups that are so far left they make Obama and company look like brownshirts. This indisputable (at least rationally) fact means that the general public will not support you, your agenda, or your methods. One other thing: Continue to stay in lockstep with the Ruckus Training Manual. It’s a wonderful way for those purely evil corporations and the public you so disdain to keep aware of your strategies and tactics.
Flat Top…..you are wrong. There are many of us in the “general public” that supports what CGZ is doing. I bet that bothers you huh? Hard working, tax paying, citizens that think what you support is disgusting and loathesome. And please don’t bash my President. He is my Commander in Chief and I have tremendous respect for him and his accomplishments. Perhaps you are the one that is anti-American. People like you make me nauseous. You go ahead and live with your blinders on but someday you’ll see….fighting for what is just is the most American, noble thing a person can do.
I sent some cash via paypal. A graph showing us how close you are to getting them out might prompt everyone to kick in a little more
Please tell Eric if you see him that Janie said hold on that maybe some help is coming I hope to get them out, I will drop a little something in the mail tomorrow or the next day. That may take a few days to get there, maybe it is incentive for someone else to go ahead and give up a little so that they can get out? Tell them all that I think they did a good thing and they got all over the news doing it, yahoo! They are wonderful. Janie
eM: You have a very pleasant manner, rather like 60 grit sandpaper but with a smug and self-righteous attitude. Have you bothered to learn about The Ruckus Society? Press the Resources & Materials button on this page. Maybe you will actually learn something about the anti-American octupus whose tentacles you are holding. As for Obama, pray tell, what exactly are his noteworthy accomplishments?
Keep at it ladies and gentlemen. Sponsorship would be a great idea for you all. From places outside WV mostly, since there is so damn little money in the state anyway (except in the wrong places, of course). I live in Asheville, and it weird because, here, it’s easy to forget there are so many ignorant people still on the planet that don’t realize if destruction like MTR doesn’t stop very quickly, Earth simply won’t be liveable in our childrens’ lifetime, if not in ours. I’ll see if I can’t help spread the word to help ya’ll down this way. Thanks again!
Flat Top,
I have bothered to learn about the Ruckus Society. I fail to see how they are anti-American. In fact, America was founded upon disobedience in the interest of freedom. What’s more, RS-affiliated groups practice non-violence.
Anti-capitalist they may be, but who says Americans must be capitalists? Not the Constitution, that’s for sure.
GO CGZ! of course it makes sense to be anti-capitalist if you know anything about capitalism, for god’s sake. anyway, we’re supporting you and your cause and your methods.
You guys are vegan, right?! environmentalists in 21st century like you must be aware of how important that is? let me know if you want a vegan care package sent to your headquarters!
and for more info, just google “vegan environmentalism” or go to http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/environment.html
Very interesting………Climate change claims based on “student dissertation and magazine article”http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7111525/UN-climate-change-panel-based-claims-on-student-dissertation-and-magazine-article.html
LOL @ Vegan…watch the auto bot ads again.
@Watcher
Nope, not so interesting. Yes, the IPCC screwed up, but that doesn’t change the facts: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aRfWjsa0xKB4
Plus, the Telegraph has a crystal-clear denialist bias.
I’m not convinced the world is going to be able to do anything about climate change. But we sure as hell can stop strip mining.
Flat Top, would 60 grit sandpaper have the same affect as sand in your crack….if so then I accomplished what I set out to do. hehehehe….me self righteous? hmmmmmmm……okay maybe a little but that isn’t something I’m ashamed of. Oh and if you have to even ask what President Obama has accomplished then you don’t even deserve a response. Can you say “Imbecile”?
eM: Comrade, you embarrass your cause with that comment. You really should think before you write.
KY Mudd: The US Constitution does not establish any economic system for the support of the governmental framework it lays out. There is no question about that. But the Constitution does confer certain rights and freedoms, some of which speak directly to private property (that would include corporate property) and all of which constrain government from willy-nilly intrusions into our lives and uplift the individual, not the group. Thus far in the American experiment, capitalism—with its warts and pimples—has provided the best fit, providing individuals the means to achieve whatever creature-comfort level they dare dream and to enjoy personal freedom. Those who would destroy the potential for others to achieve their American dream are, indeed, un-American. Their target is often capitalism and capitalists but they’re slick and try to choose causes that have the best chances for engendering public sentiment and support. The Ruckus Society Action Planning Manual tells its activists to use people, such as portraying the big oil company as an enemy of indigenous peoples. And that’s just what CGZ is doing: using people. CGZ and its affiliates suck good-hearted folks into signing on to save this or that when the true aim is to upend capitalism. In that regard, I must thank “gretchen” for her timely and honest comment.
Flat Top, I think the only person using people is the Coal Companies. They use and abuse their employees, our land and our natural resources. I’m sorry if I “embarrassed my cause” by trying to inject a slight amount of humour into the conversation. My bad. I’m not trying to impress anyone with my words. I’m just tryin to write my thoughts and feelings honestly.
I would rather work for Blankenship and say I am a Christian, than to work for a “group” whose leader says his co-pilot is Satan.
Flat Top,
I disagree with your assessment. Small-business, community-scale “capitalism” is one thing, but it seems to me that corporate capitalism has turned the American experiment in democratic republicanism into a pathetic farce. Corporate personhood was NOT in the Constitution, it was later added to the Law by corrupt Gilded-Age politicians-for-hire. Jefferson and Adams would likely be appalled.
Destruction of health, happiness, and livelihood (as we see with strip-mining) is NOT protected either. Just because that destruction is someone’s “job” doesn’t afford it special protection. Out of compassion, our Nation ought to help strip-miners find new, less dangerous work to support their families. But Appalachia should not sacrifice her well-being for the profits of corporate shareholders.
@em:”I think the only person using people is the Coal Companies.”
But this organization is doing the right thing by encouraging young people to break the law? It’s OK because they willl come bail you out of jail? Do they do work detail, probation and pay fines that these misled young people are sentenced too? What do they do to help these young people get jobs once they have a criminal record? CGZ turns young people in to criminals.
…The only person using people is the Coal Companies? CGZ isn’t using people?
C’mon. Twisted Logic? Blinded by the same crap that sends young adults climbing trees?
@ Nemesis: Please consider the rich history and legacy of civil disobedience.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Disobedience_%28Thoreau%29
As you can see, many great men and women have argued that consciously and non-violently disobeying unjust laws is the DUTY of every citizen who values freedom. (Laws such as trespass on private property, or even the notion of private property inasmuch as the “right” to destroy the land.) While protesters acknowledge that they are violating the letter of the law, they do not consider their actions to be criminal in spirit. This is an important distinction. In fact, one could argue that to obey an external authority to the neglect of one’s own conscience would be the far greater crime.
And let’s be honest, CGZ is not USING these young people, Climate Ground Zero IS these young people. They make their own choices of their own free will. The rest of us should be inspired by their courage to stand up for what they know is right.
1) All this talk about “using” people is ridiculous and a waste of time. People have free will to associate with whom they wish, and work for whatever companies they want to. They are also responsible for the consequences of this association and work.
2) Coal mining is legal and will (likely) always stay so, but it is CGZ’s right to draw attention to the environmental and health downsides, to hopefully modify coal co’s behavior through legislation. The activists doing this work are taking the consequences (harassment and jail time), and those who agree with CGZ should support them, or join them.
3) Although I have been a conservative for 25 years, after seeing the mess that big banks have made of this country over the last 2 years, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if “capitalism” got a kick in the pants, a major reform to serve the citizens of this country instead of the top executives only. This is a mainstream sentiment now, and I hope CGZ received my donation
KY Mudd: My belief that there are two distinct camps here seems to have been confirmed. In one are found those who merely wish desire to save some mountains and stop the unhappy consequences of mountaintop removal mining. I have no grudge with such people. Then there’s camp two. This one consists of those who despise the American economic system and consider it their right, if not duty, to destroy others’ property and cause a ruckus, so to speak. This camp I do not care for and this camp I will oppose wherever and whenever I can. By the way, are you freelancing or a card-carrying member? You certainly have the lingo down. Ciao.
What’s the update? How much have you raised/do you still need?
Flat Top,
Although I categorically reject your Procrustean classifications, I might as well state that I both oppose the destruction of mountains and the abuses of America’s industrial economic system. I don’t care if you like or approve of me.
But who said anything about destroying property? It is the strip coal companies (along with many other industrial enterprises) that are destroying property, along with the health and happiness of countless lives, human and non-human.
My question to you is: why are you so spiteful of people who oppose the industrial economy and want to move toward something different? Please be specific, I am quite interested in your perspective on this.
Imagine yourself 150 years ago. Would you defend an economy based on slavery, or would you oppose it? If you think you would oppose it, what would you be prepared to do to stop it?
KY Mudd: Opposing the destruction of mountains and the abuses of America’s industrial economic system sounds downright laudable. It reminds me of the fellow who, during a job interview, was asked, “What is your greatest weakness?” After a pause he replied, “Well, I’m a workaholic.” (By the way, your reference to Procrustes sent me to Bullfinch’s, for which I am grateful.) Now, on to the proverbial brass tacks. I do not know whether you slipped when you declared your opposition to the industrial economy when a few sentences earlier you were opposed only to the abuses of that system. But therein lies my beef. If CGZ and the myriad eco-organizations with which it affiliates would be forthright about their desire to destroy capitalism and, thereby, individual freedom, I would be glad. But, for good reasons, these organizations will not do that. To them, truth is an acceptable casualty and lying is a necessary tactic. If my opposition to that is mistaken as spitefulness, that’s too bad. As for your invitation to imagine myself 150 years ago, I must decline. To accept would require me to somehow set aside all of my 20th and 21st century knowledge and experience and I am unable to do that. Like you, I can only hope that I would take this side or that, but that is all. Today, my side is America, its government and its economic system. When you have a better one of either flavor, let me know.
ouch!
Flat Top you ever think about a career in politics? I think you’d probably do very well.
Flat Top: I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of this whole dialogue. I think it’s so much more interesting and productive than screaming insults at each other, something I try to avoid doing at all times. As someone who is as much a part of Climate Ground Zero as anyone, I’d like to respond to some of your allegations.
The Ruckus Society: It’s true that we share many of the same tactics that the Ruckus Society teaches and some of the same approach to seeking to change laws and behaviors that we see as harmful and unjust. And it is true that Mike Roselle, one of the crew here at CGZ, helped found the Ruckus Society. No secret there, anyone with the internet can find that out. However, to describe as a Ruckus baby is simply not true. The Ruckus Society has not given one dollar, sent one staff person, trained one activist or generally lifted one finger to help us. And Mike Roselle parted ways with the Ruckus Society many years ago over some differences in opinion (one of which was Ruckus’ insistence on focusing on capitalism by the way).
Anti-capitalism/anti-Americanism: I really don’t know what leads you to the conclusion that we are anti-capitalist as a campaign. We never talk about it in any of our press releases, interviews, or trainings. Make no mistake, we are here for one reason only: to stop strip mining in Appalachia. We support the Coal River Wind Campaign, which would establish an industrial scale wind farm, a distinctly capitalist venture. We support economic diversification in the coal fields, and that means small business development. Now, I am not speaking for each individual that chooses to participate in this campaign. There are a range of political opinions here, and I’m sure that some of the people would personally describe themselves as anti-capitalist (and I’m sure would STRONGLY disagree about that meaning being against individual freedom, which is generally highly prized around here). But as a campaign, we make no broad ideological statements like that, nor do we work or propagandize for such goals.
If you oppose the tactics we use or the stance we take on the issues, then I have no problem with that. But if you oppose us because of an imagined secret agenda we supposedly have, then I must take issue. What makes you so sure that we have a secret agenda?
This is all really interesting indeed, but can someone please tell me, are these people still in jail, and how much more money to they need to make bail????
Just a little more past history baggage on Roselle the Lowbagger. Plaese read!http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=15107
hey Peeping Tom, I mean Watcher,
your little article was a hoot! The author couldn’t even spell Mike’s first name correctly nor could he get the correct spelling of the word rainforest the way RAN (and most others) use it. Lotsa credibility there.
And the article was like, she’s a red, he’s a red, everybody is a red, red. Old McDonald was a red, e,i,e,i,o.
And the fact that this silly article came from David Horowitz’s website? And it had all sorts of quotes, evidence and citations – NOT!
gimme a break dude. don’t you know Horowitz was a Red in the 60′s?
I mean according to the logic of that article, once a red, always a red, so your source of info is, wait for it, wait for it…
you guessed it: RED.
And I’m pretty sure Mike had nothing to do with the ELF, since I’ve actually drank beer with the man and heard him express his love for America, beer, the Constitution, beer, apple pie, whitewater rafting, the rule of law, basketball, beer, and wild nature (and not always in that order). The politics of ELF make Mike look like a card carrying Republican.
and besides, this is not about Mike (as much as your obsession wants to make it). I mean the guy is a great activist (even if his farts do stink) and an even better beer drinkin’ buddy, but for cryin’ out loud man, residents of Coal River Valley (people with family in the mines I might add) have been screaming about the destruction of mountaintop removal strip mining for far longer than ol Mike has even been aware of the issue.
so get a grip. go see a shrink or something. This is not about Mike, or some paranoid anti-American, anti-coal miner conspiracy. Its about people, good concerned Americans, who are sick and tired of seeing big multi-national and out of state corporations destroy everything for short term profits in the service of Banksters up on Wall Street. I mean, why do you want to support those rich Yankees anyway?
Thanks, Mat, for contributing to the debate.
Flat Top, my position is this: show me an industrial economy that does not abuse land, life, and freedom, and I will (probably) not oppose it.
KY Mudd: I guess we both worked our way, through our exchanges, to our respective bottom lines. Good luck to you.
Mat: I appreciate the explanation and hope that what you say regarding CGZ’s not having a larger, more (in my view) sinister agenda is true. I am heartened to hear of CGZ’s disassociation from the anti-captalist ideologues whose views all but assure defeat of whatever cause they champion.
Johnny Reb, here’s a few more hoots that say the same thing about Roselle……freerepublic.com…..Rapidcityjournal.com….sfcmac.wordpress.com……books.google.com…..hotair.com….humanevents.com….freerepublic.com….moonbattery.com….sweenness-light.com….lisaintx.wordpress.com….frontpage magazine…..
Flat Top,
Just for the record, I am a big fan of America, capitalism and the US Constitution. The problem with capitalism today is that a few hundred thousand industrialist game the global system for their own benefit and the rest of us foot the bill. The Communists did the same dang thing. The problem is corruption, and most of the judges and politicians in West Virginia are corrupted by coal money. And Mat is right, I did part with Ruckus when I thought it had become an ideological organization. The Climate Ground Zero Campaign is not about ideology, its about justice. When the people of West Virginia are not protected by the same federal laws as the citizens of other states, then that is un American. Let’s be clear, we believe mountain top removal to be a crime. To stand by and do nothing would be un American.
Roselle,
I am confussed, at what point did the people of WV ask for your assistence? To say that “most” of the judges are anything is strictly your opinion. The term “corruption” again strickly your opinion. The “people of West Virginia” still again your opinion. When did your “OPINION” become so important? In fact, how can you refer to the “people of WEST VIRGINIA’ when you are not one of them? How is it that your group is so right and the coal miners of this state are wrong. I won’t quote the numbers because i might get them wrong but the miners, mining company’s and the venders and other support folks of the mining industry enjoy medical benefits, retirement and so on and yet your “opinion’ is all that matters? You want the STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA to change everything that has made this State great because of your opinion!!! Please, just alittle self serving, isn’t it? This State has lasted all this time and provided for the citizens just fine, and done so with out your opinion. This State will move ahead with out it as well. For you to value your opinion this much, that my friend is UN-American. 150 arrest, that is UN-American. The enviros have referred to the coal miners as “THUGS.” Here is MY opinion, 150 arrest makes you the THUGS.
hey “coal is great”,
for your info, people from WV have been fightin’ against Mountaintop removal for years.
the rest of us would not be aware of this issue if it weren’t for life-long residents of the coalfields of Appalachia, most of whom either used to work for the coal industry or still have kin that do, who were trying to tell the world that one of the best places on earth is getting wrecked for short term profits up on Wall St and pure and simple greed.
And they extended the invitation for their fellow Americans to come help them stop the destruction of their state and economy.
You need to get over your poor attitude about this country. This is America, we all live here, we all get a say in how things are done. If you can’t handle that, I’m sure China would love your support.
This country was founded on conflict and dissent. It is absolutely and fundamentally American to challenge unjust power and destruction of one’s home.
And activists have only referred to a few individuals as “thugs”, because they acted like, well, thugs. Like that fat boy up on Kayford Mountain last summer. Or the big bullies who pushed a senior citizen to the ground back in ’99 on the Blair Mountain march.
I have not met any one person in this struggle who thinks all coal miners are thugs. You are either talkin’ smack or you have been misled with bad information.
Having said NOTHING in my post about this country, your reference to my “poor attitude” is at best just plain stupid. I have served this country by way of military and my father is retired military. Most, but not all of the male members of my family have served in the military. So you and your opinion of my thoughts of this country is 100% incorrect. In fact you can kiss my @#$. I served and would again for the freedoms the people of this country enjoy. Guess what, even for YOU to be able to have the freedoms this country allows. I now work in the mining industry and will continue to do so. Coal has and will continue to provide the electricity this country needs to move forward. Like it or not. I proudly volunteered to join the military and proudly work in the mining industry. Since you must have used a crystal ball to get your thoughts on my position on this country, I would say your crystal ball has failed you. I am completely comfortable with this country overall. You, as you have shown in your post, are misled.
“Coal has and will continue to provide the electricity this country needs to move forward.”
better check with Donny on that one, my friend.
oh yeah, how about askin’ old Donny Blankenship about how he is tryin’ to position Massey as a major EXPORTER of coal. He wants to triple Massey’s exports to China and India to help them with their economies.
Real patriotic there Donny boy. Get rid of good coal jobs here in Appalachia with more, bigger machines and more ANFO and more strip mining – all for the sake of the false god Profit and his master The Free Market.
Sorry to tell you fellow West Virginian’s but new reports say that we have maybe 20 years of coal left. Regardless of the permits- there is not enough coal left for you to pay your houses off. Better wake up now. Deep down inside you all know it.
Coal did not make this state great- it blasted and poisoned us. Coal stole our ancestors land. West Virginia is the poorest state in the nation and the coal producing counties are the poorest counties! God – please get your head out of the coal dust! Wake up.
So what we should be doing is working together to stop strip mining and toxic sludge dams and transition with underground mining. Raise the taxes on the coal companies and make those taxes go back to OUR local communities so we can have a community after the coal is soon gone. We could stand together to demand new jobs in this area. Instead you pro coal people are doing the coal barons bidding for them- why?
According to all dictionaries –A thug is a violent bully and it has nothing to do with how many arrests. But of course you pro coal types show your thuggery when you display your crude “Calvin and the treehugger” stickers. I laugh every time I see one.
We get arrested for non violence- a tried and true acceptable from of protest. Hitting, kicking and threatening violence is not acceptable- to anyone. You all need to talk to the coal thugs and tell them to stop it–they are making you all look bad.
Hey curdog,
Stop it, stop it right now…….Feel better? What a line of enviro BS. Explain to me what supported this State if not coal. The enviros sure didn’t. And now a report that we may have 20 years of coal, wow just a few months ago it was stated that we had 5 years max, another “fact” you folks can’t agree on. I think if we listen long enough, you folks will start to disagree on this whole WARMING nonsence. I have to admit you folks are funny. Poorest state you say? Cali and Maine are having money troubles. States you folks have been very active in, I wonder….is…could it be…a connection. I think so because the next thing out of your mouth was ” We need to raise taxes.” People are trying to make ends meet and you want to raise taxes. That will add to the unemployment lines. Oh, now I see. You think it could be potential recruits for your little band of folks. NOT!!! I keep hearing of these folks having health issues and I wonder about that. I know folks that were born in coal camps, went to school in coal camps, raised familys in coal camps and lived long health productive lives. Could it be that folks in other states have some of these same illnesses? States that don’t produce coal are free from respiratory illness, please. States that don’t produce coal simply states that produce something else. Illness and injury are a part every walk of life. No state, standard of living, or do-less person are free of these things. In looking back over the things I have written, I see it contains a good bit of “smart @#$. However, your post could not contained more whining if you had really tried. Really, “tell them to stop.” 150 arrest is not non violent. No one may have been hurt but it is not nonviolent. Prisons are full of people that didn’t beat some one with a stick or shoot some one. There is nothing non violent about trying to put thousands of people out of work. To do it 150 times, you folks want to create a situation that will get some one hurt only to bring about attention. Much like a little kid would do. Non violent, bull. You will just blame some one else but you are the aggressor, the one truly being violent. How many miners have been arrested for being wrong… two that I know of. Two compared to 150. NON VIOLENT? You say that because it is non violent it is ok to be arrested. Sorry, no arrest would be non violent. No arrest would be ok. Now get your head out of our jails and enjoy our wonderful streams and mountains. See, I can be nice. You thought I was going to say get out of our state, didn’t ya?
Dear ‘coal is great”…..right now choose…..coal or clean water and air……If it came down to that choice right now what would you choose….be honest. It’s going to come down to that and hopefully when it does we’ll still have a choice.
eM, it seems as the majority wins. NEWSFLASH, you are on our side too. NO DEMAND = NO SUPPLY. Thanks for being a part of the industry and a Friend of Coal, oops was that plaigurism? (Think the spelling is correct). Seriously, anyone want some of this global warming in my yard? I will load it out for free. Your right all things will come to an end. So, when the coal runs out then the bunch can celebrate. Here is a challenge, collect and save money for a year. You say this is a global cause also, correct? If so take the money, by a plane ticket to Asia, then a ticket to India. Tell me what you come up with when you come back. I will say this the government has a better chance to reduce the 2 degrees they are talking about than you will getting a positive outcome from these regions of the world. You see we care, you are more than 100% correct on that. Those people don’t and the won’t. And as far as the bullying, I can try to apologize but the most I can do is seperate myself from it, and you the same. Curdog, do you know it’s more of a proven fact that the people that are on our side that have normal conversations with those that oppose us are met with more resistance from your side? Truth is that must not be a part of the civil disobedience training going on at Rock Creek. When the bunch that came on our site talked with us they were upset that they only had 2-3 out of 100 or more that would get aggravated when they started their spill. You know we had a good laugh though, there was a comedian in the bunch, she offered some gum wrapped in paper. A guy said no thanks, I couldn’t, I know how you feel about trees and that gum is wrapped in paper. Her punch line was the paper is edible and safe for the environment, My son that is in elementary school knows the true term is biodegradable, but she tried, just like us all, we try.Well goodnight, work comes early.
Why can’t you just answer the question….if you had to choose right at this moment, will it be water to drink and air to breathe or your electric? I know what you would choose. Hopefully for your child’s sake it would be the water and air. Just answer the question.
I choose all of them. It is not a pick or choose situation. You don’t choose deer over bear or one bird over another. We can have and had all of those things for years. My children have good clean water and air. My children have clothes, food, shelter, good schools, the priviledge to grow up in a small town with low crime rates, and medical insurance. I have one in college. My children enjoy all of the things they need and some of the things they want. My wife and I, with the good lords help, will see to it. The family’s of both my wife and I grew up in coal towns. I am proud to be employed in the Surface Mining industry. Frankly, I will take care of my kids, I dont need/want your help. I will raise them here as past generations of my family have done. I have left WV a couple of times only to find the grass was not greener. My hands are black with coal dust, I am proud of that. Water, Air, Coal, yea we have it all. My family and I enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, trail riding, and so on. We enjoy WV’s all four seasons and wonderful culture. My children are happy and are raised in a loving home. Scarey, huh. Not quite the picture you try to paint of WV or its people.
If you are as secure as you try to pretend to be then just answer the question……right now if you HAD to choose…clean water and air or coal…..go ahead choose….pick which one you want. You can’t have them all. ????? You know what the answer has to be don’t you. You know in your heart what the answer has to be. Quit lying to yourself. At some point and time you know we will have to choose and it might be too late. Can you live with that? Can you really live with knowing that you might have contributed to your children or grandchildren not having clean water to drink or air to breathe…By the way, I am WV and it’s people for generations. I know people have to tell themselves what they need to in order to be able to sleep at night but the seed is planted or otherwise you would just answer the question. YOu know it, I know it and many, many other people know it. MTR is seeing it’s last days. We will win this fight. You can thank us later.
Em, you can’t have them all ? I’ve had them all for better than 50yrs here in W V and I along with my family are doing fine, thank you.
No excise taxes on wind energy huh? Well it is on the way, maybe not here, but is in Wyoming. What does that have to do with WV, you ask? Everyone hits the ground running when something like this happens and follows suit. eM, I want them all, there you have it. More importantly I can sleep at night because kids in this area are more likely to die from drugs. Kids in this area do not have a chance because the “family” as Almighty God has ordained it to be, have kids but have no plans to be parents anytime in their lives. You served this country, do you take pride in Chernobyl? How about blasting the non existent terrorist Osama Bin Laden, in the mountains of Afghanistan? You don’t think that has harmed innocents? How about flying a B-52 bomber that holds 1,000′s gallons of fuel, but when a mission is aborted there is only one way a B-52 can land with a close max of fuel? Drop it somewhere. Now, can you fix that? Neither of us can. It’s life as we know it. 15 year olds killing? Elementary school girls planning pregnancies? Kid’s growing up with their grandparents? I don’t know I don’t have an answer for you. I do have a statement though, God knows what is best and he will prevail, you believe in that right? 60% of American people on anti-depressants, I wonder why? We are in a point in America when people looking at the Duggars as being more crazy than some of the points I talk about.
I stand by my answer. Like it or not. It seems others agree.
Progress Miner, you make some very good points and many things you say I agree on but the things I’m not proud of I do think we can change if we do it collectively. I don’t know how exactly but by taking a stand on something I feel that at least I’m trying to make something better. I don’t want to be the person that just sits idly by and accepts the status quo. Where would be in this world right now if everyone did that? If no one stood or fought for what is right. I believe in my heart that this planet can’t take much more abuse from we humans and I think there are many, many things we can do better so I’m going to try and help get those changes going. I’ve always tried to teach my children that if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything…not sure exactly who said that quote originally but I see a lot of importance in it. Greed and destruction is not something I see to be proud of so I will fight as hard as I can to see an end to mountain top removal mining. I will fight as hard as I can to see peace in this world. I will fight as hard as I can to see an end to discrimination of people based on race, religion or sexual orientation. I will fight as hard as I can to see an end to child abuse. But foremost we have to start preserving our Earth or there won’t be any reason to worry about anything else.
eM, understood, thank you, and God Bless.
Hey I’m all for making and taking a stand, but can’t we find some middle ground? An effort to stop without an effort to create alternatives is an empty fight I believe. I’ll look into it further, maybe I can help and I thank you for making me at least more aware of the situation.