Digging to Death
It’s probably not very easy being governor of West Virginia. One reason is because so many of your votes come from people who work underground while your campaign warchest is filled by their bosses above ground. And they have competing interests. Normally you can maintain some balance, by not being over-zealous about safety issues, and mingling a lot with mining families who live in trailers, have no money, and often dine on squirrel.
That may or may not be the case with the current governor – my comments are not particular – but while I’m talking about this generic governor, let’s note that he also presides over the wholesale destruction of a once-beautiful state. Because those mining companies that make possible his campaigns, and those of the three Congressfolks and two Senators, are cutting off the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams. They’re dumping the rocks and trees and bushes and whatever else into the dells and glades and valleys which destroys the flora and displaces the fauna. It is an environmental disaster.
Again, we’re presuming that this wouldn’t be allowed to happen if the people in charge weren’t allowing it. Money talks, the countryside is ravaged, miners die. Just the hypocrisy of it all is enough to turn a moral stomach.
When the last miners in the latest killing were found not to have survived – to no one’s surprise – the governor observed that the miracle they all had prayed for hadn’t come to pass. Considering the quality of the lives of those who died, the mining companies must have bought their god a long time ago.
The governor called the dead men "heroes." In truth they were just victims. It’s amazing how often corporate – like military – cannon fodder gets re-labeled when something goes wrong. And their favorite four-letter word when faced with regulations is jobs.
Does anyone think the government will end the human and environmental carnage?
©2010 SetonnoteS
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