Comments on: Coal Keeps The Lights On

By: Denny Tyler

Denny Tyler — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:28:29 +0000

Jason usually I delete ignorant comments like yours. It’s the same old song and dance. I don’t think you pro-mountaintop removal folks could come up with an original idea if your life or livelihood depended on it.

I think you are cowards, plain and simple… too afraid and/or too stupid to learn a new trade.

Bring an argument or keep your ass on the porch with all the other lap dogs.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:38:50 +0000

Crystal, I honestly believe your the only person that has posted a comment that is true and real life. People need to face it coal does power the U.S, it also has to be mined.And it’s also bad that people care more about mountains than peoples jobs and livelihood. Anti coal mining people would change their attitude quick if they where supporting a family by coal mining. My family has been in the coal industry for 4 generations, 2 of which has been surface mining sorry there are some people in Appalachia that want to make a good living instead of making minimum wage or being a lazy ass that lives off the government. And yes coal keeps the light on! God bless all coal miners an their jobs.

By: Linda Vannatter~Nelson

Linda Vannatter~Nelson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:40:28 +0000

And you know what the really sad part is Denny?…We don’t have to “picture this.” Everyday is a living reminder of all our yesterdays. Everyday we see bits & pieces of our traditions & our heritage being “stripped” away. We need to take all the pictures we can of the things we never dreamed we would have to. I seriously wonder if our childrens children, will ever get to feel the dirt road beneath their bare feet as they walk up a holler, {hollow}. Will there even be any “hollers” by then? I seriously wonder alot of things as I witness my past, my present, & my future tumble to the ground all around me. Forever gone.
I hate Mountain Top Removal & everything it thinks it stands for. Absolutely no good will ever come from it.
My dad dug coal. He gave us values & traditions without blowing our heritage up to get it.
My definition of a “coal miner” is a person underground, surrounded by low places, just 6 inches from hell.
I’m a “real” coal miners daughter. And proud of it.

By: Denny

Denny — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:10:16 +0000

You know what – don’t come here preaching your coal keeps the lights on crap to me. For your information I don’t have to come to Appalachia, I live here already AND I have a mountaintop removal site for a neighbor.

Maybe coal does keep the lights on but only about 5% of the coal that keeps the lights on comes from mountaintop removal coal mining. I have seen the struggles brought on the people of Appalachia usually brought on them by the coal industry. I was born and raised here to. You can’t justify mountaintop removal with jobs. Mountaintop removal destroys any chance for long term growth while destroying the mountains heaping ever more hardships on the people of Appalachia.

This is not a blog against coal – this is a blog against mountaintop removal coal mining. I’m getting pretty damn sick and tired of you pro-mountaintop removal folks insinuating that those of us fighting the destruction to our homes via mountaintop removal are fighting a battle against coal. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it one last time – I wouldn’t give a damn if you were blowing up the mountains for earth worms. Mountaintop removal is destroying everything we as Appalachians value, our mountains.

There are a lot less destructive methods of mining coal than simply blowing off the tops of the mountains.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:41:44 +0000

You know what – perhaps if you spent a good month in the Appalachian mountains and saw the struggles that people go through then you would change your story. People seem to ooh and aaah at the beauty of the mountains. Naturally – they are God’s great beauty. But how many in America would give up their plumbing, Starbucks, and easy life to live the rough life of the Appalachians. I was born and raised in Eastern KY. I felt the blasts of the coals mines all my life. Yes – it is shame…however this is the ONLY WORK SOURCE of INCOME for the people of Eastern KY and West Virgina. If it were NOT for Coal, you would not be using your nice electric right now. MOST people in America have NO CLUE and judge the Appalachian people as ignorant and inbreed morons. STOP Judging and see the TRUTH. Coal does KEEP the LIGHTS on. Perhaps if YOU and lovely Liberal OBAMA LOVERS would give more resources to the people of Eastern KY and West Virgina, we could have less people on Government funding, cleaner and safer environment. Until then – DEAL with it and continue to Use America’s cheap resource.

By: denny

denny — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:49:00 +0000

Exactly Matthew – just like that everything is gone.

And yes the blasting is just the beginning – it is the mountain version of shock and awe.

By: Matthew Burns

Matthew Burns — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:41:00 +0000

And so goes the life, culture and sustainablilty of the Appalachian people.

Great post Denny. There's truth in every word of it.

And sadly, the blasting is just the beginning.