Comments on: Behind Enemy Lines

By: Folk Face

Folk Face — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:01:05 +0000

I’m not sure whether or not they believe in God, but ethically it does seem that they are ungrounded. But more importantly I think it is important to note that many people in the community DO believe in God (it may be the only thing they have left that the coal company can’t take away) so this ‘Acts of God’ rhetoric is even more sinister. I don’t know if coal companies have manipulated local religious community leaders as they have union and women’s groups, not to mention political organizations, but that would be an interesting topic to explore. Has liberation theology permeated coalfield church doctrines? I am sure that the Calvinist groups have resisted this, since their view is largely coincident with the ‘Act of God, it is all God’s Will for this to happen to you’ rhetoric from Big Coal. anyone know anything about this?

By: Folk Face

Folk Face — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:39:46 +0000

Denny you are on target as usual.

Coal cannot be clean. It’s a nasty little mineral. Extraction processes cannot be clean. They make it even nastier by grinding it up into smaller particles. Social and economic structures surrounding coal can not be clean, it poisons the work and family environments, turning families and communities against one another in the age-old game of divide and conquer.

Injecting slurry into abandoned mines or even worse, caves, and calling it capture is a fine example of willfull self-delusion. ‘Acts of God’ get the blame when these storage methods fail. ‘Permanently and safely stored underground’ means [unless there is an Act of God, which by definition we cannot do anything about].

My good friend says “God shore must be from ’round here because it seems to me like hit’s about the only place he’s-a actin!”

By: Denny

Denny — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:54:22 +0000

Folk – that last statement from your good friend brought a smile to my face. I know exactly where he is coming from. You can tell the coal industry believes in God because they sure like to throw the blame at God when their designs go haywire. I never thought I would see the day when God would become a scapegoat.

By: Denny

Denny — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:43:49 +0000

The parking lot was the very start of this battle for me – I couldn’t believe it.

A truck spilled a little bit of diesel fuel right up the road from where I live in an accident a month or so ago and they have been cleaning it up ever since. I guess if it is not right out there where people can see it then it matters much less.

By: Kristine shreve

Kristine shreve — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:47:58 +0000

I guess, after reading all the other stuff you’ve written, I shouldn’t be surprised that diesel fuel was being allowed to leak into the water supply, but I still am. I don’t understand how anyone could have such blantant disregard for the health and safety of the local residents and still claim to be good for the community.