Here in lies a message for all of my fellow residents of the State of West Virginia (and I bet some like Steve "Hellbroke Lucy" McClung will agree). Your way of life is changing, it is dieing, and whining about it incessantly will change nothing.
For most of this nations history coal was king, but as a whole, we are learning of the damage it is doing. Just like Detroit and many other cities and states, we as a whole in this state did not become diverse in our jobs. We hung our hats on coal, because it was good. just like Detroit did with cars. But we now know the damage it is doing to the environment, we know that it is killing our parents, our brothers. I cannot help it you are being far too ignorant to understand it.
You want to blame Nick Rahall, Barrack Obama, and the EPA over an imagined war on coal, because you are being forced to move forward into the real world. You want to proudly with ignorance proclaim to any and all who will listen that Obama is killing your way of life. That Obama is not doing his job protecting an outdated world view on coal. But once again, your ignorance is staggering. You seem to live under this delusion that Obama is beholden to the citizens of this state, that he should damn the nation and world for your small mindedness. That is not how it works in the real world, politicians are forced to make difficult choices, and these choices do not always fit the best interests of everyone. Basically, since I know some of you do not have the best educations in the world, sometimes a way of life gets thrown under the bus because it does not benefit the majority.
In the real world, people pick themselves up, and they move on. But not here, most of the people here piss and moan about it, and play the victim card. Yeah, you hate it when someone calls you out on it. If your comment is to leave, save it. I have heard that crap for a decade. If you want to keep kissing coal company ass, go live in a mine. They have raped the natural beauty of this state, for profit, while paying you mere scraps.
I have sat my ass on mine sites for nearly half of my time here. I have lived in the thick of the coal fields, I have chewed coal like miners. I have walked out to see my front porch blackened from coal dust, just like you. I have seen creeks black from it as well. I have seen creeks so polluted that you couldn't eat the fish if you had to. But as long as most of you can live in your history, you don't care what happens.
Let me ask you, where is your rage against the coal companies? The Jim Justice's (of Bluestone Industries fame). Where is your anger at Alpha Resources (formally Massey Energy) over their flooding the market? If you want to blame someone for your husband, boyfriend, brother getting laid off, the blame starts with their actions. Obama, Rahall, the EPA are just doing what is best for everyone in this country, not just you. But that is the problem, it is an assault on your precious lifestyle, yet you want to ignore that your lifestyle is a contributing factor to the horrid winter weather in this state.
Be happy, I am on my way out, my lesson learned. You cannot fix ignorance, and many people in this state are just that. Your hatred of Obama starts with the color of his skin, and ends with him not bowing to your demands. This state will grow up, you ignorant people here will be forced to change, and after talking to Steve a few times I realized that it will be far worse than I will ever imagine. Sadly, I did not meet more people like Steve when I moved here, my opinion about the majority of people here would be drastically different.
You can keep your religion, you can keep your racism, you can keep your ignorance if you want them, because your type is dieing the death of a thousand cuts. For those of you who are none of these, you have my sincere condolences. I am truly sorry that this place is being held back, I am sorry that you must contend with people who act like this. I am so very sorry that you are related to these people, and because of that you are forced to suffer more. They are your family, and outside of abandoning them, you are a better person than I am, because I would abandon them, yet you still try to make this a better place.
Coal is all but dead, the way things were in the past are dead. It is time to grow up, and move forward. You can rail against this chance all you wish, but you will fail, because the world turns, things change, and with each day you fight, the more ignorant you look.
No comments:
Post a Comment