"Protestors, probably from out of state, are again putting themselves, coal miners and law enforcement personnel in danger by their illegal actions at Massey's operation at Coal River Mountain. Their actions have not stopped operations at the site."
The company sought to make West Virginians angry that violent environmentalists might be coming in their state and creating a situation. They ultimately went on to try and discredit the activists and claim that what they were saying about what Massey Energy does on Coal River Mountain is false. (You can read more from Massey and Climate Ground Zero's rebuttal here.)
Flickr Photo by Clean Coal is Dirty
West Virginians and the people of Appalachia are on the front lines, but that doesn't mean that the people of the United States cannot be joining their struggle. Every state that uses coal bears a connection to the plight of the Appalachians whose environment and human rights are consistently wronged by the determination of King Coal and the way the politicians protect and preserve coal interests at the expense of poor and working class people.
For example, a group based in Illinois that is not afraid to challenge the United States' interest in coal and the promotion of this myth of "clean" coal, is Topless America. They are a group of students, artists, and activists dedicated to documenting the fight against America's coal industry. They seek to aid in the Appalachian battle to preserve and protect the land and people from the wrath of coal companies like Massey Energy and are in post-production on a feature length documentary.
Parson Brown from Topless America said:
"It's time for us all to find our stance, take it, and energize a revolution peacefully before we end up in one hell of an "energy, etc" crisis. We must demand a stop to mountaintop removal and work realistically and responsibly to transition our country - our people - our planet into a coal free future, without playing men and women against their jobs or each other."
More people need to be, as Mother Jones said, "agitators for progress." Suffering and injustice in the world demands we not be content and calls upon us to act accordingly.
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