Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards

admin April 15th, 2008

My name is Jennifer Mullins and I recently signed up to become a member of Appalachian Voices. I wanted to email you and let you know the reasons as to why I decided to become a member. I was raised in a small coal camp, called Derby, which is just outside of Appalachia, VA. I now reside in Jonesville,VA which is about 45 minutes away. Believe it or not, most of the people in town have never heard of the Mountaintop Removal Project. Honestly, I just became aware of it myself about 5 months ago. My father, Robert Mullins, who is a retired coal miner, brought it to my attention. When I learned as to what the project was all about, it broke my heart. I am astonished that people are literally blowing up our beautiful mountains. Now I know that my father worked in an industry that produces the same product but at least with the ‘normal’ mining method, the area that is mined has more of a chance to recover. With the mountaintop project, the wildlife that the mountains house have nowhere to go and will eventually have to cohabitate with humans where they are not intended to be.

During my entire childhood, the mountains surrounding my home, is where I learned about nature. I used to explore and navigate through the mountains as if I were going to discover an unknown land. Those and many other memories are so vivid in my mind. Never one time did I stop and think about the mountains not being there. I thought that the mountains were as much as a part of my home as the house we lived in itself. I imagined my children coming to visit their grandparents and exploring the same mountains as I did. I hoped that they would make special memories just as my brother and I did playing in those mountains. If something is not done soon, those and other mountains will no longer be there. What will happen to the hundreds of families that live in or around these mountains? Such as my father. He may have to move out of his home that he has lived in for over 35 years due to this project. It is one of my biggest fears to have my home no longer be in my family.

I have talked to many people in my area about this project and to my surprise, a lot of them have never heard of it. They are not aware that this is happening not only locally but around the world. Maybe that is the problem…….maybe there is not enough awareness about the devastation this project brings. When something needs to be done or something needs to be changed, I think the best way to accomplish that is to make people aware. Much like advertising is to a business. If more people knew this was going on, I guarantee that they would feel much the same way about their homeland. I understand that you are probably a busy man and I apologize for the lengthy letter. The reason that I am emailing this to you is to thank you. I want to thank you for all the time and energy that you are putting into notifying people about the Power Plant and trying to stop it from opening. I know that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to go against something that so many people are for. When you feel as if you are going against the wind, preserverance is so important. I may just be a small voice that no one can hear but with more voices together, we can get attention. At first, I was all for the plant opening because of the well needed jobs that it can bring to our community. Once I thought about it, I realized that those few jobs are not at all worth the health risks that my children and other children are going to face. People don’t think about hazards like that unless they see them. It’s the out of sight, out of mind sort of thing. If they can’t see it, then it’s like it’s not there. I don’t go to work and constantly preach on how I feel about the plant and the mountain top project but I do let people know of the risks. I hear people tell me all the time that if I loved this area then I would support the plant for the jobs. If someone wants to bring jobs to the area then why can’t they bring in a business that would be good for the area and won’t pollute our backyards? I could go on and on but I won’t. I wanted to just let you know that there is a woman in Lee County who has 2 children, and works hard every day to provide for them, who supports your cause and understands what you face. If there is anything that I can do that could help out in any way, please let me know. Thanks again!

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admin March 6th, 2008

Myth, misinformation and manipulation are the only tools remaining in the arsenal of big business and their political enablers, in their continuing effort to stifle logic and reason. The overwhelming and growing awareness of environmental and social injustice issues relating to the coal fired power and mountain top removal strip mining, is little more than a pest to those who will go to any extent to maintain the status quo. The greatest myth being that so called economic growth improves the quality of life of the masses, when in fact it serves only the concentration of wealth at the top and the destruction of the middle class. Truth is that in 1950 there were 143,000 employed coal miners in West Virginia , today that number is down to 20,000, with an average annual extraction of 170 million tons of coal since the year 2001. More than 60 million tons of that result from mountain top removal. The recent DEQ hearings on the proposed Virginia City power plant are prime examples of manipulation and misinformation. The idea that without the construction of this plant, there will be fewer coal mining jobs is absolutely absurd. The simple truth being that all the available manpower and machinery that exist today in the Appalachian coal fields, working 24-7 and 365 could not make a dent in the worldwide demand for coal. Yet Dominion Power and it’s propaganda machine were able to muster hundreds of local miners in support of this power plant, based on a fear that they may lose their jobs if the project is defeated. There is simply no historical evidence that the core population of the coalfields has ever seen long term benefit from modern destructive mining practices. The lion’s share of profit has always and continues to go to large corporations that exist elsewhere, while leaving behind economic and environmental devastation. It is not in the interest of big business to permit the growth of alternative energy sources at a time when windfall profits are connected to the continued exploitation of fossil fuel. Sadly in today’s broken democracy….what big business wants, big business gets!! As environmentalists, the only weapon we need in our arsenal is the one we possess in abundance..THE TRUTH..and our job is to continue to deliver that truth, at every opportunity in every available venue. We must take heart in knowing that history shows…voices crying from the wilderness.. are eventually heard.. though it may require the sacrifices of many well intentioned folks.

John Messer

Big Stone Gap, Va.

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admin February 20th, 2008

THERE’S AN OLD MAFIA TACTIC; IT’S ONE OF THEIR STAPLES AND IT’S CALLED PROTECTION. IT WORKS LIKE THIS; THEY COME BY YOUR PLACE AND TELL YOU THERE ARE CERTAIN FOLKS WHO WILL DO YOU HARM, BUT FOR A PRICE ,THE PERSON DELIVERING THIS NEWS TO YOU WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THESE ASCRIBED THREATS. PROBLEM IS, WHEN DEALING WITH THE MAFIA, THE SO CALLED PROTECTOR IS ALSO THE PERPERTRATOR OF THE THREAT. THE TRUTH IS , THIS SCAM GOES ON EVERYWHERE TODAY.

THE DECEIVER IS SURE OF THIS; FEAR WILL CAUSE HUMAN BEINGS TO GIVE UP THINGS THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE PART WITH. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID. FEAR THIS, FEAR THAT. THE DECEIVER IS SURE OF THIS ALSO; HUMAN BEINGS OUT OF BALANCE AND UNEASY ARE VERY EASY TO MANAGE AND GOVERN. IF “WE THE PEOPLE” LOSE CONFINDENCE IN OUSELVES, IF WE ALLOW TOO MANY MINORITY AGENDAS TO PREVAIL, THEN WHO IN FACT IS IN CHARGE? CERTAINLY NOT A GOVERNMENT OF AND BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

DEMOCRACY CANNOT THRIVE IN AN AIRE OF UNCERTAINTY AND TRUE FREEDOM CANNOT EXIST IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH FEAR. FEAR AND DECEPTION HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE FAVORITE TOOLS FOR THE TYRANT; EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN HIS SWORD. WHY MAKE A BLOODY MESS WHEN YOU CAN JUST SCARE EVERYONE INTO SUBMISSION? IT’S THE SUBVERSION OF THE SPIRIT AND VALUES OF THAT GROUP CALLED “WE THE PEOPLE” THAT WE MUST FEAR MOST. FEAR THIS, “WE THE PEOPLE” HAVE, THROUGH OUR OWN CIVIC NEGLIGENCE, ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE TAKEN OVER BY AN ELITE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES PUBLIC SERVANTS WHEN MOSTLY THEY SERVE THEMSELVES.

GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF CONVINCER, RATHER THAN REFLECTING THE TRUE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO THE POINT OF ARROGANCE IN MAKING US BELIEVE THAT THE TOP TEN PERCENT, THE WEALTIEST AMONG US, KNOWS WHAT’S BEST FOR THE REST OF US, IN SPITE OF WHAT THE WORD IN THE STREET MAY BE. WHEN ELECTED, THEY SWEAR AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION.. THEY DO NOT!

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WORKS LIKE THIS; THE ONES WHO HAVE THE MOST MONEY TO BUY CONVINCING ADS IN THE MEDIA, THE ONES WHO HAVE THE RICHEST CONTRUBUTORS, GET ELECTED. ONCE ELECTED, THEY BEGIN TO SPEND OUR MONEY WITH THE SAME RECKLESS ABANDON. MUCH OF IT IS SPENT CONVINCING US THEY KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR US. THEY DO NOT! WE THE PEOPLE MUST LEARN TO DISCERN BETWEEN ADVERTISEMENT AND INDOCTRINATION…….

A REPUBLICAN STRATAGIST, WHEN ASKED THIS PAST YEAR WHY THE ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO FARM OUT CONTROL OF OUR PORTS TO DUBAI MET WITH SUCH NEGATIVE PUBLIC OUTCRY, RESPONDED BY SUGGESTING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAD SIMPLY NOT MARKETED THE IDEA TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, ADEQUATELY. SO IN THIS ELECTION SEASON, BEWARE THE MARKETING. SOME MAY SEE IT AS PROPAGANDA.WE SHOULD KNOW THE DEADLY HISTORY OF PROPAGANDA.

DEMOCRACY WAS CERTAINLY NOT A PERFECT INSTRUMENT AT ITS INCEPTION. AFTER ALL, IT TOLERATED SLAVERY FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND APARTHEID A HUNDRED YEARS BEYOND THAT. IN ORDER TO EXIST IN REALITY AND TO FLOURISH, DEMORCRACY REQUIRES THE PARTICIPATION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AND THAT MAJORITY MUST BE RIGHTEOUS IN THE ACT OF GOVERNING.

“WE THE PEOPLE”, AS A BODY, LAST FLEXED OUR MUSCLES DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND ANTI-VIETAMAN WAR MOVEMENTS. IT’S A POWERFUL THING WHEN WE GO INTO THE STREETS AND DEMAND THAT THE RIGHT THING BE DONE. “WE THE PEOPLE” DID NOT START, NOR DID WE SUPPORT IT….BUT WE DID STOP IT!! AND SURELY IT WAS ONLY BY THE INCLUSION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS, THAT “WE THE PEOPLE” BECAME A WHOLE BODY. NOW SADLY THAT BODY IS OUT OF BALANCE, WEAK AND IN NEED OF PROTECTION. WE HAVE BEEN SUBVERTED INTO FEARING ALMOST EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE JUDGMENT OF GOD.

WE HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE TAKEN OVER BY A CULT OF GREED AND DISHONESTY CREATING A CULTURE OF IRRESPONSIBILTY AND WASTEFULNESS. AS IF THERE’S AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF EVERYTHING, WE RUN HEADLONG LIKE PIGS TO THE ‘TROUGH OF PLENTY’ UNTIL WE’RE FATTENED AND WEAKENED TO THE POINT WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO GOVERN OURSELVES; NOTHING MORE THAN PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS WHO SERVE ONLY THE ONES WHO PROFIT FROM THIS SCHEME.

BEWARE THE MARKETING AND BE VERY CAREFUL WHO YOU PAY TO PROTECT YOU. THINK, THINK, THINK! TALK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE TRUTH, THEN VOTE. BECOME ONE OF “WE THE PEOPLE”.
FORMER” ALMOST PRESIDENT” AL GORE RECENTLY SAID THAT “DEMOCRACY IS A CONVERSATION.” SO IF YOU ALLOW THE SO CALLED PUBLIC SERVANTS TO DISARM YOU, NEXT THEY WILL COME FOR YOUR VOICE. CONSIDER THIS; A FAMILY IS SEATED FOR DINNER, THERE ‘S A “BUBBA” AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE WHO DOMINATES THE SCENE, TALKING OVER EVERYONE ELSE, TELLING THEM HOW THEY SHOULD THINK AND BE. THIS IS NOT CONVERSATION AND THIS IS NO HAPPY FAMILY. “WE THE PEOPLE” MUST BE CAREFUL WHO WE PLACE AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE.

BEWARE THE PROTECTION SCAM ,WHEN THE PROTECTOR BECOMES THE “DECIDER” AND “WE THE PEOPLE” ARE FOUND WALLOWING IN THE DECAY. THINK AND HAVE A POLITICAL CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE BEFORE YOU VOTE THEN FOLLOW UP ON THAT PERSON WHOM YOU HELPED PUT IN OFFICE AND SEE WHOSE AGENDA THEY SERVE. IT’S YOUR CIVIC DUTY, VOTE!

LOOK AROUND YOU; THE LYING, CHEATING AND STEALING, THE IMMORALITY AND PERVERSION, THE DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION; THE RAMPANT EXPLOITATION OF ALL THAT’S NATURAL AND WONDERFUL….AND UNRENEWABLE. .. THE PROBLEMS “WE THE PEOPLE” FACE ARE COUNTYWIDE, THET’RE NATIONWIWE AND THEY’RE WORLDWIDE!! ARE YOU REALLY THAT COMFORTABLE? DON’T BE SILENT. WHEN THE CONVERSATION ENDS, THE VIOLENCE BEGINS.

JOHN MESSER
PO BOX 256-A
KEOKEE, VIRGINIA 24265

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admin February 7th, 2008

Without question, and many have said this before me, we are all hooked on electricity, inexorably drawn to the switch. The switch itself constantly more accessible and efficient, is even sometimes miraculous. Just a few years back we marveled at crude devices that turned on a light with the clap of the hands. Now you can literally walk into your house and say “let there be light “and some gadget will recognize your voice and turn on the light. These things we come to take for granted. Perilous though that way of thinking is sure to be. We rush headlong into the man-made light of convenience knowing full well that the creation of all this temporary
convenience requires the destruction of what God has given us.

Now as a nation, with our total dependence on fossil fuel, we compromise away our God given resources and prostitute ourselves to our very enemies to feed our energy habit. It’s no different that a pill head who would sell out his or her own family for personal gratification. The affliction of excessive consumption is world wide and It’s local. We are all part of the problem.

So let’s begin to clean up our own house first. Here in the southern Appalachians, “We the People”, have a more foreboding concern. We sit atop this “black gold” that all these greedy people from here and from other places are so anxious to dig up, haul away and burn up! And now those whom we have placed in positions of trust are welcoming into our already ravaged mountains; the most despicable monster of all; a coal fired power plant.

Sadly it comes to our midst, having been rejected by the rest of the state of Virginia, yet welcomed here by our ill informed and shallow public officials. We the People need to be more aware of the impending problems we face as result of our Board of Supervisors’ actions. We need to hold their noses to the grindstone as the results of their decisions play out. After all, when We the People have the courage to be good citizens and to speak out for the betterment of everyone; we become the boss and we direct those we hire to accomplish our majority agenda.

We the members of Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (SAMS) encourage all concerned and civic minded folks to join us at the forum to be held on Feb. 11th and Feb 12th, 2008 at St. Paul High School. Discussion will begin at 7:00 each evening. This two day event will afford the time for many to stand and be heard. I can assure you that the members of SAMS and others from all over the state of Virginia who joined us at the SCC hearing in Richmond on January 8th in opposition to this power plant are not a bunch of pin heads. Contrarily, there are ministers, professors, retired coal miners and other informed folks who tend to show up with accurate data in hand.. I can assure also that some of the data concerning the volume of destructive and dangerous by-products of coal fired power is frightening.

So even if you don’t wish to speak out verbally you can do so with your presence at the meetings on Feb. 11 and 12. Come on out and listen. No one has all the answers, but if the conversation reaches far enough we will have a chance to do what is really best for the future of our mountain home. As Jenay Tate said in her editorial this past week, we all need to “keep our eyes wide open” on the subject. Please join us and be part of the conversation. It’s your home, it’s ours ;and surely the most urgent task of mountain folk is to save the mountains.. It’s all about having clean air, clean water, and beautiful vistas for ourselves, our children and grand-children and for those who visit us here in what’s left of our beautiful mountains. The destruction has gone on long enough. It is time for the healing to begin!

John Messer

Big Stone Gap

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lyric August 24th, 2007

by Bill McCabe
In another life, I was a high school social studies teacher responsible for teaching young minds that America is a great country where one reason for a national government is to protect your rights and the quality of your life. Since my school was near Charleston, WV, which is surrounded by coalfields and the home to many coal related businesses, I would take several weeks to discuss the history and influence of the industry.
One of the classroom evaluation techniques I would use for each learning objective was to challenge my students to evaluate the events we were discussing. Specifically, I was asking if they felt the founders of the constitution would approve of the role of the government in any particular event. Often this activity resulted in lively discussion and occasional arguments. I particularly recall one lively young woman who was “test challenged”, but always willing to share her opinion. As we discussed the horrible conditions of the coal camps in the early 20th century and the failure of government to provide any protections from company crooks at some point she announced to the class, “it ain’t the way it ‘spose to be’”.
When we reached the discussion of the union led ‘march on Blair Mountain” and reviewed the intervention of the US Army and the “bombing” of the union miners by the US Air Force. My young student contributed once again to the discussion angrily shouting “it ain’t the way it ‘spose to be”.
We discussed the bursting of the sludge dam at Buffalo Creek, WV which resulted in the deaths of 125 people; the callous remarks of Governor Moore in response to this catastrophe; and industry officials blaming the disaster on God. This same young woman jumped from her seat, slammed her books on the floor, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, shouted ‘it ain’t the way it‘pose to be”. Later, when I began to organize in the coalfields of Appalachia I saw things which over and over reminded me of my young student and her favorite saying, “
My first visit to Appalachia, VA was in August of 2004. Immediately I was horrified at the government’s reaction to the breath of life being suddenly snatched from the body of an innocent child. The sadness at such a senseless death was only made worse by understanding that if there was truly strong enforcement of government regulations, the lifelong sorrow of that family and the community could have been avoided, I couldn’t help but think “it ain’t the way it ‘pose to be”.
Later that fall with the death still fresh in my mind, I had the privilege of accompanying several local leaders on a “flyover” of Wise County. Nothing can compare to the needless death of a child, but my pain at seeing the vastness of the destruction from the air was nearly as great. As I stepped from Susan Lapis plane after flying over Wise County, I heard myself cry “it ain’t the way it ‘spose to be”.
During the nearly three years I have traveled throughout the coalfields of Appalachia, I have heard dozens of stories from Appalachians describing the failure of the government to protect the rights and quality of life of coalfield residents. Need I repeat “it ain’t the way it ‘spose to be”.
Recently, I was privileged to be able to listen to a panel of a dozen coalfield residents tell their stories to an audience of 100+ listeners. As each panelist told their story, some tearfully, I looked around the room at those listening. Many were quietly crying, others were obviously angry, some were simply horrified that in the United States of America in 2007 the government could allow such horror to continue.
Having seen the horror (devastation of both land and lives), heard other stories of the denial of even the basic right to sit on your porch and breathe clean air, or quietly read your bible and reflect on the beauty of the mountains, I believe it is far past time for all of us to shout out to politicians, coal operators, and government regulators….
IT AIN’T THE WAY IT‘SPOSE TO BE!!!
Then we must all unite and support each other to change what must be changed.

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