Blair Mountain, WV: The West Virginia Mine Wars

[nytwings]

The Sierra Club and coal miners may seem like an odd match, but they're working together to save the Blair Mountain battlefield, and the health of the families in this area.

[Jumbofry]

The only place the American govt dropped BOMBS on its own citizens !!!

[cannibol]

time for a blue/green coalition. blue collar workers unite with envirows. all wearing red kerchiefs!

[bhensley80]

I live here the mountain is still in tact on the eastern face.Still alive with the beauty of the west Virginia hills.This battlefield should never be destroyed.This was a pivotal moment in the labor force of America.To cut this mountain is to erase the voice of the people.Made this is what they want,to get rid of the ghosts of the past.But this is a snake who can't shed it's skin.

[lamboleap]

Love the bandanna! Rednecks are still alive and still fighting!!!

[fetalalien1369]

The problem is how angry people get when you suggest that we as a society need to get away from coal within the next hundred years or so. They take it as though you're trying to take away their job.

[1236bigcat]

Thank you for this video and the good things you stand for. I relate to you very well in spirit and was born in Williamson West Virginia. All my relatives (ancestors) for atleast 100yrs come from the Tug River valleys, one side goes back to the 1820's and 'Big Ephraim.'

What they do to some, if they get away with it long enough, they will do to all. To be ignorant means to ignore. I'd help if I could.

[bestinhouse]

the Environmental Protection Agency was hijacked by big coal and big oil during the Bush years... No laws, no justice.

[dozer3man]

coal for life

[sandyjo55]

My heart is just broken over this.I used to live in Kelly Holler and what they are doing to these beautiful mountains just makes me so damn mad!!! My Dad was an underground coal miner for nearly 30 years before getting black lung disease.I respect the miners but the coal companies are the evil money grubbing bastards in all this.Mountaintop coal removal is a permanent thing...when the beautiful mountains are gone they are GONE FOREVER!!!

[Clay4legacy]

You the man Kenny!!!

[WVliberty]

power compainies want to put a transmission line right thru our farm, it seems like exploitation will never stop in our state

[chrismanadventures]

It's about the money and greed. It seems like nothing can stop the destruction of our beautiful state.

[siewen1]

sigh

[siewen1]

WHY IS THIS ALLOWED?! They don't allow gatlinburg or any other historical sites to be done this way! Not to mention, it kills thousands of animals and plants some endangered and pollutes water supplies for all of usa. WTF?!

[glenisah]

What a beautiful and historically significant place.

The biggest crime would be If it is lost because of a fossil fuel that could have long ago been replaced by alternative energy sources We have had alternative sources for most our lives but either it is not publicized or available except on a small scale We the people would have welcomed this alternative energy with open arms so why are we being forced to pay penalties for something that WE WANTED TO PREVENT

Flunkington DC needs a clean sweep

[HorseofPaulRevere]

This absolutely amazes me, mountaintop mining is so obviously such a terrible thing. BTW the Obama admin did out 70something permits for this on hold for extensive review. What that actually means, I don't know.

[phnixlady]

My dads dad was L. Taylor from WV. That is all I know about my Dads side, but I feel a kinship to WV. God Bless.

[Isawanangel1X]

well i hate to say it but if they want to protect it there's probably some long government forms to file with the environmental protection agency or the historical society or something, there's obviously proof all over the place

[duggiestyle]

I am from Harlan county and my grandmother was a king also before she married my grandfather. Alice King was her maiden name. they lived close to evarts, my uncle passed away almost 4 years ago and he was my last living kin in the area.

[satjrsteele]

I love this video! Kenny we are proud of you! You can tell you love Blair Mountain but more importantly - you love our coal miners and want to protect our history. The two biggest lies that hurt us all are that MTR creates lobs and that the coal companys are following the law - the WV DEP makes sure of it. If you saw trhe damage to MINGO COUNTY COAL COMMUNITIES you would understand.

Terry and Wilma Steele

UMWA Member and life time residents of Mingo Co.

[hoffa437]

Long live the UMWA...

[satjrsteele]

I agree! My husband has been a UMWA Member for almost 40 yrs. Every UMWA Member and every Coal Miner should join together to stop the destruction of Blair!

Don Blankenship broke the union in

Mingo County and now he wants to blow up this historical site that still is yeilding artifacts about its past. A new book was written last year about Blair Mountain and I just met a young archeologist that wants to study the mountain.Are we going to destory it before we see it potential for development.

[ap13461]

yeh but the land wont be developed if you take action against it...one things for sure we won the war against the south tell the coal companies to go mine there

[PortiaElizabeth]

What happened to preserving our environment? Why is this sort of thing still happening? My heart aches for the people of West Virginia.

[maynard2317]

It ain't the coal that hurts this country, it's the operators.

[NoN4M3ss3ng3R]

We have the invisible legacy of stereotype slang !

REDNECK 4 LIFE !

[Gunnarsguns]

Why is it the coal mining areas of west virginia also happen to be the poorest areas?

[xAtreyuAlesanax]

Because coal miners don't make a whole lotta money. Makes perfect sense.

[pocaprofessor]

Coal mining jobs are among the best paying in the entire state. Most miners make more than twice that of other non skilled professions. I worked for 16 years in mining related industries, and respect these workers. Most of them are from families that have known no other way of life.

[phnixlady]

IMO, the war will be fought partially due to this type of situation. Jobs and survival vs NO jobs. Land versus survival. Family vs Family. Not needed to be this way, but the corporations own the world, so...We are at 20 percent Unemployment here, official, and we are about to lose it on each other, for jobs. peace.p

[NoN4M3ss3ng3R]

The Coal mines make HUGE profits,

The avg miner gets about 52k a yr

Its enough to keep the small towns rich in double wides and 4 wheelers !

[wvmountaineers45]

Coal feeds my entire family. In no way does it hurt this country. Coal provides thousands of jobs for good, hardworking people.

[NoN4M3ss3ng3R]

Well robbing old ladies feeds my entire family, and in no way does it hurt the country!

Old ladies don't need the money as bad as me, they get SSI anyway.

It's hard work, scoping out old ladies,

beating them senseless and

learning how to forge their name on their stolen checks. Our mafia boss is a good man and he says this "needs to be done"

YOUR HICK THOUGHT PROCESS IS FAIL !

[QregTheBlueMonkey]

This isn't anti coal at all.

[pfunkmonster]

just like so much and many here in WV coal is more important to many people who benefit financially but the people of WV get the shaft. This, unfortunately, has always happened here even before the continued Trail of Tears started long ago.

[bmwbruno]

One of the better educational videos on how coal hurts this country. Good job.

[nascarape]

I agree that Blair Mountain should be saved. Why isn't it on the National Historic Register? Doesn't WV have any laws to protect sites were they erect the historical markers? There should be ways to save historial sites.

I don't agree with shutting down Coal all together. We wouldn't be able to live in Southern WV without coal. There should be a way to co-exist. I wish I knew what the answer is. I love my mountains,but I want to have a job, too. BRING BACK MORE DEEP MINES

[bob7rob7]

Kenny, you might remember me, Bobby Ashworth. We moved away when I was 14. Great of you to do this. Nice to see you again even if only by Video. Tell Crystal, Davey, Alan, Prissy, Judy, Snooky and Christine hello for me. Hope I didn't forget anyone. Bobby

[Hefferman1]

From a Grandson of one of the Rednecks who fought there. Thank you

[Maynlander]

Blair Mountain should be placed on the National Historic Register and preserved forever. More people should Lead by Example and use alternate sources of power, then who would buy their electricity. Good Luck with your cause.

[bluesilas]

Hope this historic site is preserved! Thanks for posting the vid!

[GaCrownVic]

I just read that they have made Blair Mountain available for development. I guess that means that the battle for Blair Mountain is truly lost. This is happening all over WV. My own home town has been marked for "reclaimation" so they can return it back to its "natual state". If things keep going in this manner, we will loose all the history of the southern WV coal fields. I'm going back to WV this fall and hopefully video document what will soon be lost.

[freightmaster2]

Kenny you are a great man. What you are doing is highly appreciated.

These corporations now want 700 billion dollars from we tax payers after raping these mountains?