They’re dying from stupidity
Roxann_Minerals Yet, they hated Hilliary for offering job retraining and new jobs. They voted for trump so that they could stay in those coal mines.
RanchDressingTN Feels a bit like social Darwinism. Terribly sad. But black lung is a better life and death thsn opioid addiction which seems to be the alternative in Appalachia. Happily coal won’t last long enough to kill the next generation.
GOP !!!! These people knew of the dangers coal mining presented to their health ! They knew of people like Blankenship from WVA, and Scott Pruitt, and still decided to work the Black Seams! The confederacy,the klan,moonshine, inbreeding,coal not a good mixture!
AndthenIsleep Never heard of black lung from a wind farm. Why on earth are we still propping up this industry?
AndthenIsleep Black lung disease has been the scourge of coal mining families for at least a century. An excruciating way to live and to die. Cannot imagine that the heartless mining executives today will care any more than those in the past. Let's hope Twitter can help. blacklungdisease
And yet because jobs were so scarce, many in WV, including my own family members support coal and mining even while watching other family members die from black lung.
Solar.
It’s a weird catch that the economy has been powered by coal mining but the miners always get the raw end of the deal , destroying humans and the land and ecosystem is a backwards thinking policy , enable renewable energy. Trump will be gone soon
...the price they have paid for dark money rolling back obama regulations limiting COAL DUST exposure. it is all about profits, power and control, not people. god bless these miners and their families. shame on those weakening the organizations designed to protect us.
Then why do they always seem to vote against their best interest
and how many of them voted for the GOP because brown people are scary? The GOP have no problem in deregulating industries because they dont care about the worker, just the who donates to their campaigns. This is partly on them for being uninformed and gullible to the GOPs lies.
tdub909 Thank you for this series. I will never understand those who believe slashing regulations is a good thing, and I am hopeful the stories of these families will help show the outcome of doing so. I am so grateful they shared. WorkersRights
Hate to say it, but these people voted for Trump.
Being from PA, this is a familiar story. The mines turned a lot of young men into very old men way too soon. Mining accidents have taken many lives and left many others disabled. All for low pay and no appreciation.
I've lived my life thus far in Appalachia coal country & most of my family have been miners. Sadly, a great majority of them believe the EPA is their enemy, trying to take their jobs. They've swallowed the 'war on coal' bullshit hook line and sinker. Vote against own interests.
They “don’t like no government, and regulations, and no commie liberals”. They are company men who vote Republican at the local, state, and federal level. Elections matter. They help poison water and air.
Profits over people is a sad consequence of greed. These guys should be taking trips, and enjoying life instead they struggle to breathe.
I don’t understand how *just now* black lung is an epidemic. My grandfather was a coal miner and died from it over 20 years ago. But thanks for drawing attention to it anyhow.
KimberlyBozman Who did they vote for in 2016 Fair question — If they voted for Trump they voted AGAINST their own interest. Well, in that case I would feel bad for their plight BUT they voted for whom they voted. Well, he ain’t fixing this. So, wait until 2020. ChangeYourVote
Fantastic book on how the South got exploited by industry and then discarded no wonder they voted for Trump. ‘Strangers in my own land.’
realDonaldTrump MAGA.
If only the Obamacare we are trying to repeal had a black lung payment to miners and their widows.
If only we knew black lung was so bad decades ago.
I don't recall Trump trumpeting black lung disease in his drivel about coal mining. Safe mining remains oxymoronic.. - Thousands of coal miners in Appalachia are dying from an epidemic that could've been prevented
Print names of Koch Bros Dark Money grubbing looter and every mine owner and Dr who knew this and did nothing That included CDC suppressed reports
Yes & the opioid epidemic is raging. Talked to a friend from home last night. Beckley is bad.
Aren't these the people who have been voting for politicians that enact policies that kill miners?
Because only an oxymoron of a president would fail to see that
What smoking too much cigs? Life's too short to not puff on magic smoke makers. smokeymountains
lmaooo ion understand.
This is gut wrenching.
They truly do pay a price