30 Days as a Coal Miner (Beckley, Buffalo: high school, pros and cons, compensation)

[Thunder41]

Well with all the talk about Politics, thought it would be time to switch gears and ask did anyone see Beckley's own Morgan Spurlock's 30 days episode on FX last night as he spent 30 days as a coal miner? Pretty interesting, for those that has no idea what these guys go thru, my father spent 53 yrs in the mines, and yes he has black lung. But his pride is so strong that he won't take a oxygen tank with him when he goes on errands for my mother, but suffers when he returns home.. I have as yet gotten his reaction to the airing last night, he is very opinionated so I'm sure he will have allot to say about it.. I had read that during an early showing of the episode that someone had walked out during the scene of the mountain top removal, unfortunately that's all part of mining like it or not. I don't favor it, hopefully soon it will be banned.. So with all that said what did anyone else think?

[harborlady]

sorry I missed that- didn't bother getting cable tv hooked up- I dont watch it enough. Anyone else didnt see it, this is what I found.
New season of '30 Days' for Morgan Spurlock -- Metal and Mineral, West Virginia, Ray Crockett -- Newsday.com (broken link)

[AliceT]

I didn't watch it. I saw the previews to it and suspected it would just add more fuel to the environmentalists' argument.

[WVUPharm2007]

It was actually an incredibly balanced documentary. He went into great discussion about the pros and cons. Jobs versus environment, the fact that there isn't a viable alternative right now, etc. I thought it was VERY well done. I recorded it and I'm uploading it to google video right now. When it's done, I"ll post a link.

[BJC]

WVUPharm - very HI TECH I would love to see it since I missed it as well. Thanks for knowing how to upload it so we can see it. I'll give you points when you are done

[atlantagreg30127]

I saw it too. Very interesting. I keep forgetting that he's from the Beckley area originally.

And yes, it was a very well balanced show. He showed how on one hand we need coal a geat deal, but on the other hand we also need to explore other alternatives as well - but presented it as an "on top of coal" type of feel, as opposed to "replace coal" - so if anyone on either side gets offended by it they're most likely a radial type person that wouldn't be happy with anything. LOL Heck, even some of the coal miners he talked to said they'd prefer to see alternative fuel sources - but that mining was the only job around for them... they didn't care so much that energy came from the coal, and even wanted cleaner sources - they just could only find jobs in the coal mining field is all.

I had several older relatives that were miners when I lived back home, and yes, black lung hit a few of them. This is why in 1984 when I graduated from High School nearly every single Senior in my class left the state - none of them wanted to get trapped in it. Some made it, some didn't and came back and went into it.

[vec101]

I thought is was very balanced and a very impressive show. I haven't seen mining or miners presented in this way before. I thought I had a fairly good understanding of the work but realized I am completely clueless.

I was not aware the show was coming on - just found it when flipping through channels. When I heard what it was about I thought "oh boy, here we go again. Another show that makes miners and WV look like idiots." I was delighted to discover it is anything but a show like that.

I especially liked how Morgan pointed out how Americans should appreciate the dangerous and tough work miners do to provide everyone with electric and how we should all think of miners when we flip on our light switch.

I also appreciated how he presented the surface mining issue (including his personal struggle with it). It is not just a black or white issue.

Hats off to Morgan for an excellent and in-depth presentation. I hope it gets the attention of people nationally and not just those of WV.

[Thunder41]

Growing up in a Coal mine family wasn't always a cake walk. My father had to go thru numerous strikes, not to mention floods, especially the Buffalo Creek Flood of 72'. But we all held it together and made it work.. I'm 51 now, I owe my life to my father and mother. They went thru hell and back, providing for myself, my brother and my sister. MY father has Black Lung so bad now, that he is ineligible for any compensation until he dies and then my mother will only get a percentage.. That's Coal mining for ya..

[David Kennedy]

Wish I could give you 100 points Thunder41

[WVUPharm2007]

Here's the video: Link