hands of coal across bell county

Aug. 11, 2pm. Hope everyone will join us on us 25E from county line to county line, to support the coal miners, their families and our community. Coal is our heritage!! Let's complete this prayer chain on sat. See you there!!

My family and I will be there :)

Im goin

Rekon they'll sell a lot of shirts?

This is not meant a mean spirited comment/question, please don't take it that way. Coal is affecting my family, too.
-What do the organizer and attendees of this event want to accomplish by holding hands along a highway?
-Would any of you be interested in holding community meetings to discuss OUR(no politicians, no energy company owners) futures here in SouthEast KY? If coal is being phased out now, or in 20 years, why don't we ever discuss some options for drawing different types of industry?
Here's my concern: My family relies on coal, just like most of you and yours. Many families like mine are concerned that too much time, energy, and initiative are being wasted on an inevitably lost cause. I don't like it either, but it's just the way things are. Why are we fighting so hard for something that WILL be phased out before many of our sons and daughters are able to work in the industry?
Many folks now recognize the fact that we are being distracted by rebel rousing. All the while, coal companies and folks who think they run this town are getting richer by the minute. Kickbacks galore! If our community leaders were truly concerned about the welfare of our citizens, they would be trying with all their mite to drum up some jobs for us!! One hotel in a soon to be desolate town is NOT going to help. We are letting them pull the wool over our eyes and they are scaring us into submission!!!
I am concerned that people are not preparing for the inevitable. Layoffs and closings are coming sooner or later, no matter who is in the White House. What is going to happen when the stuff hits the fan and we are not prepared for it? Most people won't even have the money to move away because nobody gave us warning of our job going away?
Instead of letting people scare us into defending coal to the bloody end, maybe it's time to also begin considering what else we can do to save our community and way of life.
I think the hands rally is a really sweet idea, but shouldn't we start being more proactive about our future?

Question wrote:

This is not meant a mean spirited comment/question, please don't take it that way. Coal is affecting my family, too.
-What do the organizer and attendees of this event want to accomplish by holding hands along a highway?
-Would any of you be interested in holding community meetings to discuss OUR(no politicians, no energy company owners) futures here in SouthEast KY? If coal is being phased out now, or in 20 years, why don't we ever discuss some options for drawing different types of industry?
Here's my concern: My family relies on coal, just like most of you and yours. Many families like mine are concerned that too much time, energy, and initiative are being wasted on an inevitably lost cause. I don't like it either, but it's just the way things are. Why are we fighting so hard for something that WILL be phased out before many of our sons and daughters are able to work in the industry?
Many folks now recognize the fact that we are being distracted by rebel rousing. All the while, coal companies and folks who think they run this town are getting richer by the minute. Kickbacks galore! If our community leaders were truly concerned about the welfare of our citizens, they would be trying with all their mite to drum up some jobs for us!! One hotel in a soon to be desolate town is NOT going to help. We are letting them pull the wool over our eyes and they are scaring us into submission!!!
I am concerned that people are not preparing for the inevitable. Layoffs and closings are coming sooner or later, no matter who is in the White House. What is going to happen when the stuff hits the fan and we are not prepared for it? Most people won't even have the money to move away because nobody gave us warning of our job going away?
Instead of letting people scare us into defending coal to the bloody end, maybe it's time to also begin considering what else we can do to save our community and way of life.
I think the hands rally is a really sweet idea, but shouldn't we start being more proactive about our future?

I totally agree with this post and I believe your ideas are spot on.

Wake up call or not.

Coal is doing well in other parts of the country but not here.

Agree wrote:

<quoted text>
I totally agree with this post and I believe your ideas are spot on.

Thanks. I wish more people would speak up. I know it's hard for me to say something like that. I'm afraid my family will be critized for having spoken up. That we'll be called "Traitors." That's how far we've come since the strikes?? Families united and stood their ground when they were threatened by the boss. Now they have turned those who uphold company values against those who do not.
Why are we so vehemently defending an industry that treats us so poorly? Why should we defend them when they take everything and leave us high, dry, and hurt?
I think most of us feel like this, at least to some extent or inkling. Maybe I'm wrong.

Question wrote:

<quoted text>
Thanks. I wish more people would speak up. I know it's hard for me to say something like that. I'm afraid my family will be critized for having spoken up. That we'll be called "Traitors." That's how far we've come since the strikes?? Families united and stood their ground when they were threatened by the boss. Now they have turned those who uphold company values against those who do not.
Why are we so vehemently defending an industry that treats us so poorly? Why should we defend them when they take everything and leave us high, dry, and hurt?
I think most of us feel like this, at least to some extent or inkling. Maybe I'm wrong.

There are many people who feel like you do. Coal miners have always had to fight for their jobs. They have fought companies and now it appears their biggest challenge is the current administration. There is a bigger picture when one industry is focused on or basically put of business. With the mining jobs dwindling so goes the railroad and trucking industries. Like you mentioned before "WE" the miners and families need to draw attention to our battle. I appreciate those who are willing to stand hand in hand to show support, but what happens when this event is over and everyone goes home? Who is going to step up and continue to take the cause further? I challenge Mr. Harris to keep up the work or this will be nothing but a way to sale t-shirts!

i am a miner and so was my father and grand father but obama said when he was first running in 2008 that he would shut down the mines and looks like he is going to do it if he is elected.. if we could vote him out our country would be alot better off an we would still have coal, more oil and gas and not this crap about wind and solar. Now i am preaching the the chior because kentucky will never vote for tha bastard

Question wrote:

This is not meant a mean spirited comment/question, please don't take it that way. Coal is affecting my family, too.
-What do the organizer and attendees of this event want to accomplish by holding hands along a highway?
-Would any of you be interested in holding community meetings to discuss OUR(no politicians, no energy company owners) futures here in SouthEast KY? If coal is being phased out now, or in 20 years, why don't we ever discuss some options for drawing different types of industry?
Here's my concern: My family relies on coal, just like most of you and yours. Many families like mine are concerned that too much time, energy, and initiative are being wasted on an inevitably lost cause. I don't like it either, but it's just the way things are. Why are we fighting so hard for something that WILL be phased out before many of our sons and daughters are able to work in the industry?
Many folks now recognize the fact that we are being distracted by rebel rousing. All the while, coal companies and folks who think they run this town are getting richer by the minute. Kickbacks galore! If our community leaders were truly concerned about the welfare of our citizens, they would be trying with all their mite to drum up some jobs for us!! One hotel in a soon to be desolate town is NOT going to help. We are letting them pull the wool over our eyes and they are scaring us into submission!!!
I am concerned that people are not preparing for the inevitable. Layoffs and closings are coming sooner or later, no matter who is in the White House. What is going to happen when the stuff hits the fan and we are not prepared for it? Most people won't even have the money to move away because nobody gave us warning of our job going away?
Instead of letting people scare us into defending coal to the bloody end, maybe it's time to also begin considering what else we can do to save our community and way of life.
I think the hands rally is a really sweet idea, but shouldn't we start being more proactive about our future?

well I guess I will speak for alot of people and im not trying to b mean but just because u have give up hope on our coal miners and r ready to move on don't mean every1 else is or can

faith wrote:

<quoted text>
well I guess I will speak for alot of people and im not trying to b mean but just because u have give up hope on our coal miners and r ready to move on don't mean every1 else is or can

I must have missed where the poster implied they "have give up hope on our coal miners" would you be so nice as to explain? If I read their post correctly they were simply explaining the country has given up on coal and they want to know what the future plans are for those of us who depend on coal jobs.

coal is a thing of the past folks. sorry to break it to you. i can understand you being defensive since that's all you bothered to learn after high school.

This is such a silly way to show you support coal. Yes, you will be on TV. But as the silly people standing on the side of a major highway with everyone they know, causing a public nuisance. Go talk to your government officials in frankfort, and DC and tell them how you feel. Take all the energy used for this hand holding thing and put it to work doing something that matters. Holding hands is not going to make one bit of difference in the coal business.

Agree wrote:

<quoted text>
I must have missed where the poster implied they "have give up hope on our coal miners" would you be so nice as to explain? If I read their post correctly they were simply explaining the country has given up on coal and they want to know what the future plans are for those of us who depend on coal jobs.

To say that the country has given up on coal is "Bull".Its the president push to stop coal especially in Ky that is hurting coal.We have a president who has wagered a war against coal and is furthering the progress of socialism at the same time.

The problem is Obama and the Dems that support him

miners wife wrote:

This is such a silly way to show you support coal. Yes, you will be on TV. But as the silly people standing on the side of a major highway with everyone they know, causing a public nuisance. Go talk to your government officials in frankfort, and DC and tell them how you feel. Take all the energy used for this hand holding thing and put it to work doing something that matters. Holding hands is not going to make one bit of difference in the coal business.

Its a start.We need support from the inside and hopefully it will be a wakeup call for the North to see our needs.

Trains wrote:

<quoted text>To say that the country has given up on coal is "Bull".Its the president push to stop coal especially in Ky that is hurting coal.We have a president who has wagered a war against coal and is furthering the progress of socialism at the same time.

Sir or Madam, I beg your pardon, but I am a Conservative/Republican and I didn't vote for Obama. It is MY belief the country has given up on coal. Why you might ask? Because the majority voted for a sitting president who made the promise if elected he would stop mining by making the cost of mining fines so expensive the coal companies couldn't survive. When supporters of coal are turned away from businesses for wearing "Friends of Coal" shirts because of the company believes mining is harming our streams...yes, I say the country! So call it bull, if you like, I call it idiocy! Coal is the cheapest source to provide power today, but our country wants to find alternative sources...It's not me....

Agree wrote:

<quoted text>
Sir or Madam, I beg your pardon, but I am a Conservative/Republican and I didn't vote for Obama. It is MY belief the country has given up on coal. Why you might ask? Because the majority voted for a sitting president who made the promise if elected he would stop mining by making the cost of mining fines so expensive the coal companies couldn't survive. When supporters of coal are turned away from businesses for wearing "Friends of Coal" shirts because of the company believes mining is harming our streams...yes, I say the country! So call it bull, if you like, I call it idiocy! Coal is the cheapest source to provide power today, but our country wants to find alternative sources...It's not me....

We are in agreement in some ways but I think the majority voted for Obama because they are democrats and just support the party .I think these big companies have forgotten where their "bread and butter " comes from.It is complete ignorance.