Mary Miller and Pauline Canterberry, better known as "The Sylvester Dustbusters," traveled with me to Kermit, West Virginia on Feb. 24 where we showed "Rise Up! West Virginia" to 27 students from Wheeling Jesuit University. There's nothing like being in a room full of young people to lift you up and keep your head on track!They crowded onto the floor in the after-school room at the Able Families Center. Mary, Pauline and I sat on pint-sized chairs overlooking the room full of bodies, heads poking out of sleeping bags, toes pointed toward the ceiling.
When the movie ended Sister Janet Peterworth stood up and said, "Let's be still for a few minutes and leave the lights off. Just take all of this in and think about what you are feeling." Their response - one word at a time:
SAD - MAD - ANGRY - SAD - OUTRAGED - SICK - SAD - ASTONISHED - GUILTY - ASHAMED - SELFISH - SELFISH!
INSPIRED! UPLIFTED!
Today I got the following note from one of the students who was there.
I just wanted to thank you for the movie. I was one of the students that had the honor of watching your movie in Kermit, WV. Rise Up! WV is such a powerful movie and it really hit home with me. I live in WV, but I was unaware of the damage that mountaintop removal is causing to this state and other states, for that matter. Thank you so much for enlightening me. It is absolutely shocking how companies can keep disregarding people's lives. When will it be ever enough for the companies? When will they value other's lives instead of money, instead of their own comfort? Thank you for lighting a fire of questions within me.
I also want to thank you for bringing the "Dust Busters" along. It is so much more impactful when there is someone who is living in the thick of the problems to talk to. I really enjoyed listening to them and was appalled that the coal companies and the government would let that continue. Thank you and I thank them for sharing their story.
I would love to learn more about mountaintop removal so if there are any websites, literature, etc, you could direct me to that would be really great. If there is anything that I could do to help please don't hesitate to contact me. Keep Fighting!
Bless you all for caring.
Visit OVEC and Coal River Mountain Watch
Learn and get involved!
2 comments:
This is the initial reaction from people who have never seen what MTR is doing to WV. I've read that more than 25% of the mountains in Southern WV have fallen victim to this rape and pillage of the land, the oldest hardwood forest on earth.
When I heard that Rockefeller had endorsed Obama, I was very disappointed, but I don't think Obama realizes this WV interloper is whispering clean coal in his ear from a Big Business perspective. Someone said the endorsement was in hopes that flunky Gov Joe Manchin would be on the ticket as VP. There is as much chance of that happening as the proverbial snowball in h---. That would bring MTR to the attention of the nation; they don't want that. No, no, they really, truely don't want that. It is difficult for people to accept that WV's two Democratic Senators and Democratic Governor could support MTR, but face it, they do, and they absolutely do not want media attention on what they are doing.
I think the average WVian has no idea just how disgusting and gross this looks when viewed from outside WV. It is a third world country activity on the order of chopping down the Amazon rain forest, child slave labor in the diamond fields of Africa, and millions starving to death in places like Bangladesh. I understand how the people of WV could let this happen, even after becoming aware that it is happening, because I was born and raised there and know the oppression of the people by the coal companies. But the average outsider cannot imagine the abject poverty and lack of education of some of the areas of WV. It is beyond their understanding so they see no reason to step up and help. BJ's film will help alleviate that problem. The people of WV have bravely fought and died for their nation with more enlistments in the military than almost any other states. They have struggled through extreme hardship to support their families. They are for the most part, simple, humble, dedicated people with a sweet, Christian spirit; yet they are an undemanding people who are uncomfortable asking for help. This year there is a wealth of revelation in the form of films, books, and music coming up that will put a face on MTR on a national level, and will bring that help that's needed to save the ancient mountains of WV. The most thorough collection of articles on MTR is archived at the yahoo stop_mountaintop_removal site thanks to the dedicated work of the site owner.
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Webcam, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://webcam-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.
Post a Comment