I am lame in countless ways, prominently among them is my failure to secure satellite radio for my car. This limits me to an FM/AM buffet ranging from Classic Rock greatest hits played over and over to Mark Levin (nuff said). One exception has become my favorite channel – The Bluegrass Foundation, which is fully devoted to the music and history that truly defines Appalachia.
While I am no expert on the subject, I have become a big fan of the genre. It’s hard not to love the detailed string work and sad harmonies of music dating back generations, with vivid tales of woe. Anybody who steeps themselves in Bluegrass for any time at all quickly recognizes some prominent topics which thread through its offerings. Undying devotion is big, of course religion plays a huge role, unfaithfulness and betrayal are well represented, as is the strains of poverty. And as everpresent as any subject through the years is the hardships and dangers of the coal mines. It is hard to find a sadder set of songs in the entire discography of American music than Bluegrass’ tales of early death and daily hardships at the hands of Appalachian coal mines, punctuated by an underlying narrative of poverty and exploitation. A coal miner’s life is nothing but sorrow to hear it told in a sad Kentucky melody.
On April 5, 2010, part of the Upper Big Branch Coal Mine, located in the bowels of Montcoal, West Virginia, exploded violently, killing 29 miners. It was the worst US mine disaster since 1970, and by the time the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued their final report in December of 2011, it had labeled the coal dust explosion an “entirely preventable tragedy” brought on by a plethora of “unlawful policies and practices”. The 1000-page report cited the mine’s operator, Massey Energy, as “flagrant” in its negligence of basic safety protocols and criminally responsible for the loss of life. The report noted the mine was literally a tinder box and it was common knowledge working in it amounted to Russian roulette. When asked during proceedings why they didn’t protest the situation and push for change, one miner on the stand said with resignation that mine owners simply “buy off judges and have political connections.” Indeed, what emerged from the Big Branch disaster was a portrait of corruption and disregard for miner safety and well being so pronounced some degree of reformation was enabled… it could not be ignored, said Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s Governor at the time.
And who is this skel who ran Massey Energy with the greed and avarice fully blamed for the deaths of 29 miners? Surely he must be ruined and reviled, living a life of shame and disgrace. Not exactly. Actually, after pleading a litany of felony counts against him down to a misdemeanor beef of “conspiring to violate mining standards”, and serving less than a year in country club conditions, Don Blankenship, former Massey Energy CEO, has decided he wants to be a US Senator; and it appears, after loaning his campaign millions of dollars, he is closing with interest past the GOP primary field, setting the stage for another party character test in the general election.
Of course, nobody seems to have bought Trump’s regressive myths about the wonders of a career in coal mining more than his wretched base in West Virginia. And it is that group that Massey and his hapless primary opponents are angling for. Which has transformed Massey from a nefarious mine baron, directly responsible for what amounted to mass murder, to just another Trumpie neophyte, busy convincing the wretched core he can provide the POTUS with a better BJ than his opponents.
And what can we expect from the GOP if Blankenship wins the primary and faces Blue Dog Manchin in November? Pulleease!! Do you really have to ask?! My Lord! What’s a little mining accident? Hell, in Alabama they were all in for a guy local mall security had APBs out for back in the day. What is there you don’t understand about the word “accident”? This is not a slippery slope, it is an ice fall. Can you say “Trump Rally”?! He won’t be able to get there fast or often enough. And despite what increasingly appear to be Mitch McConnell’s futile efforts to sway the primary away from Blankenship, even as amoral Democratic machiavellians undercut his opponents, with Senate control in the balance, the tedious turtle will swallow the sliver of pride he still possesses and at least look the other way come fall.
In a landscape where there is no bottom, underground explosions appear to be easily forgotten. Where is Lester Flatt when you need him. BC
the second paragraph is very beautiful and stands alone as a separate piece unrelated to BIGLY and this report. I would expand on this and see where it goes.
When I lived there, I took full advantage of WAMU, which was the premier bluegrass station in the country and NPR. We also had one of the world’s greatest bluegrass bands, The Seldom Scene, as a house band in Bethesda and then Alexandria…Great music.
People, huh?