BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive

Subject: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 12:39 AM

The early story is spare and unsatisfying but the family members are saying that their loved ones have been found alive. I pray it is so.

After 41 Hours...

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Nancy King
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 12:50 AM

WOW!

And only an hour or so ago we were still hearing dire reports about finding one body and dreadful carbon monoxide levels, and...

Fantastic!

Thanks for the breaking news, Ebbie!

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Edain
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 02:53 AM

Another news story on it, this one from the BBC

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 03:45 AM

How could they get it so cruelly wrong?
All dead.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Edain
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 03:55 AM

From a BBC report it was one guy who heard the initial report from the rescue team that they were 'checking vital signs' (or something along those lines) and took that to mean (along with quite possibly others) that this ment the men were alive. He then went to spread the news before the confirmation came through that of the 12 there (one body found earlier), 11 were dead and one critical. When the news broke of the multiple fatalities apparent this guy had to be escorted away from the church by police. I really feel sorry for him (and obviously all the families and miners too).

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:03 AM

Sad day fir mining and sad day for Wes Virginia...

My thought and prayers go out to the fasmilies of those miners who were killed..

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 09:03 AM

12 dead, last I heard.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found Alive!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 09:07 AM

Well.... the thread title replicates the disturbing effect of the wrong report-- each time one of us somes along and sees the thread before having heard the actual news.

That just seems wrong.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 09:13 AM

Great to see the thread title changed-- well done.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 09:34 AM

We went to sleep thinking they were alive, but one. Woke up to find this on google. Those poor, poor people, all of them. By strange coincidence our PBS showed a short, old docu about mine disasters, last night, esp. the Ludlow one. It was quitw moving, esp. with the thought of what was currently happening in West Virginia.

May their god/gods bless them all and help them find peace.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Greg F.
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 10:22 AM

Time to have a listen to Billy Ed Wheeler.
Then have a read of Night Comes to the Cumberlands.
Then have a read of Thunder in the Mountains
Maybe rent the movie Matewan


Then contemplate the Republican rollback of OSHA & the MSA.

Ain't that America. God rest 'em.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 10:25 AM

Greg F, please show me where you find that info.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:24 AM

Note that I live in a time zone four hours different from most of you. Which is why I titled the thread as I did. Thank you for changing it. As katlaughing said, the early word - and for several hours - was that they were alive. During Jay Leno's show there was a news break correcting the story.

The time given in each individual post is misleading. I actually started this thread a little after 8:00 PM my time.

In any case, it is horrendous. Jacqui, Miners' Lullaby keeps running through my head.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Greg F.
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:34 AM

Everywhere I look, G-G, everywhere I look. You from Missouri?

Consider doing your own homework- helps with retention.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:47 AM

There was no need to make the families -- and the world-- wait 3 hours after they KNEW there had been a mistaken communication. The mistake was unfortunate, the delay was bordering on criminal.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:52 AM

My grandfather died in a coal mine roof collapse in southern West Virginia.

    My heart goes out, and my prayers go up for all the dead miners and all their heartbroken families and friends. It is dirty, dangerous work.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 12:28 PM

Greg F, I did do my home work. I was trying to decide if you had done yours as opposed to pulling a thought out of the air which so many do here. Thanks for the snide reply, it is typical of those who have not a clue. And it is MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) not MSA which is one more indicator you are blowing smoke.

I quote:

Statement of David G. Dye
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health before the Subcommitte on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Committee on Appropriations.
U.S. House of Representatives

April 07, 2005

"Mr. Chairmen and Mambers of the Committee:

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 12:41 PM

(sorry)

"Thqnk you for the opportunity to present the President's fiscal year (FY) 2006 appropiations request of $280.5 million (an increase of $1.4 million over FY05) and 2,187 full-time (FTE) positions for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)"

It goes on to mention the 4th year of record setting reductions in fatalities and injuries. It also gives the FACT that a decade ago, 100 miners lost their lives. Hmmmmnnnn, 1994, who dere?


Fatal injury rate decrease by 32% in past 4 years
Lost time injury rate decreased by 21%
Total injury rate decreased by 22%

Back at you and where did you find your info. (helps with retention)

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 12:57 PM

The docu we watched was "A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers: Out of the Depths - The Miners' Story." It had a beautiful song at the end which included words about "not going home for a long time," if I remember correctly. I've looked for the credits, but could find none. At least it looks as though it is available through libraries and for sale. It was excellent.

We watched the following on CNN, this morning, and the delivery, in his West Virginia accent, simple and direct, was stunning and I kept hearing his words as song, for he had the natural rhythm and cadences of a storyteller/singer. You can watch the clip and hear for yourself on this page.

JOHN CASTO, FRIEND OF MINERS: Well, it was a terrible thing for the loved ones because they understood that there was 12 of them alive under there, and they was pretty sure they knew which one was dead. And we rejoiced for the ones that was alive and we mourned for the one that was lost, supposedly.

And we was told that the ambulance would go over and pick them up and they would bring them over and they would feed them and they would bring them through the hallway and down the hallway and into the church and the immediate family would talk to them. They would rejoice with them when they got there, and then the friends could rejoice.

And we waited and waited. And it must have been three and a half hours. But the loved ones and the family was out on the porch wrapped in blankets, awaiting for their fathers or their brothers to come up and just give them a hug. Because that's what we was told, they was alive. And when we began to see the black vehicles come up through there and the state police and they all come in there, we still thought they was alive. We still was a'looking for them to come through the door.

Stunning...

kat

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:00 PM

Sorry, I guess there isn't a clip of it, at least not on that page. I am sure they will keep showing it, throughout the day.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:05 PM

Bill D. I understand your sentiments, but this was a terrible situation for all who were directly involved, including Mr. Hatfield and other of the coal company representatives. The anguish and anger of the family members is completely understandable. With the benefit of hindsight, one can say that there should of at least been a statement made that the status of the miners was unknown, but it well could have taken a long time to sort out the situation. Decision-making in the angst and uncertainty of the moment does not have the benefit of hindsight. In the midst of such emotionally fraught situations, it can be very difficult for ANYONE to sort out fact from rumor.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Metchosin
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:29 PM

Oh dear, what a tragedy and it seems such an anachronism. My greatgrandfather and one of his brothers survived the explosion of at No.5 Pit Wellington Colliery in Nanaimo which killed 77 miners, including their youngest brother.

Some things don't seem to change all that much, eh? Which puts me in mind of this song, which I first heard hauntingly sung by John Gothard in the early 70's.

You Won't Get Me Down In Your Mine

You won't get me down underground in your mine
Away from the trees and the flowers so fine
Down in the dark where the sun never shines
You won't get me down in your mines.

They dig for the coal for the most of their lives
Away from the children, away from their wives
To make others rich, in the heat and the dark
But who's going to care when they're too old to work?

There's many a miner who died underground
Died all alone when the roof tumbled down
Trapped in the dark underneath the great beams
And choked out his life in the gas-filled coal seams

I'll work in your factory, I'll work on your farm
Dig roads till the muscles stand out on me arm
I've fought in your army, I've been out to sea
But by Christ, you won't make a coal-miner of me.

The first verse is repeated as a chorus.

Transcribed from the 1973 Leader LP "Songs of a Changing World" (Jon Raven/Nic Jones/Tony Rose), sung unaccompanied by Jones, so you'll have to work out "chords" for yourself! Words and music were written by Colin Wilkie (publisher, Feldman), apparantly in response to a mining disaster that occurred in Germany in 1963.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:45 PM

Hillcrest Mine by James Keelaghan

Down in the mine of the Crow's Nest Pass
It's the men that die in labour
Sweating coal from the womb of the pit
The smell of life they savour
And in that mine, young man, you'll find
A wealth of broken dreams
As long and as dark and as black and as wide
As the coal from the Hillcrest seam


And they say-a don't go   (Say-a don't go)
Down in the Hillcrest Mine say-a don't go
Say-a don't go down in the Hillcrest Mine
'Cause it's one short step you might leave this world behind
Le' me say-a don't go, (say-a don't go) down in the Hillcrest Mine

I've heard it whispered in the light of dawn
That mountain sometimes moves
That bodes ill for the morning shift
'Cause you know what you're gonna lose
Don't go, my son, where the deep coal runs
Turn your back on that mine on the hill
'Cause if the dust and the dark and the gas don't get you
Then the goons and the bosses will

(Chorus)

Well, son, I'm gonna open up
I'm gonna have my say
You'll get no peace from the Hillcrest Mine
'Cept the peace of an early grave
Go out and work for the workers rights
Go fight for the workers needs
Don't stay down here to toil for your buck
You'll be a tool for the owners greed


Find and use alternative energy sources....

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:56 PM

CH, good point.

So many of the relatives were interviewed and asked what would they say to thier loved ones when they were brought out to them, as they thought at the time, alive. Many of them said, first thing, they would tell them "don't go down there every again!"

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 01:56 PM

RIP.

How little do the great ones know who sit at home secure
What hidden dangers colliers face what hardships they endure
The very fire we sit before to cheer ourselves and wives
Perhaps was kindled at the cost of Georgia (jovial) miners' lives.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 02:50 PM

Not your fault, Eb. I don't think anyone here thinks so.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Greg F.
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:23 PM

That's factOID, G-G, factOID.

Go back beyond the last 4 years. If your memory extends that far back. You know, Reagan, George the First, The Republicans in Congress 1993-2001.

And about OSHA .... ?

[ PS:I'm impressed at what you're able to deduce from a simple typo. Good job. Can you bend spoons? ]

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:39 PM

"...With the benefit of hindsight."

How many times have we heard that formula used as an excuse for people who have failed to do things that they should have recognised at the time as the right things to do, or done things which at the time were clearly the wrong things to do at the time?

From then BBC story on this: "Mr Hatfield admitted the company was told within 45 minutes of the first report that only one person had survived, but decided to delay any announcement until they were certain of the facts."

It pretty obviously wasn't "the benefit of hindsight" that was lacking here. It was common humanity, common sense and integrity.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:24 PM

As more on the story has been reported, Kevin, I have to agree with you.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:37 PM

The fact they WERE certain of is that the earlier story was inaccurate...they could and should have said that much..."Folks, we had a garbled and unclear report from the rescue team...we do NOT know at this point how many survivors there are...please bear with us while we try to get clear & complete information."

That would have made the impact a little easier....and about all of the interviews with relatives I have see say the same....they should not have waited so long to at least retract the original story....

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:46 PM

Actually, after reading this CNN report, I think I have to stand by my original statement. I truly don't think the Company was trying to "cover it's butt." I think they were trying not to compound the situation. It is clear that there were communication issues. If I were standing in the same shoes, I would be very leary of getting into "They're alive-they're not. They're alive-they're not." because I would want to be sure I wasn't jerking someone around. I haven't been on the scene of this kind of disaster, but I have been smack in the middle of both natural disasters and a shoot-out and murder at work. There were many 'coulds' in these situations. The 'shoulds' were not necessarily apparent at the time. My experience was that everybody did the best they could, and mistakes were still made in spite of that.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Alba
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:47 PM

Tragic..
The Families and Friends of the lost Miners celebrating a Miracle of Life.... but for 3 hours the Officials let them celebrate all the while knowing the horrible truth..but didn't tell those poor people.

I found this poem earlier today
by Francis Kerr Young

Deep in the dark, tunnelling like a mole,
and miles above are blue mountains and trees.
Digging out tons of West Virginian coal,

chancing black lung and coal damp in that hole,
miners sweat away their lives on their knees
deep in the dark, tunnelling like a mole.

Instead of cool morning mists to extol
this clean land, ebon dust just makes one sneeze,
digging out tons of West Virginian coal.

Hills echo calls; finch, wren, and oriole,
yet caged canaries sing sweet as you please
deep in the dark. Tunnelling like a mole,

the miner slaves to his stern master, ol'
King Coal, carving that seam into a frieze
digging out tons of West Virginian coal.

Pit props creaking must crush each miner's soul:
Courage for a dollar all the time he's
deep in the dark, tunnelling like a mole,
digging out tons of West Virginian coal!

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Peace
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:51 PM

I hate it when miners die. My grandfather was a coal miner, and I have friends today who make their living underground. I can't do much except wipe the tears from my face and hope the dead had enough insurance to take care of their families.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:53 PM

Well said, Peace. Well said.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: open mike
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:12 PM

There is a local northern californai bluegreass band,
Mountain Laurel, who did a c.d. in 2003 "Trouble at the Mine"
which features 12 songs, all based on mines, mining , disasters,
unfortunately there is a large body of work on the subject.
also see the movie salt of the earth.

remember the successful rescue last year (or so)
i believe it was in pennsylvania

Laurel who also grieves for these brave workers
and all the canaries who have perised in mines.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,g
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:30 PM

Greg F, the budget of OSHA has increased every year during GWB reign AND the injuries per 100 workers has decreased evry year.

You said to check out some facts - I did - how about you or is it okay that the rest know you are faking it.

While not in any way trying to minimize the effect of this tragedy, this particular story has been a media delight with all the misinformation. A rumor has it that a reporter overheard the words "they found them" and took that to the Church with the modifier 'they are alive'.

Just items that the media ignores; This was the worst mine disaster in West Virgina in almost 40 years. (1968)All others have resulted in less fatalities.

Another perspective is, since 1999, almost 150 adults and children have lost their lives in "recreational activities" at working and closed mine sites. This is just short of the 159 actual miners killed in the same time frame.

Source; MSHA official website

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:33 PM

The story(s) lose their lusture when the drama is taken away.


It is still a terrible event.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Peace
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:39 PM

"Stopped Department of Labor action on almost 30 job safety initiatives

The Bush administration's Department of Labor regulatory agenda for 2002 withdrew or halted action on 16 pending Occupational Safety and Health Administration and 13 pending Mine Safety and Health Administration safety actions. These actions would have strengthened job safety protections for workers." From here.

Read it and bloody weep.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:50 PM

I am extremely embarrased thay my beacon of truth, the Washington Post, is so quick on the trigger that they publish rubbish again.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:53 PM

Ebbie: As Susan said, not your fault. I woke in the middle of the night and turned on the radio at around 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time, about two hours after you'd started this thread, and there were conflicting news reports -- some said 12 miners were alive, some said there were unconfirmed reports of 12 dead. At 3:00 a.m., ABC broadcast a TV news bulletin confirming the 12 dead. Apparently, in the meantime, many major newspapers on the East Coast had gone to print with the "12 alive" report in their Wednesday-morning editions, including the Philadelphia Inquirer. At least your thread title could be updated easily! Imagine how all those newspaper editors must feel... and how many retractions will be printed in tomorrow's papers. Wonder how many newspaper publishers will sue the mining company for failing to retract the false report in a timely manner.

My heart goes out to those poor miners and their anguished families. I understand that the 11 miners who survived the initial blast and later died had had time to write notes to their loved ones, which hopefully will be of some small comfort to them. Hope that the one survivor recovers.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Peace
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:55 PM

"I am extremely embarrased thay my beacon of truth, the Washington Post, is so quick on the trigger that they publish rubbish again."

You should be extremely embarrassed that you post such garbage on a thread of this nature. Lay off the bottle and come back when you're sober.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 08:58 PM

Thanks, Susan.

The reason I was hesitant (in that first post) in hailing them as having survived is that when John Donvan on Nightline was talking with the family members, there seemed to be a chasm that words didn't quite bridge.

He asked this one woman, "Who told you? How did you find out that they had survived after all?"

She looked a little confused and then said, "It was someone from outside." Donvan said, "Outside? What's outside?" She said, "It was not any official; someone just came running in and told us. And we all just started jumping up and down and screaming 'Praise the Lord'.

At that point, another woman said, "They have told us nothing. I'm mad. We're all mad. They have told us nothing. And we're going to let them know that we're mad - all those hours and they never told us nothing."

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,SunnySister
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 10:13 PM

It's been a hard couple of days, to be sure.

There is no one that isn't hurt by these tragic deaths. I don't believe for a moment that Ben Hatfield the CEO of the mining company wanted to hurt the friends and family. I think he made a mistake in trying to figure how to lessen their pain and chose wrong. In looking at his face, I saw a man who will forever wish he had done more and had done things differently. Not a heartless man in my book.

By the way, according to reports, the mine was just bought by the present owners in 2005 and they were making improvements to it. I don't know if they could have or should have done more- it just seems like there's more to this tragedy than we can blame or point a finger at.

One thing haunts me- the fact that America's economy is so poor that people still have to risk their lives to make a decent wage in states like W. Virginia. It frustrates me that we all have to work so hard just to survive. I think of the woman whose husband decided to work in the mines so she could get her master's degree... The fight for a better life for themselves and their children. It breaks my heart.

All day today I was thinking of the tour I took in 2003 into a historical coal mine in Wales. The tour guides were former coal miners and some of the nicest men I met in the UK to be sure. I am reminded about how terrifying it was down there in those mine shafts. How dark when we turned off our lights. How eerily quiet.

With such thoughts, I have been been carrying these 12 men on my shoulders and with the last news, have felt deep sorrow for the families who've lost loved ones. I also am praying for Mr. McCloy- not just that he recovers- I am also praying that he doesn't suffer from survior's guilt and hurt himself in payment to those who didn't survive. It happens more than most know.

--SunnySister

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: Peace
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 10:23 PM

That is a beautiful post, SunnySister.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,SunnySister
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 10:44 PM

Thanks Peace. I'm fighting another cold so I'm not sure if my thoughts are coming across that well.

I appreciate reading what has been written here, especially what Kat shared regarding John Castro's moving text. His: "We still was a'looking for them to come through the door" haunts me.

How many times, having lost a loved one, have we thought to ourselves that we would sell everything we had- every last stitch of anything and also someone else's- for one final moment with our loved one. To hear their voice once more, to touch their face, to look into their eyes, to hold their hand and most especially to be able to tell them as well as we could within those moments who much we cared about them- to make sure that they knew and to make sure that we were satisfied that they heard it.

The truth is that whether those poor people heard that their loved ones had died in the mine earlier or later, they still lost their loved ones. Anger, frustration and pain mix and it doesn't matter in the end, not really. We just want them back with us and can't.

-- SunnySister, sitting here at work with the ghosts of loved ones around me in spirit

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:28 PM

Very moving and powerfully put, SunnySister. Thank you.

The media cannot sue the mine owners. The media SHOULD have gotten independent confirmation before going great guns, interviewing folks about what they were going to say to their loved ones when they were finally brought out alive; they were stalling, filling airtime with such things, waiting for the first ones to arrive, instead of looking for confirmation of the "they're alive" alert. Shame on the media..and they call themselves journalists!

guest,g...CNN did mention how long it had been since there'd been such a tragedy in WVa and they interviewed experts about the recent successful rescue in PA.

katwhoisalsohauntedbytheimagesandwordsoffamilyandfriends

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: dianavan
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 11:48 PM

With so many safety violations, why was the mine sold and allowed to operate before the problems were remedied?

Seems to me you should shut down the mine and fix the problem until its safe.

I am very sorry for the families of the miners.

Its a very sad day and made even sadder by misinformation.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 06:53 AM

First, thanks to the Ladies here who manage to keep things in perspective and not attack other posters in a thread of this nature.

While some or even many will disagree with me, I think the media is the bane of our existance. I say this not because I think most are 'left leaning' but their handling of news. The "if it bleeds, it leads" attitude is oh so prevalent these days. I have a casual friend, I say causual because I could never get real close to him, who was among other things, the Manager of a news room for a major NBC-TV affiliate. He would just get a blank look on his face when we would discuss subjects other than 5 car pileups, murders, etc., that might be newsworthy. Lately I have noticed the lack of life experiences among many younger reporters (under 40) that to me have a tendency to distort the news. Has anyone here known a fairly recent graduate of a school of Journalism? I am not implying that it is anything to do with a level of intelligence, just the methodology.

katlaughing, they can be an embarrasment and hurtful as well at times. I just don't understand the uncanny (my impression) attitude most seem to have with their approach to drama, mostly the negative type.

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,clogger
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 07:05 AM

It is obviously WRONG that anybody should have to go through this kind of event! It is wrong that it will happen again, but it will, somewhere!
Maybe we should look to how much we are prepaired to accept for our cheep fuel?
I am not personaly involved in this incident, and I do not know how I would react if I were, but the answer is not to scapegoat this incident but to use the groundswell of public opinion to try and ensure it does not re-occur.ANYWHERE!

Subject: RE: BS: West Virginia Coal Miners Found - 1 Alive
From: GUEST,G
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 07:06 AM

A word of explanation; The deaths resulting from "recreational activities" at both working and closed mine sites was mostly due to individuals ignoring warning signs (no trespassing, etc.) at these facilities, mostly during holidays or non-working periods. Exploring mining sites on ATVs was a common occurrence.