Appalachian Kids Give Science Lesson to President Obama

[kpete]

[EmeraldCityGrl]

1. "The Last Mountain." A great documentary and the 2011 Sundance official selection.

Maria Gunnoe a multi-generational Appalachian becomes an activist for her community.
Her story and that of her family and neighbors will never be forgotten after you watch
this film.

There's a scene where they travel to NYC for the first time and stand in the middle of
Times Square at night in shock at all the lights. They reflect on what their communities have
sacrificed for the obscene use of electricity. These beautiful, salt of the earth people have all been
forgotten. Thanks for posting this.

http://thelastmountainmovie.com/film/

[zeemike]

2. Well they are just kids and don't understand how things work.

Coal is an industry and in our corrupted system once a industry gets big enough it's size and power makes it permanent, and not only that but constantly growing every year.
It is like Capitalism has cancer.

[limpyhobbler]

3. Shut up kid and get back to work.

just kidding

[Tanuki]

4. It's not as far from the truth as you may think. My grandfather was a child laborer in a coal mine

in Appalachia at age 12. They can't get away with that nowadays, but it is the same mentality that is driving mountaintop removal.

[limpyhobbler]

7. "the same mentality"

yep. The profits over people mentality.

[Tanuki]

5. K and R---I regret that I have but one rec to give this thread!! n/t

[DreamGypsy]

6. Congratulations to these young people who care for their heath and home. Reminds me of Paradise...

...the song by John Prine, about the uh, ... work... done by the Peabody Coal Company.

Just a slight chance these young people can save their homes, if the President cares.

When I was a young boy my family would travel
Down to western Kentucky where my parents were born.
There's a backwards old coal town that's often remembered,
So many times that my memories are worn.
Daddy, won't you take be back to Muhlenberg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay.
I'm sorry, by son, but you're too late in asking,
Mr. Peabody's coal train just hauled it away.

(start the video at ~1:40 to skip John's Illinois recollections)

The coal company came with the world's largest shovel
And they tortured the timbers and stripped all the land.
They dug for the coal till the land was forsaken,
Then they wrote it all down to the progress of Man.

...

When I die let my ashes flow down the Green River,
Let my soul roll on up the the Rochester dam.
I'll be halfway to heaven with paradise waiting
Just five miles away from wherever I am.