Like many here on the board, my primary experience has been a tale of nomadism. Always a Kucinich man at heart, I nonetheless recognized that John Edwards would probably have the best shot at any substantial wins, perhaps offering me the opportunity to proudly cast my ballot for him in Kentucky's primary. But as the race became a toss up between two candidates, I found myself sitting on the fence. From this perspective I have witnessed the successive scandals and gaffes, the attacks on Rev. Wright by the media and many members of this board, and each new development which has drawn me closer and closer to the Obama camp. Well ladies and gentlemen of Democratic Underground, although I loathe to come across as a one issue voter, something the primary affords me, it is time for me to describe the straw that broke the camel's back and why I will be voting for Senator Obama over Senator Clinton.
For those of us in coal producing states and of those the Appalachian states, we have witnessed the destructive forces of mountain top removal and the equally destructive power of our state governments, the toadies of king coal who are too meek to make a stand. I was there on I Love Mountains day when 1,200 Kentuckians called for legislation that would protect our streams from runoff and fill caused by explosive mining. (1.)
I watched as the ironically named Natural Resources & Environment committee blocked any legislation under the leadership of Jim Gooch (so called D) who is better known nationally for his hearings on global climate change where he invited no scientists. (2.) It has become evident that an end to mountain top removal will most likely come from the federal level. Although efforts at the state level should not be abandoned, I fear that too many of our legislators are afraid of being labeled enemies of coal.
Due to our reliance on the federal government for change, I feel betrayed by Senator Clinton. She has sat on committee hearings about mountain top removal. She knows what the effects are. But Senator Clinton still supports mountain top removal to the detriment of the people in Appalachia. (3.) In an interview with West Virginian Public Radio, she claimed that a mountain could be restored if it had undergone the removal of the top. In her own words, "You know, maybe there is a way to recover those mountaintops once they have been stripped of the coal. You know, I think we’ve got to look at this from a practical perspective." (3.) My apologies Senator Clinton, but the practicality which the people of Appalachia have experienced is the rape of our natural beauty and the relocation of mineral wealth to mansions out of state. After all, what are the people of Appalachia to do when there is no more commercially exploitable coal? I personally tout eco-tourism as a solution but who wishes to visit moonscapes or the flat land that coal companies say is a benefit of mountain top removal.
Although Senator Obama has made some overtures about mediating a solution between companies and the citizenry, he has still made more progressive statements on the issue than Senator Clinton, educating himself on the issue by meeting with those of us who are fighting for change. (4.) When asked about the issue, Senator Obama put it in the plainest terms, "Strip-mining is an environmental disaster!" (5.) In this, my first presidential primary and general election, I can see where the candidates have fallen on the issue of mountain top removal. Barring any drastic changes in policy stances, my vote on May 20th will be for Senator Obama.
For more about coal mining and mountain top removal in Appalachia, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth has great resources:
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/canary-project1.
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/canary-project/blog/topics/I%20Love%20Mountains%20Day2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK5cCh_UtqM3.
http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/frontporch/blogposts/hillary_clinton_on_mtr/4.
http://www.seac.org/node/3105.
http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/frontporch/blogposts/obama_says_that_we_must_find_a_way_around_mtr/
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