Business As Usual

It must be by now abundantly clear to any who care to look closely at the facts, that coal kills. We have just witnessed the murder of over two dozen of our fellow citizens. Harsh? Not at all. The company involved, Massey, has a long history of mine violations. Yes, at the site of the most recent disaster, but that mine is not the only one.

And, what exactly has been done about all of the violations? It has to have been obvious to the regulators a long time ago that this company, along with CONSOL and the rest, care nothing for the lives of the people involved in the day to day work. That they were never going to correct the many and continuing violations. Or, even make a half hearted attempt.

Now, once again, we are reading on the many web sites and viewing on television, the sorrow and mourning felt by so many, for so little. The wives and children weeping for the husband and father who will never return. The son or brother who will never again grace the door of the family home.

Again we wait to see what will be done to hold the criminal enterprise known as coal mining accountable. There are those among us who believe that this time it will be different. That this time those who would violate the laws of the land will be prosecuted. I, for one, cannot be counted among them. For it is my belief that the likes of Joe Pizarchik will be doing all they can to keep that from happening.

It could have been different. Those put in place of regulating mining could have been those who would indeed uphold the law. Make those who would put others lives in jeopardy for profit, pay for their disregard. But, that is not the case. Instead we are likely to hear that there will be a study of the matter. Then, perhaps a hearing. Followed by a hollow fine. All the while the enterprise will continue unabated. Perhaps not in that very site where death occurred this week. But, in all other places around the country.

Those whose duty it is to uphold the law of the land have failed those miners in every conceivable way. The President chose a mining shill to enforce the law. The inspectors wrote up violation after violation, with nothing of note being done to correct the violations. It became a useless enterprise, with the eventual end of deaths in the mine.

Now, of course, there will be the sternly worded letters. The, shame upon those who let this thing happen. But, in all likelihood, within a very short time, it will be back to business as usual. If they ever slow or stop at all.