Wow, a history lesson about cultural identity in coal country. I love discussions about this.

As a founding member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, as an honorary member of the UMWA, as a direct descendant of a union president in West Virginia, let's see what I know...1/ https://twitter.com/Phalen_K/status/1319712623118659584

It sustained entire communities did it? My family lost 2,000 acres of land on Cabin Creek in 1882 to the coal industry. The coming of the coal industry destroyed communities on Cabin Creek and prevented the development of economic diversification. 2/

This is called scrip. Isn't it wonderful how coal companies sustained communities by giving them fake money and telling them what they could buy for it? 3/

More people have died mining coal than US soldiers in Korea, the American Revolution, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexican War, and War of 1812 combined. That's not counting black lung deaths. What sustainability! 4/

https://arlweb.msha.gov/stats/centurystats/coalstats.asp

In McDowell County the water and air is so polluted by coal, they have the shortest life expectancy in the US. What sustainability! People in coal country should be so grateful! 5/ https://www.wvpublic.org/news/2013-12-09/mcdowell-men-have-shortest-life-expectancy-women-second-shortest-in-u-s

And how about cultural identity? The real identity of coal country is resistance to coal company control. My great-grandfather led the miners in the Mine Wars to, in his words, "rehabilitate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights."
I guess he should've just been grateful. 6/

In 1960, the Saturday Evening Post published, "The Strange Case of West Virginia," pondering why coal country was so poor why the rest of the US prospered. JFK even went to Logan in his primary campaign to prove that he cared about the poor of America.

What sustainability! 7/

Currently there isn't even a coal company in the top five employers in WV. Kroger even employs more than any coal company in the state.

I'm sure that's all Obama's fault, isn't it? 8/

http://lmi.workforcewv.org/EandWAnnual/TopEmployers.html

If you want an education of coal country, sustainability, and cultural identity, read my book about how I led a group that defeated the coal industry at Blair Mountain. My family has been defeating King Coal for over 100 years. https://www.amazon.com/Road-Blair-Mountain-Saving-Battlefield/dp/1949199851