Light a Candle for the Miners
What a horrible thing, to be told that your loved one is alive, so you drag your kids to the church so you can welcome him home, and you wait. Three hours later you are told "oops, we were wrong, they're all dead but one." The despair would be far worse than to simply be told they were dead at the outset. The false elation for nothing, and the roller coaster ride of emotions was something cruel and completely unwarranted.
So now the blaming begins. I have already heard the idea that the miners knew the danger, and willingly went into it knowing they could be killed. While I'm certain that they knew the danger, I'm not quite so certain about the "willingly" part.
The median income level in West Virginia for a family of 4 in 2005 is 47,550, which is actually down almost 2,000.00 from 2004. (Source is census information ). The mean wage for all occupations was $30,433.00 in the 4th quarter of 2004 according to the West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs. "Extraction Workers" made a mean of 40,226. Mining Machine Operators made a mean of 39,956. CNN is reporting an average of 50,000.00 for workers, up to 150,000.00 for supervisors.
What does this mean? Well, essentially, from the way I'm reading the charts, if you are male and in good physical shape, you can make at least 25% more money working in the mines. You don't need a high school diploma, a college degree, or any other type of formal education, although the mines provide specialized training. Is it a choice? Are there any other jobs available that will provide close to that salary? And if you're the "breadwinner" who has to provide for a family, what other real choices do you have?
As a related question, why are women who choose to become "exotic dancers" who are making good money, said to be "exploited" whereas these men who are working in the coal mines not "exploited?" I am quite confused over that one.
Whether exploited or not, whether someone or some entity is at fault or not, whether they were properly protected or not, these men have died a tragic death, and I pray that they and their families find rest and peace.