Like everyone else, I have been watching the story of the 13 coal miners trapped in a mine in
There’s more to the story though – much more. Because a late night, early morning public affairs snafu has turned what otherwise would have been a very good PR effort on the part of International Coal Group Inc. – literally on it’s head.
I will talk about that – but in another blog entry.
For this entry though … I just want to say a few things about coal Miners.
Coal mining belongs in that unique category of occupations that you might call “Extreme Occupations”. It’s not a 9-5 desk job – it’s more akin to the occupation of a Police Officer, or a Fireman – or just about any military occupation you can name. Mining is a dangerous, underpaid job just like all of those occupations.
It takes a special breed of person to sign-up to live the life of a Miner.
Coal Miners, since before the American Revolution even, have helped build this country into the greatest nation that has ever existed. We couldn’t have done it without them – their sweat and blood, and the black fuel they harvested from these deep holes powered the industrial revolution. It powered the vision of “manifest destiny”. It linked the western-most reaches of our country with the industrialized eastern half – when there was very little in between the two.
Coal continues to play a major role in powering the Information Technology revolution – as hard as it is to imagine it. When you turn on your computer – there’s a fair chance that electrons screaming through the power supply to bring it to life are being supplied by a coal-burning electric plant.
As a nation, we wouldn’t have come far without coal.
But coal doesn’t jump out of the ground and load itself onto boxcars – it has to be harvested by tough men and women. Men and women who are brave enough to travel miles underground to get at it. Men and women who will brave considerable danger to get at it. It requires smart men and women who have the guts and ability to enter a hole, make their way through miles of the earth’s crust to get at this coal and then make the transit out … ALIVE.
It requires a Miner – and that’s why that title ought to be capitalized.
Fortunately for this nation, we’ve always had an ample supply of these Miners – and thank goodness we did. Some will say that a Miner chooses his occupation by necessity – rather than by desire. There’s probably a little truth to that – but that’s the way a lot of us choose occupations. We choose based on our circumstances, and our talents and abilities. I would say that the talents and the abilities of a Miner are considerable. Stupid people don’t survive long in this occupation folks. Anyone want to argue with me on that point?
Who do YOU admire more? Someone like Donald Trump or a Miner? No offense to Trump – but my admiration of him is dwarfed by the incredible admiration I have for people who work in occupations like that of a Miner. Sure, this nation needs people like Trump – but we don’t need many like him.
But …
We can never have enough of the people who carry in them the spirit that a Miner has.
My heart goes out to the families of these lost Miners. What I would tell every one of them is that they should be proud of their loved one for the job he or she performed that contributed so much to this nation’s security and welfare. We all owe these families a debt of gratitude.
The next time you look at your power bill and complain about the cost of electricity remember these brave individuals who bring up the coal.
Remember the Miners.
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