Bobby Kennedy, Jr. said at a December rally that industry has “captured” our politicians and agencies. This tragedy is a direct result of that takeover.

We lost more Americans in West Virginia in one moment than we lost, as a country, this month in military action. Are we numb to losing life? If your son, husband, wife or friend died today, would you be OK? NO!

Big Coal backers Senator Jay Rockefeller and Congressman Nick Rahall talk about energy independence and the coal barons equate what they do to national security efforts. That is pure bull and they know it. There is no excuse whatsoever for this tragedy.

What can you do?

Demand that if a mining company breaks the law that they will be SHUT DOWN. Right now they may continue to operate through the countless years of legal appeals.

Give independent bargaining power to non-union employees. They should not have to join a union to go to the boss, Don Blankenship (Massey’s $20M/yr CEO) and demand safety controls.

Don Blankenship, and the government that let him run a China-Grade operation, killed the people in that mine and they all should be prosecuted.