The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia...

...are the nearest thing to heaven that I know

What's in a name?

Some people may remember back to when there was a discusssion about name changing amongst the Dakotas. North Dakota in particular was looking into changing their name because they felt that "North" implied cold, barren, tundra-like and basically all things uninviting. They wanted to increase tourism revenue in the state and felt that the name change would have the tourists packing the mini vans and heading to Dakota. But alas, nothing ever came of that.

West Virginia has also gone through an image makeover (or not, depending how you look at it) by replacing the much loathed "Open for Business" signs with the original "Wild and Wonderful" slogan. This was an excellent decision seeing as how the "Open for Business" sign that greeted my mother upon her arrival to the state for the first time prompted her to ask, "Is that new? Was it closed before?"...Good question mom. Now we greet visitors with the familiar slogan of "Wild and Wonderful", a description that suggests adventure, thrills, and pleasant-ness all in one catchy phrase.

Although this is a good step in promoting all that the Mountain State has to offer, I propose that we take it one step further. We need to distinguish ourselves from the "other Virginia". I don't know how many times I have told people that I live in West Virginia and have had them ask if I was close to Roanoke or some other "other Virginia" city. Choosing a new state name would have to be a sensitive matter that would fairly represent the state AND be appealing to visitors. And so it is my great pleasure to suggest: BEST VIRGINIA!

Now some may feel that this is a judgement against the "other Virginia", but let me reassure people that that is not the case. On one hand we have a state that is home to Seneca Rocks, Canaan Valley, the New and Gauley rivers, Mountaineer football and was founded in the pursuit of equality and freedom. On the "other (Virginia)" hand we have a state that is not. Therefore BEST Virginia isn't a judgement call, it's just an observation of facts.

I've taken the liberty to draw up a preliminary new logo...

But This Album!

You will thank me later...

Kathy Mattea's new release Coal is an awesome collection of Appalachian folk songs that deal with the "life-blood of the region". Many of the songs focus on the hardships of the industry and the regions where coal excavation is prominant. Haunting songs about Harlan Co. KY will linger with you and the images they conjure are as sad as the melodies.

Fast and Pray for Peace in the WV coalfields.

Just a couple of updates:

• As of today the petition has 440 signatures. I'm completely amazed that it has been passed around so succesfully. There a couple signatures that grasped my interest. The first was Maria Gunnoe, the MTR activist that lives in Bob White, WV and the other is Sr. Helen Prejean the author of Dead Man Walking. Both of these women are heroes of mine so it was thrilling to see their names on the petition.
• I had a very brief letter to the editor published in America. It is in the Mar.31-Apr. 7 issue.

This recently came out from the West Virginia Council of Churches. It would be great to have as many people as possible participate in this action.

WV Council of Churches’ Government Concerns and Peace and Justice Programs Call for Peace in the Coalfields


On May 13, arguments will be heard in a West Virginia case being reviewed before the Fourth Circuit Court in Richmond, Virginia. This case is the appeal of an October 11, 2007 decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers, prohibiting a coal company from starting new valley fills at Jupiter Holdings Callisto mine in Boone County. Judge Chambers ruled that permanent damage to streams and forests outweighed temporary and speculative economic harm to the company.

As the time for a decision on this appeal approaches, it is clear that whichever way the Court decides, many West Virginia residents will consider themselves to be adversely affected. Some in the coalfield communities fear their homes and heritage will be lost, and their health threatened by valley fills. Miners are worried about losing surface mining jobs and their capacity to support their families.

As people of faith, we feel it is of great importance that we support all our fellow citizens involved by calling for calm, non-violence, and reasoned dialogue surrounding this issue and the upcoming court decision. Therefore, it is our intent to invite people of conscience to a period of fasting and prayer for peace in our communities. We are designating the two weeks prior to May 13 as a “Fast for Peace in the Coalfields,” and invite our neighbors to select one of more days to join us in this effort.

Individuals or groups desiring to join the fast are asked to contact Carol Warren, Chair of the Council of Churches’ Government Concerns Program Unit at peacelovemom@gmail.com to sign on. This will aid us in verifying that people are participating each day throughout the two-week period of April 30 to May 13, 2008.

Appalachian Solidarity Petition

Below is the letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI asking him to stand in solidarity with the land and people of Appalachia during his visit to the United States by raising awareness of the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal. To sign this petition, please follow the link below.

To His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI

Most Holy Father:

Your visit to the United States will be during the season when the faithful will be continuing their celebration of the promise of hope that the risen Christ brings. Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples after his glorious resurrection where he tells them “I am with you always” (Mt. 28:20) takes place on top of the mountain to which He has called them. For the Lord has said, “Come to me on the mountain” (Ex. 24:12) and the Psalmist has proclaimed, “For the Lord is the great God…whose hand holds the depths of the earth; who owns the tops of the mountains.” (Ps. 95: 3-4)

Many people living in the Appalachian region of the United States are not able to go to the mountains because the mountains are no longer there. It has been estimated that over 500 square miles of the Appalachian mountain region, one of the worlds oldest and most bio-diverse environments, have been permanently destroyed by the coal-extracting process of mountain top removal (MTR). In addition to the permanent destruction of the mountains by this practice, there have been an excess of subsequent consequences that include, but are not limited to: excess flooding, water contamination, increased health problems as well as the loss of homes and jobs. These sins against creation are only further contributing to the fragile state of our environment and are outright desecrations of the dignity of human life.

In your World Day of Peace message on the first of this year, you emphasized the importance of proper and responsible stewardship of the earth’s energy resources. As long as we continue to allow the systematic destruction of the land and people of Appalachia, we will not be at peace. Your plea for technologically advanced countries “to invest sufficient resources in the search for alternative sources of energy and for greater energy efficiency” will not be heeded until the citizens of those countries recognize their own culpability in the destructive methods of fossil fuel extraction and are inspired to bring an end to the injustices against their own land and people.

We are asking you to have this bumper sticker, a symbol of solidarity with the Appalachian people, placed on the Popemobile to raise awareness of this issue that plagues the lives of so many. Increased education along with a revitalized commitment to the social teachings of the Catholic Church can make an immeasurable difference in the lives of so many and ensure the futures of many more.

In peace and hope, we are:

Appalachian Solidarity Petition

Can We Get One of These on the Popemobile?

According to an article posted on the Catholic News Service website, more than 3,000 people (many of them Catholic Workers!) signed a letter to Pope Benedict XVI to ask him to speak out against the war in Iraq when he comes to visit in April. Specifically, it asks the pope to reconsider his plans to meet with George W. Bush as a means of reiterating his already public disapproval of the war.

Here's another issue I would like to see addressed...Recently the Vatican has taken steps to become more "green". They have installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity as well as hosted a scientific conference that discussed global warming as a result of the human use of fossil fuels. A recently released list of "new sins" includes pollution and other crimes against the environment. Since Pope Benedict is coming to visit the nation's capitol, and will be only a stone's throw from the destructive source of the very fossil fuels which are destroying our planet, it only makes sense that he takes the opportunity to address the subject of responsible stewardship of the environment. Because he has an extremely busy schedule that can't possibly allow him to address every single issue that Catholics should be concerned about, what better (and more American) way to make a statement than through a bumper sticker? It would put the Pope in solidarity with the people of the Appalachian region who involuntarily are forced to sacrifice their livelihoods so that fossil fuels can be extracted from their homelands desecrating the land in the process. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by every person that uses electricity in this country and yet is relatively unheard of outside of the region that it takes place. We need to find creative ways to educate people and raise awareness...I think this might be one.

I plan to write a letter to the Holy Father about Mountain Top Removal and ask him to consider having an I Love Mountains bumper sticker put on the popemobile for people to see when he travels through the streets of D.C and New York. I will be distributing the letter, to begin collecting signatures, tomorrow via email, MySpace, Facebook and this site. Who knows? The Spirit does work in mysterious ways...

On a final note, America Magazine recently featured a full page editorial in their March 3rd edition entitled King Coal that addressed the MTR issue in Appalachia.

Ed Wiley For President!

I recently came across this film concisely titled Mountain Top Removal put out by Haws River Films in North Carolina. While there are numerous films that explore the issue of MTR throughout Appalachia, I particularly liked this one for two main reasons. First of all, it offers a wide variety of perspectives from people that are involved in the issue. The film features Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association; Maria Gunnoe, Bob White resident and MTR activist; an appearance by Gov. Joe Manchin and my new personal hero, Ed Wiley, whose grandaugther is a student at Marsh Fork Elementary. Their combined perspectives help the viewer to see the various view points that either support or condemn MTR practices in the state of West Virginia.
My second reason for particularly liking this film is that it's short. With a running time of just under an hour this film can make a great teaching tool by giving a thorough overview of the issue, including its history, present practices and future long term projected impacts. The information that is presented in this film is appropriate for both persons just learning about the issue as well as seasoned scholars/activists.
Finally (ok, I know this technically makes 3), the soundtrack which includes Donna the Buffalo, Julie Miller, John Speckter and Sarah Hawkes is awesome!
Below is a review taken from the Roanoke Times:

Review by
Tim Thornton Roanoke Times Feb 13 2007
It's a straightforward documentary with a straightforward title: "Mountain Top Removal." It ties more threads more tightly together than perhaps any other film account of mountaintop removal coal mining.
People familiar with the subject will see many familiar faces. Julia Bonds, the Coal River Valley resident and 2003 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, an international prize honoring grass-roots environmentalists, is here. So is Allen Johnson, co-founder of Christians for the Mountains. Ed Wiley, who confronted West Virginia's governor and then marched from Charleston to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of the threat a coal mine and sludge pond pose to his granddaughter's elementary school, plays a big role. So does Maria Gunnoe, who says 5 acres of her family's land have been washed away since a mountaintop removal mine increased the frequency and intensity of flooding by a nearby creek. Larry Gibson, whose family land on Kayford Mountain is surrounded by mountaintop removal coal mines, is prominent. So is Carmilita Brown, whose well was contaminated by a mountaintop removal operation.
The pro-mining forces get their say, but they definitely land on the short end of that stick. It's up to viewers to decide whether the filmmakers or the weakness of their pro-coal arguments are the reason.
Viewers with a quick eye will spy Blacksburg activist Erin McKelvey and some coal cars manufactured at the old East End Shops in Roanoke. Jeff Goddell, author of "Big Coal," admits that he didn't know anything about the situation in Appalachia until The New York Times Magazine sent him into West Virginia in 2001. "Like many Americans, until that moment, I didn't ever realize we still burned coal," Goddell tells the camera. He thought that went out with top hats and corsets, Goddell says.
But the best lines come from Wiley. "It don't grow back," he says of a decapitated mountains. And from Gibson, who has been fighting the big mining companies for more than two decades. "They was always hope," he says, standing on his patch of green encircled by blasting and dozers and giant haul trucks. "Cause that's all I had."

Shadow on the Wall..or the forest floor

I am not I.
I am this one
Walking beside me whom I do not see,
Whom at times I manage to visit,
And other times I forget.
The one who remains silent when I talk,
The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,
The one who takes a walk when I am indoors,
The one who will remain standing when I die.
~ Juan Ramon Jimenez

John Denver: singer, songwriter...prophet?

Rhymes and Reasons- John Denver

So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter
The fear that is within you now, it seems to never end.
And the dreams that have escaped you and the hope that you’ve forgotten
You tell me that you need me now, you want to be my friend.
And you wonder where we’re going, where’s the rhyme? Where’s the reason?
And it’s you who cannot accept it is here we must begin to seek the wisdom of the children and the graceful way of flowers in the wind.

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness could clear a cloudy day
Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow they’re a promise of the future and a blessing for today.

Though the cities start to crumble and the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading and it’s colder than the sea
It is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart they will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free.

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day
And the song that I am singing is a prayer to non-believers
Come and stand beside us, we can find a better way.

Lent is a time of reflection and conversion and so I have been listening to a lot of John Denver. This song has been my prayer. During Lent, my awareness of the need to simplify my life beyond the general materialistic sense is heightened. I am challenged to think about, and name, the things in my life that are inhibiting my ability to participate in my full self. This song names both the things that inhibit me and claims to offer a remedy that will guide me to freedom.

Personally, I know that I struggle with certain fears, escaped dreams and forgotten hopes at times; as I imagine many do. And I can’t even begin to count the times I have demanded to know where the rhyme and reason of things has been. Fleeting moments of despair mark the moments in our lives when we have been most desperate for a sign of grace. What we need during those times is a reminder to look to the simple things, the innocent and pure things in life, such as the children and the flowers. When we can recognize the overwhelming signs of grace that are camouflaged as ‘ordinary’ in extraordinary circumstances then we can begin to shed some of the inhibitors that distort our vision of clarity.

Besides our personal issues that dilute our full selves, we are constantly reminded of the larger societal issues that pollute our world, both its land and people. We hear daily about acts of terrorism and wars for freedom. Whatever the language may be that describes these acts, and the attempts to set them apart, there is one overarching word that unifies them: violence. The cities are crumbling and we can all remember where we were the day the towers fell around us. Living during a time when there is so much political and social duress it is no wonder that we live during a time where there is an outright spiritual crisis. As a global society we have started to let slip our hopes of a simpler and more innocent time. But look to the sources of new life that surround us and, as the resurrection of Christ marks the end of Lent, our discovery and celebration of new life will mark the steps to a better way.

On a personal note: During the times that I listen to my Lenten prayer I personally take to heart the part about letting the simple things in life lead us to the mountains to find freedom. I have lived in West Virginia for 18 months now after 4 years of yearning to be here, and I couldn’t agree more that my freedom has come from allowing the country roads to take me home. Join me in July of 2010 when I am born in the summer of my 27th year…See you in Colorado.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

The Catholic Committee of Appalachia has recently begun the initial stages of organizing a dialogue between local West Virginian environmentalists that are oppossed to Mountain Top Removal (MTR) and members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). This is a potentially volitile situation that could get very, VERY heated due to the history between these two groups. The value of members from both organizations coming together, despite their seemingly polar opposite priorities, is to raise awareness and even possibly to help each other recognize that they really have a lot in common. Despite outward appearances, the MTR opponents and UMWA members could stand to collaborate their efforts on some issues of concern that overlap with each group.

Since I first heard of the issue I have been obsessed with learning everything I can about MTR in West Virginia and it didn't take me long to conclude that I am adamantly opposed to it. In fact, I am often shocked that such blatant practices of desecration upon our land are tolerated even a little bit, let alone in epidemic proportions. Originally MTR was proposed as an efficient, safer way to extract the valuable coal that streaks the literal centers of the Appalachian mountains. During an era of U.S history when the prominence of coal in building the ever expanding empire of the U.S was crucial, the practice of MTR was an attractive method that was successful in supplying a hungry, growing country's demand. Not only was it safer for the miners (no more going underground) but it was timely (just blow and scrape) as well as cost efficient. What wasn't taken into careful enough consideration was the long term (permanent) effects it would leave on the region. As the practice became more popular and prominent, MTR's impact was becoming more obvious. Now, decades later, a visitor just driving through the southern coal fields of West Virginia can't help but see the devastation that MTR has brought to the region. Once verdant rolling hills are razed into barren wastelands that prominantly contrast the natural landscape of the region.

Well what credibility does a native Seattleite, a mere Appalchian transplant, have in criticizing the time honored tradition of coal mining in West Virginia? None really. But by looking at the statistics objectively, it seems to be obvious why the environmentalists and UMWA would want to collaborate.

Since the introduction of MTR, and its more efficient mechanized methods, the coal industry has steadily decreased the amount of jobs that once sustained the region. Putting all environmental concerns aside, the fact is: MTR costs WV coal miners their jobs. In 1950 there were 125,000 coal miners in West Virginia and by 2005 there were fewer than 15,000. Yet in that same time period coal production by ton steadily increased. The environment as well as the value of human labor are being trivialized for the sake of profits.

Not only do the environmental organizations and UMWA have a lot to benefit from a collaborative relationship, but both organizations would have much to gain from the facilitation by the CCA. The CCA is a powerful witness to the value of Catholic Social Teaching in the Appalachian region. Since it's inception it has been a champion for the sacred stewardship of land, the dignity of the human person and the rights and dignity of the worker. The mutual collaboration of these three group has the potential the raise awareness and bring attention to all the unique aspects of the region that have been slowly eliminated as well as restore/rehabilitate the broken and desecrated land and people.

For more information: http://www.ohvec.org/