Tragedy in West Virginia coal mine

~25 coal miners dead in blast~

Whenever a tragedy occurs in the coalfields, I turn to Carl Kilo for information ... and today is no exception. He has worked it, he knows it, he is part of the coal community.

What surprised me was Tom White's immediate response to Ben Tribbett's post about a heart breaking loss of 25 lives ... and possibly more ... because I was unaware of Tom's connection to West Virginia and the mines. Not one to mince words, Tom laid it on the line:

My Grandfather was a West Virginia coal miner who died of Black Lung, as did his father before him. My Dad worked for a short time in the mines as did my uncles and I have many cousins currently working in coal mines in West Virginia. My Dad’s people were Welsh immigrants who traded the mines in Wales for those in West Virginia.

So, as I hear of the tragedy in a mine near Charleston, WV I begin to wonder if I am going to get a call or an email bringing bad news.

Then I run across this post by Tribbett who uses the mining tragedy for a political attack on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

This is not the time for political attacks or attacks on "big coal" ... this is the time to pull together as Americans and recognize the contribution of these hard-working men and grieve with their loved ones. Our prayers are with their families.