Appalachian justice activists commemorate Judy Bonds’ birthday; Matriarch of movement to end mountaintop removal remembered in moment of silence

Human rights activists and environmentalists in Appalachia will observe a moment of silence at noon, Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, August 27, 2011 to commemorate the birth and brilliant life of Julia “Judy” Bonds. They are calling on all activists to join this remembrance. Judy, who died in January of this year, would have been 59 years old Saturday.  Judy’s fierce activism and determination crystallized the movement to end mountaintop removal coal extraction in Appalachia.  This moment of silence will be observed annually.

Born in Birch Hollow, West Virginia in 1952 to Oliver “Cobb” and Sarah Easton Hannah Thompson, Judy grew to adulthood in what was, as she described it, a mountain paradise before Massey Energy (now owned by Alpha Natural Resources) came to destroy it.  It was Massey’s assault on the area she held so dear that drove Judy, who at the time was working as a waitress, into the struggle to save not just herself, but all the other Appalachian communities ravaged by mountaintop removal. Seeing her grandson playing in the same creek where she had played as a child, and realizing that creek had been poisoned, gave Judy all the impetus she needed to speak truth to power.  Small of stature, she never hesitated to stand up to the mightiest politicians and coal company executives, and those people learned that in her they had met a mighty foe.

Judy realized she was in a struggle that might traverse generations, and whose end she might not see.  Like all great leaders, however, it neither slowed nor discouraged her. In 2003, the Goldman Foundation recognized both the importance of her work and her determined courage with its Environmental Prize, considered by many to be the “Environmental Nobel.” In addition, Judy travelled tirelessly almost to the very end, encouraging and exhorting people nationwide to stand up and be counted among those no longer willing to see an entire region sacrificed for profit.  She held especial regard for America’s youth, upon whom she placed a great trust that they would see the right and vigorously pursue it.

Bob Kincaid, Board President of Coal River Mountain Watch noted “Many of the great leaders who struggled for human rights, from Moses all the way to Dr. King, did not see the completion of their work.  Judy Bonds joined their ranks this past January.  Felled by the same coal-borne cancers that yet stalk our Appalachian hills and hollers, she knew what had been done to her and strove to her final day to see that it would STOP happening to others.  She left it to us to carry on in her name, and carry on we will! Our heritage, our communities and our very lives are NOT fit sacrifices for a handful of people to have a job and distant, uncaring shareholders to have a profit.”

Purpose Prize winner Bo Webb of Naoma, W.Va., Judy’s longtime colleague and friend said, “Seven months have passed since Judy’s life was snuffed out by Massey Energy.  Two alarming peer-reviewed scientific research papers have been released in that time indicating that mountaintop removal is killing our mountain community citizens and defecting our babies in the womb, and yet mountaintop removal continues. How many must die, how many body bags must be stacked up before Congress takes action and places a moratorium on all mountaintop removal?   I call for that again today, and in  the name of Judy Bonds I call upon every organization that receives funding to oppose mountaintop removal to immediately stop wasting that money on long-term organizing,  and use 100% of their mountaintop removal funding to call immediate attention to the urgency to end this crime now, today!”

Award-winning film producer Mari-Lynn Evans offered these reflections on the Judy’s life and work:  “I knew someone who was divined with greatness and her name was Judy Bonds. One of the honors of my life was to walk down this path with her guiding me. She was the proudest hillbilly I ever met.  She loved her home and she loved this land and its people with all her heart and soul. She devoted her life to stopping the environmental atrocities and social injustices that the Appalachian people have suffered for so very long. Her commitment to stopping mountaintop removal was iconic and so was she. In June, when almost 1000 anti-MTR protestors reached the peak of Blair Mountain, Maria Gunnoe invoked Judy’s name. Like Martin Luther King Jr, Judy never made it to the mountain top with us. In July,  two young women climbed 80′ up trees and sat there for weeks to prevent Alpha (Massey) from blasting Coal River WV. When they got to the top, they dropped banners that said “Stop MTR” and “For Judy Bonds”.  What a legacy she has left for those of us she had to leave behind! I think of her kindness and the twinkle in her eyes when she laughed, and she laughed a lot. She was full of love. This morning I watched a tribute film we did for Judy. At the end, Judy cries to the viewers that she just wants to go home. She just wants them (Massey) to leave and let her go home.  Judy is home now. In the name of Judy Bonds, STOP MTR NOW.”

Vernon Haltom, Director of Coal River Mountain Watch, who served as co-director with Judy said, “Judy is a national treasure, a freedom fighter, and the inspiration for thousands.  Our congressional delegation would rather ignore her sacrifice, though, and pretend that she and all the people suffering from mountaintop removal never existed. They continue to promote the genocide of mountaintop removal, the culture of death that says it’s okay to sacrifice our people, born and unborn, for a bloody profit.  Judy said, ‘How do you compromise with someone who’s blasting and poisoning us and our children?’ and ‘There’s blood on that light switch.’  She was never afraid of offending with her blunt truth.  In her final days on Earth, she called on us to fight harder.  The only other choice is to hand over untold thousands more to the coal cult’s deadly hand. We’re going to have a moment of silence, and then raise our voices for justice.”

Kincaid added, “As she lay dying, Judy called upon ALL persons of conscience to ‘Fight HARDER.’  Saturday’s commemoration of her birth is another step in that struggle.  Eventually, when we realize her dream of ending mountaintop removal, August 27 will be the day we mark Appalachia’s freedom from tyranny and the admission of all Appalachian people into full citizenship in the United States.”

We here in Oregon called him Senator Hatfield and we loved him.

Senator Mark O. Hatfield died last night.  It was the passing of a giant.  He was one of the youngest governors of the State of Oregon, one of the younger (and longest serving 30 years) US Senators.

Hatfield was an environmentalist who worked tirelessly to make sure that the state he loved was cared for properly.  At the same time, he also believed in expanding trade and educational opportunies for his people.

The list of things this man accomplished is as long as your arm.

What endeared him to his people most of all was his willingness to go against his own party if necessary.  With Sen. Hatfield it was neccessary.

In 1953 he introduced and passed legislation in the House that prohibited discrimination based on race in public accommodations before federal legislation and court decisions did so on a national level.

When he ran for Governor of Oregon, he was opposed by his own party.  That didn’t bother him a bit.  He won the primary and then the general election.  He was the youngest governor in the history of Oregon at that point in time at the age of 36.

His most famous vote was against the Vietnam War.

Mark O. Hatfield was a Governor, a U.S. Senator, and a statesman.

He was also a Republican.

Sen. Hatfield was one of two Republicans I’ve ever admired.  I don’t think we will see men like him again.

That is so sad.

We’ll miss you Sen. Hatfield.

Sen. Bernie Sanders needs your help.  He has written a letter to the President asking for his help in maintaining the middle class.  You can read the letter below.  What does Sen. Bernie need you to do?  Just go to his web page HERE and sign the letter along with him.  That’s all.  There’s no begging for money, just asking for your signature.  Help Sen. Sanders and more importantly, help this country!

Dear Mr. President,

This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today – which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing.  In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth.

Everyone understands that over the long-term we have got to reduce the deficit – a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars, and a prescription drug program written by the drug and insurance companies. It is absolutely imperative, however, that as we go forward with deficit reduction we completely reject the Republican approach that demands savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny.

Mr. President, please listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who believe that deficit reduction must be about shared sacrifice. The wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations in this country must pay their fair share.  At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions.  A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending.

Please do not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society.  Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billionaires who have never had it so good.

Respectfully,

Sen. Bernie Sanders;
and Co-signers

It’s an unpleasant subject folks, but just because Bob is not behind the mike does not mean the bills stop coming in.  The HORN needs your support just as much now as when Bob is giving the right wing hell!  Go to that Pay Pal button on the main site and donate.  Please!  We also have a snail mail address you can use if you don’t want to use Pay Pal.  The address is:

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PART FOUR

Ross started in without preamble. “Reverbo, what is the domestic industry probably least likely to suffer for the foreseeable future?” A relevant question, to be sure.  “Slim-Jim production, my astral-projected figurine?” I said. “You’re on the right track,” said Perot, “it’s health care. You’re all getting older and the boomers, despite their courageous fantasy of exercising and eating their way nutritiously to eternal youth, are all going to be ordering orthopedic pants within the next ten years, if not sooner. You’re going to be the biggest group of American sickos ever assembled at one time. Manufacturers know this, care givers and medical providers know it, assisted living communities are gearing up, drug companies and insurance companies are drooling over it–that’s one place where the profits will never dry up. See this chart I’ve prepared? As the age line goes up, the sick line follows, and this dollar sign just explodes.”

“Look around,” said Perot, “what do you see now? Everywhere people are younger than you. The business world is basically comprised of frat boys and 30-something managers making half of what you made when you got the slip, and who couldn’t give a damn how long you’ve worked or how loyal and dependable you are. What few decent jobs are left they give to their buddies. The government ain’t much better–cronies in almost every corner. What else is new? If you want to dilute the competition, you have to go at it in a sector-specific way.

There was no arguing with this logic. But I had no experience in the health care industry. Perot already guessed my predicament. “Now Larry…sorry, Reverbo, you’re probably asking yourself, well Ross, how am I going to fire a torpedo right into the middle of this one? From the edge. Let me tell you a little story. One time I had an idea to develop a line of personal adhesives. People are always needing to stick stuff to things, right, and don’t always have a way to do it. I convinced the 3–M Corporation to wrap me in an experimental high-density adhesive foam for three weeks, and was handsomely compensated for it, I might add. Now, what does this have to do with our health care discussion? Nothing, except I’m just demonstrating the potential economic power of unconventional possibilities. One time I was in Canyonlands National Park and watched how a husky lad of about ten gathered up a little too much speed down a slippery trail and then tripped and suffered a badly sprained face. You know what I thought of right then? The Runaway Tourist Ramp. I had some plans drawn up, and after a couple of phone calls to a senator friend of mine and a few million dollars later, these public safety features are now installed in almost all our national parks. Do you see what I’m trying to tell you here?”

Sure. Wish I was H. Ross Perot and could do any damn fool thing I wanted? That maybe this perky plutocrat was part of the problem? But that was not going to be a constructive answer, and anyway, I don’t hate all the super rich, only the ones who use their wealth to jack the system at the expense of everyone else. My response was unnecessary, though, because this was his show and his point was on. I remembered how Vonnegut felt about the edge. Fifty-nine years ago he wrote in Player Piano, “I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” Right now my job was to listen and learn.

“You know,” said Ross, “speaking of health, I had an idea for an affordable alternative to traditional, insurance-based medical care. I’ve been working up a plan for a home-based, all-in-one consumer machine that could fit in a shed or the corner of a garage for simple neighborhood family trimming and grooming jobs. Takes the place of costly treatments, unpleasant lotions, and often hard-to-find tools. I’ve named it the Master Family Groomer. You can offer it as a kit using relatively inexpensive components from the Sears Catalog. A do-it-yourselfer could put the whole shootin’ match together in an afternoon.

I had that captivating sensation one gets when the brain knows something odd and wonderful is soon to be revealed. “Dial me in, H.R. What does this contraption do?”

“Well, it does more than just groom,” said Ross, “way more. I’m using that as kind of a catch-all word. Think about this, Larry. Almost everyone you know has some minor physical abnormalities, right? Cousin Leo has that thing on his back that embarrasses the family every time he takes off his shirt at the lake; Uncle Dave contracted a peculiar rash on his hands from operating a lemur ranch that never healed properly to this day; Aunt Louise has never been able to completely remove them chin hairs––there’s always something.”

“Familiar stories all,” I nodded. Perot continued. “If you don’t need a specialized medical procedure or a university-trained anesthesiologist, this could be a profitable part-time occupation.”

Ross, of course, had a sketch of the device that combined a triple-action, three-speed Dino-Shift gearbox from a Craftsman lawn mower connected to a modified weed-eater shaft with bolt-on accessory and attachment flange, and the whole thing mounted on a wheeled tripod with dual patio lights and push button alarm–maybe $1500 worth of Sears parts. An enterprising promoter with an attractive price list could smooth out unsightly clusters of lichens, carbuncles, saddle sores, and bunions on a Saturday morning and still have time to get to the bank by noon.

“Listen to this,” Perot said, and started reading copy off another chart he had flipped on the easel. “At last, a practical, portable, and economical home unit that completely cleans, grooms, trims, grinds, peels, polishes, scrubs, slices, probes, buffs, routs, de-burrs, and de-greases every member of the family, including house pets and farm animals. Removes unwanted boils, lint, moles, lumps, hair, hives, cowlicks, frostbite, road tar and tattoos. Take it on your next vacation for emergency wilderness trimming. Opens stubborn pores!” The man was completely enthralled by his presentation. His expression had brightened into an almost incandescent gleam. As for me, I was unable to form complete sentences at this point.

The bubbly brainiac wasn’t done. “There’s more,” said Ross. “You got to hook ‘em with everything, Reverbo, so I thought of a couple of more teasers.” Still another chart was produced with more promotions and graphics, and the enchanting industrialist continued his pitch. “Colons re-bored! Order by Memorial Day and we’ll include a Pulse-King Dino-Flow Bowel Jet with pressure gauge, fifteen feet of hose and 6-gallon insulated water tank. A $99.95 value, yours absolutely free. And how about this Deluxe File Cabinet? Replace that complicated home computer and store individual trimming schedules you alphabetize!”

Although ill-at-ease with the picture of the bowel jet and pressure gauge accessory, I was nevertheless stunned by this man’s enormous capacity for ideas. “I can’t think of anything left to add except maybe, DOCTORS BAFFLED!” I laughed. “You ought to send one to Southern Culture on the Skids. It’s right up their alley. They’d use it as a door prize at one of their shows. Hell, you might as well say, ‘And boy, can this catch fish!’ Even on one of his 72-hour psilocybin benders Ron Popeil never dreamed of anything this big.”

Ross flashed that big grin. “See, Larry,” he said, “you’re catching on and thinking it through. Now’s no time to try to become an employee. Hell, there ain’t no regular jobs around anymore that pay worth a damn anyway. You want to really push the envelope? What we do is take the Home Groomer to the next level: Genome Modification. Picture a fleet of airships with this logo on the side: BIO–GEN Mobile DNA Sales & Service. Bio-Genetic Engineering While–U–Wait. This is where it’s going to happen, Reverbo. It’s right around the corner.”

Next:  Cortex grinding, slaw slinging, tater topping, and a final chart for now.

Reverbo                                                                                                                                                                            Critic-At-Large