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When my great-uncle Bill Blizzard marched up the side of Blair Mountain with several thousand other coal miners in the late summer of 1921, he wasn't thinking about the coal that lay within the mountain. He wasn't thinking about whether the streams along the base of the mountain ran clear or not.
He was thinking instead about the murder of his friend Sid Hatfield by Baldwin-Felts thugs just a few weeks before. He was thinking about the near-slavery conditions coal miners and their families were forced to endure. He was thinking about how to make their lives better.
It's important for Americans to remember the events that occurred on the slopes of Blair Mountain those fateful days, for it is a compelling and historically significant story of struggle against oppression. That story cannot be told nearly as well if the mountain is not there.
Blair Mountain is as close to sacred ground as there is for the UMWA. Though we may not physically own the mountain's land, its legacy is ours. We strongly support its preservation, for it represents the power ordinary people have when they decide to stick together and take up common struggle for the benefit of all. That is the essence of who we are as union members.
Today, West Virginians are still thinking about coal miners' jobs, and about how to make their lives and their communities better. But we are also thinking about the coal under Blair Mountain and surrounding ridges, and what ought to be done with it. And we are thinking about whether the water runs clear, not just for the fish, but for the people as well.
These are critical times in the coalfields. For coal miners, our families, our relatives, our friends and our neighbors, the decisions we make and the actions we take will determine not just how we live, but how our descendants will live for generations to come.
We must do our best to make the right decisions. And as we do, we must also realize (just as those miners did so many years ago) that although we may not agree on everything, we are all in this together. Failure to do so puts us at the mercy of those who would use our differences to divide us, allowing them to reap their own, selfish rewards at our expense.
So let us start.
Let us start by recognizing the dignity of work, and the fact that those who mine coal, by whatever method, do so because they seek to provide for themselves and their families. And let us also recognize that when the UMWA represents any workers anywhere, we have a duty to defend every one of their jobs and make them the best jobs they can be.
More than forty labor history volunteer/activists attended, and the fast paced agenda wasn't the only item that seemed to please everyone. The update on WV HCR 58, Labor History Week Resolution reported early on by chairman Bill Ramsey (from Clarksburg WV) set the tone.
By that resolution state lawmakers show their resolve to promote awareness and understanding of labor history by designating the annual observance of the week following the Labor Day Holiday as Labor History Week. It also encourages both public and private schools to provide instruction on labor history, particularly West Virginia labor history, during Labor History Week.
Authored and originally introduced to the Government Organization Committee Agenda by Christopher J. Williamson as H.B. 4343, it is now H.C.R. No. 58, thanks to Del. Mary Poling, D-Barbour, who introduced and sponsored it in response to a request from AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Larry Matheny.
WV AFL-CIO pres. Kenny Perdue addressed Saturday's meeting at the Marriott in downtown Charleston about the importance of teaching labor history in general, and about the Battle of Blair Mountain in particular, including why more West Virginians should be made aware of what it was all about. He remarked that it is astounding how many West Virginians don't know anything about Blair Mountain.
During the meeting, Blair Mountain activist Tom Rule extended an invitation to all attendees to a party on Labor Day Saturday (that's Saturday, September 4). Hosted by the Friends of Blair Mountain, he said that it would be more of a party atmosphere than that of a protest normally associated with past Blair Mountain rallies.
Local individuals and groups are all welcome, to celebrate and promote the importance of not just preserving that mountain, but developing it into a national monument. One worthy of commemorating the entire battlefield as it represents West Virginia's crucial role in advancing the entire U.S. labor movement.
The Friends of Blair Mountain Labor Saturday Do-ins will be at The Whipple Store, a museum which itself is steeped in labor history, because it was originally a major coal company store.
Although the museum hours are longer, the party is set from 1pm 'til 5, so come early and plan to stay late. Everyone from rednecks to greeniacs, from local activists of one stripe to acclaimed activists of another will all be celebrating together that Blair Mountain still even exists, despite the dark forces of the land companies, coal operators, and the filthy state coalocracy supported by too-slick politicians of both political parties.
The SHPO (an acronym that rhymes with "hippo") is officially titled the WV State Historic PRESERVATION Office, the mandate of which is to protect, and preserve West Virginia's historic resources, and educate the public about them. That mandate is codified both in state regulations and federal law. But what WV administrators have been doing to Blair Mountain has been anything BUT live up to that responsibility.
The evidence is irrefutable. The history of scofflaw coalocrats hellbent on robbing West Virginia of her heritage is long and sordid, as any serious student of WV history knows.
The leadership of both major political parties in West Virginia had long clung to the notion that organized labor, especially among miners, was a deadly conspiracy to be ignored publicly and suppressed privately. Legitimizing labor by acknowledging its importance along with heroes of the frontier or Civil War was a bitter pill for the established political community to swallow.source
Even as I write this, administrators in the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (sanctioned by Governor Manchin) struggle to hide how badly coal operators and their land company lawyers have screwed this state*.
On June 2, National Geographic called the Battle for Blair Mountain II an uphill struggle by preservationists against coal company forces. Nat Geo's author badly understated the situation by failing to mention how entrenched the coal operators' dark forces have infiltrated our bureaucracy, and how severely out-gunned our pro-labor preservationists are when squaring off against land company lawyers and coal-powered politicians.
Entering the fray on behalf of preserving our historic resource has been an informal coalition of concerned citizens, archaeologists, historians, labor leaders and environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Climate Ground Zero, Coal River Mountain Watch, OHVEC and Appalachian Voices.
Check out the BRAND SPANKIN' NEW evidence of scofflaw SHPOcrisy by double clicking the "There's More" link below...
*Exactly how badly have scofflaw coalocrats screwed West Virginia over the years?
The coal industry generates a little more than $8 billion a year in economic benefits for the Appalachian region. But, they put the value of premature deaths attributable to the mining industry across the Appalachian coalfields at — by a most conservative estimate — $42 billion.
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE FORCED TO REVISE RECOMMENDATION
Anyone following this saga already knows that by her letter dated December 9, 2009, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Susan Pierce recommended to the WV Dept. of Highways that the State of West Virginia turn control of the historic resource at Blair Mountain over to the coal operators' land company (see her highlighted letter at this link).
Interested parties should also recall that it was discovered that the SHPO had done so without consulting their own staff of archeologists, who followed up a number of phone calls with a Freedom of Information Act Request dated June 15, 2010, which was hand delivered to the front desk of the WV Division of Culture and History (see redacted FOIA request at this link).
See important new evidence that the WV Deputy SHPO was not only forced to 'lick her own calf' while yet again ignoring existing laws by clicking the "There's More" link below...
I've just been notified that there are questionable documents filed with the Department of Highways (WVDOH") which indicate major deception favorable to the land company in its quest to destroy the historic resource on Blair Mountain.
My source claims he's seen first-hand evidence that the WV Division of Highways made obvious "mistakes" which likely short-circuited the public's right to a fair hearing over the controversial Blair Road abandonment of right-of-way.
Below the jump is evidence that either "mistakes were made" or constructive fraud was committed. Either way, it 'just so happens' to benefit the coal operators. So click on the "There's More" link to see even more evidence of coalocracy in action...
I've just been notified that the WV Attorney General's office has begun seriously considering weighing in on the controversial abandonment of Blair mountain road right-of-way by the WV Division of Highways.
According to Gordon Simmons, president of the West Virginia Labor History Association, his outfit along with the group Friends of Blair Mountain have together mounted a petition drive asking Attorney General Darrell McGraw to stop the state from abandoning the site.
Among the facts under consideration are charges by citizens of the Great State of West Virginia that administrators at the WV Division of Culture and History have shirked their duty to preserve the site of the bloodiest U.S. armed rebellion since the Civil War.
One shocking discovery which reportedly jarred Warren McGraw's office was that although the state currently employs four archeologists for the purpose of preserving our historic assets, not one was consulted prior to the State Historic Preservation Office's decision to green-light the WV DOH abandonment of Blair Road right-of-way!
The Friends of Blair Mountain are now attempting to contact film maker John Sayles to pitch in, because he reportedly wanted to film the famous Blair Mountain conflict, but was constrained due to budget and time considerations.
Where to send your last-minute objection to the state's abandoning the right-of-way to Blair Mountain road is below the jump, along with another eye-opening letter to the WV DOH commissioner
*As a Charleston Gazette reporter since 1982, Paul J. Nyden has won thirty newspaper awards including: a George Polk Award for business reporting, two first-place Society of Professional Journalists awards, and one first-place Investigative Reporters and Editors award. source
I've just been notified that the WV Attorney General's office has begun seriously considering weighing in on the abandonment of Blair mountain road right-of-way by the WV Division of Highways.
According to Gordon Simmons, president of the West Virginia Labor History Association, his outfit along with the group Friends of Blair Mountain have together mounted a petition drive asking Attorney General Darrell McGraw to stop the state from abandoning the site.
Among the facts under consideration are charges by citizens of the Great State of West Virginia that administrators at the WV Division of Culture and History have shirked their duty to preserve the site of the bloodiest U.S. armed rebellion since the Civil War.
One shocking discovery which reportedly jarred Warren McGraw's office was that although the state currently employs four archeologists for the purpose of preserving our historic assets, not one was consulted prior to the State Historic Preservation Office's decision to green-light the WV DOH abandonment of Blair Road right-of-way!
The Friends of Blair Mountain are now attempting to contact film maker John Sales to pitch in, because he reportedly wanted to film the famous Blair Mountain conflict, but was constrained due to budget and time considerations.
*As a Charleston Gazette reporter since 1982, Paul J. Nyden has won thirty newspaper awards including: a George Polk Award for business reporting, two first-place Society of Professional Journalists awards, and one first-place Investigative Reporters and Editors award. source
Where to send your last-minute objection to the state's abandoning the right-of-way to Blair Mountain road is below the jump, along with another eye-opening letter to the WV DOH commissioner
I've just been notified that the WV Attorney General's office has begun seriously considering weighing in on the abandonment of Blair mountain road right-of-way by the WV Division of Highways.
According to Gordon Simmons, president of the West Virginia Labor History Association, his outfit along with the group Friends of Blair Mountain have together mounted a petition drive asking Attorney General Darrell McGraw to stop the state from abandoning the site.
Among the facts under consideration are charges by citizens of the Great State of West Virginia that administrators at the WV Division of Culture and History have shirked their duty to preserve the site of the bloodiest U.S. armed rebellion since the Civil War.
One shocking discovery which reportedly jarred Warren McGraw's office was that although the state currently employs four archeologists for the purpose of preserving our historic assets, not one was consulted prior to the State Historic Preservation Office's decision to green-light the WV DOH abandonment of Blair Road right-of-way!
The Friends of Blair Mountain are now attempting to contact film maker John Sales to pitch in, because he reportedly wanted to film the famous Blair Mountain conflict, but was constrained due to budget and time considerations.
*As a Charleston Gazette reporter since 1982, Paul J. Nyden has won thirty newspaper awards including: a George Polk Award for business reporting, two first-place Society of Professional Journalists awards, and one first-place Investigative Reporters and Editors award. source
Where to send your last-minute objection to the state's abandoning the right-of-way to Blair Mountain road is below the jump, along with another eye-opening letter to the WV DOH commissioner
I've just been notified that the WV Attorney General's office has begun seriously considering weighing in on the abandonment of Blair mountain road right-of-way by the WV Division of Highways.
Among the facts under consideration are charges by citizens of the Great State of West Virginia that administrators at the WV Division of Culture and History have shirked their duty to preserve the site of the bloodiest U.S. armed rebellion since the Civil War.
One shocking discovery which reportedly jarred Warren McGraw's office was that although the state currently employs four archeologists for the purpose of preserving our historic assets, not one was consulted prior to the State Historic Preservation Office's decision to green-light the WV DOH abandonment of Blair Road right-of-way!
Locally honored labor historian Wess Harris also notified me that as of this date the commissioner for the WV Dept. of Highways has not responded to his offer to take him to the Blair Mountain battle site on one of his Truth Tours.
The Friends of Blair Mountain are now attempting to contact film maker John Sales to pitch in, because he reportedly wanted to film the famous Blair Mountain conflict, but was constrained due to budget and time considerations.
*As a Charleston Gazette reporter since 1982, Paul J. Nyden has won thirty newspaper awards including: a George Polk Award for business reporting, two first-place Society of Professional Journalists awards, and one first-place Investigative Reporters and Editors award. source
Reminder where to send your objections the state abandoning the right-of-way to Blair Mountain road below the jump...
Before I get into the details, please understand that we only have until June 17th to write to the WV Division of Highways to try to stop them from turning one of the most important sections of the historic Blair Mountain battlefield over to the coal operators.
In response to an abandonment of right-of-way request to the DOH from Natural Resource Partners, L.P., (a land company that joined with Massey Energy and Peabody Coal to oppose the listing of Blair Mountain on the National Register of Historic Places), a public hearing took place outside of Charleston on May 17 of this year. Its not surprising that most folks didn't hear about it, since even the DOH's district manager for Logan County, where the abandonment is proposed wasn't aware of it.
Anyway, if passed, the abandonment of right-of-way will grant the coal operators the ability to bulldoze one of the most important sections of the Blair Mountain battle sites. The attorney representing Natural Resource Partners, L.P., has stated candidly that it is the intention of his clients to surface mine the area.
If you're opposed to it, please direct your comments to:
Paul A. Mattox, Jr., P.E.
Phone (304)558-3505
Fax (304)558-1004
E-mail dot.commissioner@wv.gov
Please be sure that you put on the subject line BLAIR ROAD ABANDONMENT - FR#09-1253-LG
This area is extremely important, as it is one of the only places where both the defensive positions and the miners' approaches are still relatively undisturbed. While some archaeological research has been done in this portion, much work is still needed to comprehend the dynamics of the battle at this location.
..snip..
If this (abandonment of right of way) happens, the coal operators will control the only route into the southern end of the battlefield, and access would be completely cut off to the general public.
This would then enable lumbering and coal extraction operations to be undertaken in the heart of the battlefield. In addition, without this access, our ability to monitor the site will be severely impeded.
..snip..
- As of now, the state of WV does not spend any money whatsoever on maintaining the road. It does not cost the state anything, but has the
potential to generate funds in the future.
- Alternative proposals for County Route 119/7 that could benefit the public over the long term should be considered. The road could serve as an interpretive hiking trail that showcases the history of miners' struggles and the battle itself. There are many more possible usages and development ideas for the battlefield in which the road would play a central part, and these alternatives could generate long-term employment and public money.
Dig below the jump to unearth evidence of ZOMBIE COALOCRATS COMMITTING CONSTRUCTIVE FRAUD...
Before I get into the details, please understand that we only have until June 17th to write to the WV Division of Highways to try to stop them from turning one of the most important sections of the historic Blair Mountain battlefield over to the coal operators.
In response to an abandonment of right-of-way request to the DOH from Natural Resource Partners, L.P., (a land company that joined with Massey Energy and Peabody Coal to oppose the listing of Blair Mountain on the National Register of Historic Places), a public hearing took place outside of Charleston on May 17 of this year. Its not surprising that most folks didn't hear about it, since even the DOH's district manager for Logan County, where the abandonment is proposed wasn't aware of it.
Anyway, if passed, the abandonment of right-of-way will grant the coal operators the ability to bulldoze one of the most important sections of the Blair Mountain battle sites. The attorney representing Natural Resource Partners, L.P., has stated candidly that it is the intention of his clients to surface mine the area.
If you're opposed to it, please direct your comments to:
Paul A. Mattox, Jr., P.E.
Phone (304)558-3505
Fax (304)558-1004
E-mail dot.commissioner@wv.gov
Please be sure that you put on the subject line BLAIR ROAD ABANDONMENT - FR#09-1253-LG
This area is extremely important, as it is one of the only places where both the defensive positions and the miners' approaches are still relatively undisturbed. While some archaeological research has been done in this portion, much work is still needed to comprehend the dynamics of the battle at this location.
..snip..
If this (abandonment of right of way) happens, the coal operators will control the only route into the southern end of the battlefield, and access would be completely cut off to the general public.
This would then enable lumbering and coal extraction operations to be undertaken in the heart of the battlefield. In addition, without this access, our ability to monitor the site will be severely impeded.
..snip..
- As of now, the state of WV does not spend any money whatsoever on maintaining the road. It does not cost the state anything, but has the
potential to generate funds in the future.
- Alternative proposals for County Route 119/7 that could benefit the public over the long term should be considered. The road could serve as an interpretive hiking trail that showcases the history of miners' struggles and the battle itself. There are many more possible usages and development ideas for the battlefield in which the road would play a central part, and these alternatives could generate long-term employment and public money.
Dig below the jump to unearth evidence of ZOMBIE COALOCRATS COMMITTING CONSTRUCTIVE FRAUD...
Before I get into the details, please understand that we only have until June 17th to write to the WV Division of Highways to try to stop them from turning one of the most important sections of the historic Blair Mountain battlefield over to the coal operators.
In response to an abandonment of right-of-way request to the DOH from Natural Resource Partners, L.P., (a land company that joined with Massey Energy and Peabody Coal to oppose the listing of Blair Mountain on the National Register of Historic Places), a public hearing took place outside of Charleston on May 17 of this year. Its not surprising that most folks didn't hear about it, since even the DOH's district manager for Logan County, where the abandonment is proposed wasn't aware of it.
Anyway, if passed, the abandonment of right-of-way will grant the coal operators the ability to bulldoze one of the most important sections of the Blair Mountain battle sites. The attorney representing Natural Resource Partners, L.P., has stated candidly that it is the intention of his clients to surface mine the area.
If you're opposed to it, please direct your comments to:
Paul A. Mattox, Jr., P.E.
Phone (304)558-3505
Fax (304)558-1004
E-mail dot.commissioner@wv.gov
Please be sure that you put on the subject line BLAIR ROAD ABANDONMENT - FR#09-1253-LG
This area is extremely important, as it is one of the only places where both the defensive positions and the miners' approaches are still relatively undisturbed. While some archaeological research has been done in this portion, much work is still needed to comprehend the dynamics of the battle at this location.
..snip..
If this (abandonment of right of way) happens, the coal operators will control the only route into the southern end of the battlefield, and access would be completely cut off to the general public.
This would then enable lumbering and coal extraction operations to be undertaken in the heart of the battlefield. In addition, without this access, our ability to monitor the site will be severely impeded.
..snip..
- As of now, the state of WV does not spend any money whatsoever on maintaining the road. It does not cost the state anything, but has the
potential to generate funds in the future.
- Alternative proposals for County Route 119/7 that could benefit the public over the long term should be considered. The road could serve as an interpretive hiking trail that showcases the history of miners' struggles and the battle itself. There are many more possible usages and development ideas for the battlefield in which the road would play a central part, and these alternatives could generate long-term employment and public money.
Dig below the jump to unearth evidence of ZOMBIE COALOCRATS COMMITTING CONSTRUCTIVE FRAUD...
From an email, TD has information on an event in Morgantown next week that looks quite interesting:
On Wednesday, March 24th @ Noon, in the Davis Gallery, at the West Virginia University College of Law, the Democratic Law Caucus and the WVU Labor Law Society will be hosting an event to discuss the Battle of Blair Mountain, its importance in history, and the current state of the battle to get it placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dr. Barbara Rasmussen, one of the lead historians regarding the Battle of Blair Mountain, will be speaking.
Food and refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Democratic Law Caucus.
Please come learn about one of the most important pieces of Labor & West Virginia History.
There's been a lot of accusations regarding the listing and delisting of Blair Mountain to the National Register of Historic Places. If you attend, let us know what Dr. Rasmussen's take on the controversy is.
"A history museum is as good as the history that goes into it"
source: Dr. Ken Sullivan, Executive Director of the West Virginia Humanities Council, speaking about the $17 million dollar renovation of WV's main official state museum located at the Capitol.
Most folks wouldn't think that he's admitting that the chunks of WV's history which are dark and full of desperation were purposely left out of in order to make the museum "good". But after considering what's not in the museum, and upon close inspection of what's actually there, it begins to appear as if Dr. Sullivan meant that if our history isn't good enough to make an attractive display, then it should be revised.
WV History: Why Accuracy MATTERS
I remember well when they first opened the museum exhibit at the state capitol back in 1976. The official name then was the West Virginia Science and Culture Center. That's right, Science and Culture. Apparently they steered clear of using the "H word" because somebody realized that the sparse history presented there couldn't even come close to passing muster as a "history" museum.
It was also back in 1976 that I first heard the term "Arch Moore's Culture Palace". A young store clerk for a very popular downtown Charleston small business used the term when asking if I'd seen it. Last year he was fired after having faithfully worked there for over thirty years. It is a sad testimony to our state's regressive labor laws that although very the company was successful for over sixty years, that small business never put him, nor any other of its many clerks on as "full time" employees. EVER.
If, back then, "Arch Moore's Culture Palace" had properly detailed the history of the stranglehold that coal operators and land companies have had on WV's political system, then maybe, just maybe, state lawmakers would have been embarrassed enough to have eventually required all businesses to take better care of their faithful employees. Instead, regressive state laws are designed to let small to medium sized stores skirt labor laws by under-employing our citizens.
Stop and think for a moment about what progressive labor laws in West Virginia would mean. Everyone from well-established small businesses, to successful "small store" national franchises, from car dealerships, to Starbucks, to McDonald's, to Books-A-Million, employers all across the state would suddenly be giving their experienced workers full-time employment. That naturally would mean more ready cash for WV families and individuals to spend, so every business would thrive.
Instead, West Virginia has never risen above the bottom rungs of the U.S. economic ladder, despite having one of the lowest business startup and operational costs of any state, at least according to the WV Chamber of Commerce!
As it stands now, with the exception of coal mines and government employees (which have recently been laid off in droves), most WV businesses virtually always under-employ their workers just to dodge the unfair burden of 'employee benefits' laws fashioned to favor coal operators.
The net result has been that once employees of small-to-medium-sized stores get some experience and/ or education, they're all but forced leave the state in droves. Small-to-medium businesses never really thrive, which permanently stunts the general economy of West Virginia.
Treating workers like second-class citizens is the dirty little secret which keeps West Virginia on the bottom rung of the nation's economic ladder. Which fits the coal extraction industry's political plan perfectly.
UMWA President Cecil E. Roberts recently felt compelled to write a letter to WV Director of Museums Adam Hodges, admonishing,
"if the story told in the museums do not depict the full story or worse, slants the facts to fit a preconceived view of what that history is and what it represents, then the purpose of the museum changes from one of providing information to one of spreading propaganda."
The state's museum director never responded.
Dr. Ken Sullivan was on the short list of experts who, according to Director Hodges, were allegedly consulted regarding not only what historical facts went on display, but how each was to be featured.
Considering that two of the remaining four on that list (besides Dr. Sullivan) are on record as having flatly denied that they had anything to do with the museum's contents, I now wonder if Sullivan is even willing take full responsibility for his own statement.
Read it again.
"A history museum is as good as the history that goes into it"
Is he actually saying dark past = bad museum?
Now to be fair, taken in context Sullivan most certainly meant to say that the museum should be great no matter what our state's history was, because in the same breath he went on to opine
"The West Virginia State Museum is based on the very best scholarship that's available in this generation. Top historians were involved from start to finish and their thoughtful work underlies every part of our spectacular museum"
Note that I used the word "opine" because his claims appear disconnected from the facts. Upon request, a list of Sullivan's "Top Historians" was provided to Wess Harris, who has also been recognized as a historian of note.
Unfortunately, Mr. Harris didn't make the director's list. Perhaps it's because he's one of WV's top labor historians.
That list of experts as provided by the museum director's office who were allegedly consulted were:
1. Dr. Ken Sullivan,
2. Dr. John Williams,
3. Dr. Ron Lewis,
4. Dr. Ron Eller, and
5. Dr. Jerry Thomas
The results of Mr. Harris' polling of the members on that list compels me to challenge Dr. Sullivan's statement. Using the exact vernacular of one expert on the Director's list, his assertion that all on the list were consulted is "BULLSHIT".
Another expert on the list confirmed it by flatly stating that he was never even contacted by the WV Division of Culture and History, although he lives very close to the museum and was available during the planning phase of the renovation.
Dr. John Williams, yet another on the list of WV's top historians, is on record as having strongly objected to the "Disneyfication" of the museum. He said that his strong objections to the way that $17 million renovation was being spent actually made him a hero to many WV Culture and History staff members.
He also said that although the museum director may be technically correct when stating that he was consulted, the way they renovated in spite of his objections shows that his advice carried little weight.
So reportedly the lion's share of the state's top historians have either distanced themselves from the way our history is presented, or else were never consulted.
Speaking of lists, I'm beginning to wonder if the WV Director of Museums had anything to do with the dead land owners who recently requested that Blair Mountain be eradicated. Let's not confuse WV museums director Adam Hodges with the state Commissioner for the WV Division of Culture and History though. Because it was Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith who controversially balked at taking Blair Mountain off the list of National Registry for historic preservation, despite having been shown evidence that dead owners had been improperly listed.
Although the action of destroying a powerful symbol of the history of the labor movement on Blair Mountain is similar in result to undermining that same movement at the museum, these two aren't the same individuals, even though bogus lists were utilized in both cases. Two or more coalocrats conspiring to change history might actually be a crime. But it certainly wouldn't be the first time that it happened.
Although Commissioner Reid-Smith doesn't officially hold the same position as the WV Director of Museums, there is much reason to believe that Randall Reid-Smith had lots of input regarding what's on display in the state's #1 historical museum. Plus, the photo below reveals several additional cozy relationships.
UNDOCTORED SCANNED PHOTO OF Randall Reid-Smith's personal Sports Utility Vehicle Check out the close cropped zoom of the Friends of Coal sticker and Commissioner Randall Reid Smith's distinctive vanity plate at this link and also the zoomed shot of the sign marking not the COMMISSIONER'S parking spot but MUSEUM DIRECTOR'S slot at what should perhaps be renamed the Arch A. Moore, Jr. WV Center for the Revision of History at this link.
Does anyone really wonder why Randall Reid-Smith is balking at putting Blair Mountain back onto the National Registry of historical places to be preserved?
Actually, no one should be that surprised by the fever to take Blair Mountain out, since it's certainly not the first WV historical landmark removed from the registry and demolished..
Below the jump, I'll demonstrate how, a century ago, robber-barons used the awesome power of the state to shaft the working people by manipulating political leaders on behalf of mine operators. Then I'll produce evidence that modern-day coalocrats are doing the same in an effort to revise our history just to bury their bloody and greed-driven record.
COALOCRAT:
1. Any partisan politician or political appointee that will to do anything and everything within their power to benefit coal operators.
2. Coal-powered bureaucrat.
*For the record, I find the word "hillbilly" extremely offensive. I use it here only to deride the way that elitist coalocrats historically treat the working-class in this state.
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