Mile-Long Petition Delivered to Dominion!

admin May 13th, 2008

SAMS leaders Pete Ramey, Larry Bush, Kathy Selvage and allies present mile long petition to Dominion:
Petition Handoff

Our Wise Energy for Virginia coalition has delivered the Mile-Long Petition for Clean Energy in Virginia to Dominion’s Richmond headquarters! Many dedicated opponents of Dominion’s proposed coal plant were there for this exciting rally, and many more worked hard leading up to the event to collect petition signatures. 43,000 people - mainly Virginians - have signed the petition, and that number is growing as many continue to sign online.

A heart-felt thanks goes out to everyone who helped to make the petition a great showing of the strength and dedication of those fighting for our mountains, air, and climate in Virginia. Most importantly, by spreading the word to others - whether in your home community online - you have also helped to build our large base of citizens taking action on this issue even bigger!

The Mile-Long Petition, strung out in Kanawha Plaza at the foot of the Dominion skyscraper, was an inspiring sight! The crowd folded the entire petition and packed it into three large boxes as the band Trees on Fire sang about the power of people standing up to powerful institutions. A delegation of coalfields residents then handed the petition off to two suited Dominion officials, who wheeled it into the building on a large cart. If you couldn’t be there, please take a moment to check out these photos of the event on Flickr at http://flickr.com/photos/13155199@N08/

We will continue building our base and the petition until the plant is defeated, so - if you haven’t yet done so - please consider collecting signatures on your website, blog, or Facebook page. For instructions on how to easily install the Mile-Long Petition Meter see this website: http://cleanenergyva.org/?p=43

The petition delivery was the culmination of months of work by many committed individuals, and it also symbolized the efforts of the thousands who have participated in the democratic process to oppose the plant so far. However, the event felt like the beginning of something even bigger: a growing coalition of citizens working for a Virginia energy policy representing the public interest and a respect for the state’s people and natural heritage. Our work has just begun. Thank you for continuing to do your part!

Letter

admin April 15th, 2008

My name is Jennifer Mullins and I recently signed up to become a member of Appalachian Voices. I wanted to email you and let you know the reasons as to why I decided to become a member. I was raised in a small coal camp, called Derby, which is just outside of Appalachia, VA. I now reside in Jonesville,VA which is about 45 minutes away. Believe it or not, most of the people in town have never heard of the Mountaintop Removal Project. Honestly, I just became aware of it myself about 5 months ago. My father, Robert Mullins, who is a retired coal miner, brought it to my attention. When I learned as to what the project was all about, it broke my heart. I am astonished that people are literally blowing up our beautiful mountains. Now I know that my father worked in an industry that produces the same product but at least with the ‘normal’ mining method, the area that is mined has more of a chance to recover. With the mountaintop project, the wildlife that the mountains house have nowhere to go and will eventually have to cohabitate with humans where they are not intended to be.

During my entire childhood, the mountains surrounding my home, is where I learned about nature. I used to explore and navigate through the mountains as if I were going to discover an unknown land. Those and many other memories are so vivid in my mind. Never one time did I stop and think about the mountains not being there. I thought that the mountains were as much as a part of my home as the house we lived in itself. I imagined my children coming to visit their grandparents and exploring the same mountains as I did. I hoped that they would make special memories just as my brother and I did playing in those mountains. If something is not done soon, those and other mountains will no longer be there. What will happen to the hundreds of families that live in or around these mountains? Such as my father. He may have to move out of his home that he has lived in for over 35 years due to this project. It is one of my biggest fears to have my home no longer be in my family.

I have talked to many people in my area about this project and to my surprise, a lot of them have never heard of it. They are not aware that this is happening not only locally but around the world. Maybe that is the problem…….maybe there is not enough awareness about the devastation this project brings. When something needs to be done or something needs to be changed, I think the best way to accomplish that is to make people aware. Much like advertising is to a business. If more people knew this was going on, I guarantee that they would feel much the same way about their homeland. I understand that you are probably a busy man and I apologize for the lengthy letter. The reason that I am emailing this to you is to thank you. I want to thank you for all the time and energy that you are putting into notifying people about the Power Plant and trying to stop it from opening. I know that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to go against something that so many people are for. When you feel as if you are going against the wind, preserverance is so important. I may just be a small voice that no one can hear but with more voices together, we can get attention. At first, I was all for the plant opening because of the well needed jobs that it can bring to our community. Once I thought about it, I realized that those few jobs are not at all worth the health risks that my children and other children are going to face. People don’t think about hazards like that unless they see them. It’s the out of sight, out of mind sort of thing. If they can’t see it, then it’s like it’s not there. I don’t go to work and constantly preach on how I feel about the plant and the mountain top project but I do let people know of the risks. I hear people tell me all the time that if I loved this area then I would support the plant for the jobs. If someone wants to bring jobs to the area then why can’t they bring in a business that would be good for the area and won’t pollute our backyards? I could go on and on but I won’t. I wanted to just let you know that there is a woman in Lee County who has 2 children, and works hard every day to provide for them, who supports your cause and understands what you face. If there is anything that I can do that could help out in any way, please let me know. Thanks again!

The 3-Ms of environmental destruction

admin March 6th, 2008

Myth, misinformation and manipulation are the only tools remaining in the arsenal of big business and their political enablers, in their continuing effort to stifle logic and reason. The overwhelming and growing awareness of environmental and social injustice issues relating to the coal fired power and mountain top removal strip mining, is little more than a pest to those who will go to any extent to maintain the status quo. The greatest myth being that so called economic growth improves the quality of life of the masses, when in fact it serves only the concentration of wealth at the top and the destruction of the middle class. Truth is that in 1950 there were 143,000 employed coal miners in West Virginia , today that number is down to 20,000, with an average annual extraction of 170 million tons of coal since the year 2001. More than 60 million tons of that result from mountain top removal. The recent DEQ hearings on the proposed Virginia City power plant are prime examples of manipulation and misinformation. The idea that without the construction of this plant, there will be fewer coal mining jobs is absolutely absurd. The simple truth being that all the available manpower and machinery that exist today in the Appalachian coal fields, working 24-7 and 365 could not make a dent in the worldwide demand for coal. Yet Dominion Power and it’s propaganda machine were able to muster hundreds of local miners in support of this power plant, based on a fear that they may lose their jobs if the project is defeated. There is simply no historical evidence that the core population of the coalfields has ever seen long term benefit from modern destructive mining practices. The lion’s share of profit has always and continues to go to large corporations that exist elsewhere, while leaving behind economic and environmental devastation. It is not in the interest of big business to permit the growth of alternative energy sources at a time when windfall profits are connected to the continued exploitation of fossil fuel. Sadly in today’s broken democracy….what big business wants, big business gets!! As environmentalists, the only weapon we need in our arsenal is the one we possess in abundance..THE TRUTH..and our job is to continue to deliver that truth, at every opportunity in every available venue. We must take heart in knowing that history shows…voices crying from the wilderness.. are eventually heard.. though it may require the sacrifices of many well intentioned folks.

John Messer

Big Stone Gap, Va.

LAW AND ODOR: “DEMOCRACY IN DECAY”

admin February 20th, 2008

THERE’S AN OLD MAFIA TACTIC; IT’S ONE OF THEIR STAPLES AND IT’S CALLED PROTECTION. IT WORKS LIKE THIS; THEY COME BY YOUR PLACE AND TELL YOU THERE ARE CERTAIN FOLKS WHO WILL DO YOU HARM, BUT FOR A PRICE ,THE PERSON DELIVERING THIS NEWS TO YOU WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THESE ASCRIBED THREATS. PROBLEM IS, WHEN DEALING WITH THE MAFIA, THE SO CALLED PROTECTOR IS ALSO THE PERPERTRATOR OF THE THREAT. THE TRUTH IS , THIS SCAM GOES ON EVERYWHERE TODAY.

THE DECEIVER IS SURE OF THIS; FEAR WILL CAUSE HUMAN BEINGS TO GIVE UP THINGS THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE PART WITH. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID. FEAR THIS, FEAR THAT. THE DECEIVER IS SURE OF THIS ALSO; HUMAN BEINGS OUT OF BALANCE AND UNEASY ARE VERY EASY TO MANAGE AND GOVERN. IF “WE THE PEOPLE” LOSE CONFINDENCE IN OUSELVES, IF WE ALLOW TOO MANY MINORITY AGENDAS TO PREVAIL, THEN WHO IN FACT IS IN CHARGE? CERTAINLY NOT A GOVERNMENT OF AND BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

DEMOCRACY CANNOT THRIVE IN AN AIRE OF UNCERTAINTY AND TRUE FREEDOM CANNOT EXIST IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH FEAR. FEAR AND DECEPTION HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE FAVORITE TOOLS FOR THE TYRANT; EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN HIS SWORD. WHY MAKE A BLOODY MESS WHEN YOU CAN JUST SCARE EVERYONE INTO SUBMISSION? IT’S THE SUBVERSION OF THE SPIRIT AND VALUES OF THAT GROUP CALLED “WE THE PEOPLE” THAT WE MUST FEAR MOST. FEAR THIS, “WE THE PEOPLE” HAVE, THROUGH OUR OWN CIVIC NEGLIGENCE, ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE TAKEN OVER BY AN ELITE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES PUBLIC SERVANTS WHEN MOSTLY THEY SERVE THEMSELVES.

GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF CONVINCER, RATHER THAN REFLECTING THE TRUE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO THE POINT OF ARROGANCE IN MAKING US BELIEVE THAT THE TOP TEN PERCENT, THE WEALTIEST AMONG US, KNOWS WHAT’S BEST FOR THE REST OF US, IN SPITE OF WHAT THE WORD IN THE STREET MAY BE. WHEN ELECTED, THEY SWEAR AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION.. THEY DO NOT!

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WORKS LIKE THIS; THE ONES WHO HAVE THE MOST MONEY TO BUY CONVINCING ADS IN THE MEDIA, THE ONES WHO HAVE THE RICHEST CONTRUBUTORS, GET ELECTED. ONCE ELECTED, THEY BEGIN TO SPEND OUR MONEY WITH THE SAME RECKLESS ABANDON. MUCH OF IT IS SPENT CONVINCING US THEY KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR US. THEY DO NOT! WE THE PEOPLE MUST LEARN TO DISCERN BETWEEN ADVERTISEMENT AND INDOCTRINATION…….

A REPUBLICAN STRATAGIST, WHEN ASKED THIS PAST YEAR WHY THE ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO FARM OUT CONTROL OF OUR PORTS TO DUBAI MET WITH SUCH NEGATIVE PUBLIC OUTCRY, RESPONDED BY SUGGESTING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAD SIMPLY NOT MARKETED THE IDEA TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, ADEQUATELY. SO IN THIS ELECTION SEASON, BEWARE THE MARKETING. SOME MAY SEE IT AS PROPAGANDA.WE SHOULD KNOW THE DEADLY HISTORY OF PROPAGANDA.

DEMOCRACY WAS CERTAINLY NOT A PERFECT INSTRUMENT AT ITS INCEPTION. AFTER ALL, IT TOLERATED SLAVERY FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND APARTHEID A HUNDRED YEARS BEYOND THAT. IN ORDER TO EXIST IN REALITY AND TO FLOURISH, DEMORCRACY REQUIRES THE PARTICIPATION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AND THAT MAJORITY MUST BE RIGHTEOUS IN THE ACT OF GOVERNING.

“WE THE PEOPLE”, AS A BODY, LAST FLEXED OUR MUSCLES DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND ANTI-VIETAMAN WAR MOVEMENTS. IT’S A POWERFUL THING WHEN WE GO INTO THE STREETS AND DEMAND THAT THE RIGHT THING BE DONE. “WE THE PEOPLE” DID NOT START, NOR DID WE SUPPORT IT….BUT WE DID STOP IT!! AND SURELY IT WAS ONLY BY THE INCLUSION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS, THAT “WE THE PEOPLE” BECAME A WHOLE BODY. NOW SADLY THAT BODY IS OUT OF BALANCE, WEAK AND IN NEED OF PROTECTION. WE HAVE BEEN SUBVERTED INTO FEARING ALMOST EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE JUDGMENT OF GOD.

WE HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE TAKEN OVER BY A CULT OF GREED AND DISHONESTY CREATING A CULTURE OF IRRESPONSIBILTY AND WASTEFULNESS. AS IF THERE’S AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF EVERYTHING, WE RUN HEADLONG LIKE PIGS TO THE ‘TROUGH OF PLENTY’ UNTIL WE’RE FATTENED AND WEAKENED TO THE POINT WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO GOVERN OURSELVES; NOTHING MORE THAN PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS WHO SERVE ONLY THE ONES WHO PROFIT FROM THIS SCHEME.

BEWARE THE MARKETING AND BE VERY CAREFUL WHO YOU PAY TO PROTECT YOU. THINK, THINK, THINK! TALK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE TRUTH, THEN VOTE. BECOME ONE OF “WE THE PEOPLE”.
FORMER” ALMOST PRESIDENT” AL GORE RECENTLY SAID THAT “DEMOCRACY IS A CONVERSATION.” SO IF YOU ALLOW THE SO CALLED PUBLIC SERVANTS TO DISARM YOU, NEXT THEY WILL COME FOR YOUR VOICE. CONSIDER THIS; A FAMILY IS SEATED FOR DINNER, THERE ‘S A “BUBBA” AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE WHO DOMINATES THE SCENE, TALKING OVER EVERYONE ELSE, TELLING THEM HOW THEY SHOULD THINK AND BE. THIS IS NOT CONVERSATION AND THIS IS NO HAPPY FAMILY. “WE THE PEOPLE” MUST BE CAREFUL WHO WE PLACE AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE.

BEWARE THE PROTECTION SCAM ,WHEN THE PROTECTOR BECOMES THE “DECIDER” AND “WE THE PEOPLE” ARE FOUND WALLOWING IN THE DECAY. THINK AND HAVE A POLITICAL CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE BEFORE YOU VOTE THEN FOLLOW UP ON THAT PERSON WHOM YOU HELPED PUT IN OFFICE AND SEE WHOSE AGENDA THEY SERVE. IT’S YOUR CIVIC DUTY, VOTE!

LOOK AROUND YOU; THE LYING, CHEATING AND STEALING, THE IMMORALITY AND PERVERSION, THE DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION; THE RAMPANT EXPLOITATION OF ALL THAT’S NATURAL AND WONDERFUL….AND UNRENEWABLE. .. THE PROBLEMS “WE THE PEOPLE” FACE ARE COUNTYWIDE, THET’RE NATIONWIWE AND THEY’RE WORLDWIDE!! ARE YOU REALLY THAT COMFORTABLE? DON’T BE SILENT. WHEN THE CONVERSATION ENDS, THE VIOLENCE BEGINS.

JOHN MESSER
PO BOX 256-A
KEOKEE, VIRGINIA 24265

February Membership Meeting

admin February 20th, 2008

The February membership meeting has been postponed until 6:30 pm on Monday, February 25th.

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