SUBMITTED by Susan Peterson Gately, Silver Waters Sailing (10-Dec-2009)
It's been ten days since the beginning of Roland Micklem's fast in Charleston, the state capital of West Virginia. The Savannah, NY resident is protesting the mindless consumption of our land and resources to produce 'cheap' coal by blowing up mountains and bulldozing the debris into valleys and hundreds of miles of streams and rivers poisoning the water and destroying soils and forests. The 81 year old left his home and friends in eastern Wayne County to join the Coal River Mountain protesters through civil disobedience and direct action. The life long conservationist told us this is where I belong. Since then he has organized a protest march of geezers, demonstrated with people of all ages, written countless letters, and used a considerable portion of his savings to bail out fellow activists from jail. Now he's fasting.
About a dozen people that I know from Wayne and Oswego County including this writer (there may be others I don't know about) are engaging in one day fasts once a week in sympathy. Others are writing in support of his action. There are other ways less destructive to extract coal. There are other fuels we can use to produce power and heat. We do NOT have to rip the earth apart and destroy and poison irreplaceable living resources like our surface and ground water. If you want to act in support of this good man, please write the governor of West Virgina and Senator Byrd of West Virginia and CC a copy to Massey Coal.
Thanks.
CONTACTS:
It's been ten days since the beginning of Roland Micklem's fast in Charleston, the state capital of West Virginia. The Savannah, NY resident is protesting the mindless consumption of our land and resources to produce 'cheap' coal by blowing up mountains and bulldozing the debris into valleys and hundreds of miles of streams and rivers poisoning the water and destroying soils and forests. The 81 year old left his home and friends in eastern Wayne County to join the Coal River Mountain protesters through civil disobedience and direct action. The life long conservationist told us this is where I belong. Since then he has organized a protest march of geezers, demonstrated with people of all ages, written countless letters, and used a considerable portion of his savings to bail out fellow activists from jail. Now he's fasting.
About a dozen people that I know from Wayne and Oswego County including this writer (there may be others I don't know about) are engaging in one day fasts once a week in sympathy. Others are writing in support of his action. There are other ways less destructive to extract coal. There are other fuels we can use to produce power and heat. We do NOT have to rip the earth apart and destroy and poison irreplaceable living resources like our surface and ground water. If you want to act in support of this good man, please write the governor of West Virgina and Senator Byrd of West Virginia and CC a copy to Massey Coal.
Thanks.
CONTACTS:
- Sen. Robert C Byrd
- 300 Virginia Street, East
Suite 2630
Charleston, WV 25301 - Phone his Charleston office at (304) 342-5855
- Sen Byrd's contact form
- Massey Energy Company
- ATTN: Don Blakenship, CEO
- P.O. Box 26765
- Richmond, Virginia 23261
- (804) 788-180
- Joe Manchin, Governor of West Virginia
- 1900 Kanawha Blvd E
Charleston WV 25305 - (888) 438-2731
- Governor Machin's contact form
- Governor@WVGov.org
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