Continuing the legacy

To the editor:

Over the past 10 to 12 years our region has enjoyed a tremendous coal boom.

I see so many of these hard working friends as I stop for my early morning breakfast, lunch or in the evening along the way. You can see the familiar faces, most I know some I don’t; however, I consider them all my friends and I admire them for doing the most important as well as extremely dangerous job for their region, their nation and most of all for their families. The benefits have to be so rewarding for them to see their families enjoy their needs and a lot of times to be able to give them those things they want and deserve. I respect the job they do. I respect the legacy they carry on that was instilled in them from grandparents, mom and dad, and just good friends. These are the benefits of coal mining and I pray that it continues inspite of what I believe is a staunch effort by the present administration to hinder our region from this resource.

There are also some negatives that we none want to face or discuss; nevertheless, they exist. I believe as probably most of the folks living in the southern parts of the county whom were flooded, that coal mining did contribute to the recent flooding! A minority of those in power can tell you that, according to their opinion, it did not contribute, yet as I speak to most who suffered flooding, they don’t buy into that theory.

I don’t agree with the extremist tree huggers who think it is destroying our region and that it causes global warming due to emissions. I believe God put this coal here for energy, and jobs for this region as well as our nation. 

I do think it has unfortunately progressed to the point of not if it will flood but when will it flood again. I have seen first-hand as a worker with the D.O.H. the devastation that it causes. My heart  bleeds for all who suffered through this most recent flooding in May 2009.

In conclusion, I know we must mine coal. We must keep our young men and women working. The surface mining supports so much opportunity in this region after it is reclaimed to the fullest potential. I believe those living along these small streams, which are continously flood-prone, should be given first choice of redeveloped land on these sites that are reclaimed. I realize the opportunity must also be there for future businesses, however, the first option should be given to the flood victims. 

I am very skeptical that FEMA will continue to dole out money for repetive flooding. I would urge our county officials as well as our state officials to contact our representatives in Washington for some type of relocation proposal for our friends and families who suffer devastation of these catastrophic events. 

There is also cause for concern as Senator Chafin stated in a recent Daily News article of the impending doom on our jobs if the newly elected president has way! Cap and Trade will create a burden on the consumer and do nothing for emissions. The extreme difficulty to obtain new permits alone is enough to disrupt the entire region and its jobs. Let’s find a median. We can mine coal and give our residents an option to be relocated and never be oppressed in the flood-stricken areas again.

May the Lord bless the coal miners as well as the flood victims,

Sincerely,

Mark D. Curry

The

tradition

of the Christmas tree

To the editor:

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy home, but, like most people in our district and throughout Kentucky, my family loved the excitement of the season and the days leading up to the celebration of the Lord’s birthday every December 25.

Part of the fun that we shared was choosing our Christmas tree. Ours didn’t have fancy ornaments or expensive lights, but like the manger scene and paper angels we made it was a Christian symbol of the holiest of seasons that we cherished.

I still love the beauty and majesty of Christmas trees and enjoy seeing them every December. This is why I was so troubled by the governor’s announcement that the tree that will be decorated at the capitol this year would be referred to as a “holiday tree.”

I appreciate and certainly have the highest respect for other religions that have celebrations in the month of December. But to call our tree a “holiday tree” in deference to all faiths celebrating next month was just a bad decision that needed to be reconsidered.

Christmas trees have been used to help celebrate the Lord’s birth for hundreds of years. In fact, the triangular shape of the Fir tree has been used to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, according to The Christmas Archives.

I feared that referring to this important symbol as a “holiday tree” would have diminished its Christian origins and disrespected Christmas itself. A decorated Christmas tree is as much a part of the Christian holiday as the special church and prayer services in which we all participate and the secular carols of the season we sing.

I applaud the governor’s decision to revert back to calling our capitol tree a Christmas tree and appreciate him seeing the wisdom in maintaining this important and time honored tradition.  

Ky. Rep-Hubert Collins

D-Wittenville