Back In My Day: Coal Country Heroes – Finale

As BIMD stories have been told, you may have begun to see the parallels between them as well as what you may have experienced in your life or happened in the lives of others during similar time periods and events. As has been noted, many of the featured people seized their opportunity to accomplish what was in their hearts and minds. Sometimes it would make an obvious mark on society or the world, other times it would be a quiet or thankless lift to others with needs without the world around them knowing or caring.

This story is kind of important in my opinion.

Which leads to…

Bands of Brothers and Sisters

What has struck me as vital to progress in the American experiment is the banding together of people with common purpose to achieve common goals, especially if the related achievements were honorable and positive for America. Which goes even further to buttress Q’s post of “They want you divided.” With that statement you not only learn that unity is extremely valuable, you learn we are at war within our own people due to the intentional sowing of seeds of discontent, lies and corruption. Throw in some MK and you have the recipe for disaster as a nation when other worldly national enemies are pulling the strings. To combat that, unity of purpose is critical.

The 6th Habit of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is Synergy. This is the concept of 1 + 1 = 3 when fully committed by participants. Which simply means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. As an example, a team with a common dedication to the mission of performing well together is always more dynamic than the best of individual players doing his/her own thing well.

That’s how it is with Bands of Brothers and Sisters.

Busting Stereotypes Created by Narrative Builders

My Coal Country Heroes of the highest order are the common men and women who worked in those forgotten camp towns and mines to help build America into the superpower it eventually became. The people who were used, denigrated, called hillbillies and worse by the self ordained elites of society. Some of those lesser respected common folks actually owned the businesses where some of the common folks worked. They knew what they knew and did not fall into the trap. As a result, a Band of Brothers and Sisters was created. This developed a key core group that drove each venture and industry to success through the synergy they created.

To understand better we have to go back to the beginning. Most Coal Country inhabitants were in America because their ancestors left oppression and famine in their native European lands. Others who also worked in the holes were from Africa, whose descendants were captured and sold as cattle in slave markets, some by their own nation’s rulers. The cabal’s minions never bother telling you that in their polished, narrative defining history accounts. Nor do they discuss that people of all skin colors worked side by side in these Coal Country environments. Depending on the state and number of active mining operations, 20-33% of the workforce in general was African American. Sure, there were advantages to being a Caucasian in a nation with laws and regulations that were still in the infancy stage of reform from the result of the Civil War. However, common decency and support of one another was how it was on the ground in those areas. The simple facts were it was difficult, back breaking work that paid comparatively well. A man could provide for his family by being a miner. Since they all knew each other’s families, community was built to support one another.

As a personal example, my Papaw and Mamaw did not have a racist bone in their bodies. Nary a word or action ever to suggest such a thought or deed. My Papaw was the Superintendent over three mines for his company at one time before the Black Lung Disease struck him. My Mamaw taught all of the young kids, no matter the color of their skin. Whoever wanted to learn, she taught.

As one example, if my Caucasian Papaw had been racist, he would not have hired others with different skin colors as he frequently did. He would have not been the first person into a mine when there was trouble such as a tunnel collapse, flood or fire. Sort of like 9/11 with the FDNY and NYPD. They ran in while everybody else ran out. Nobody bothered to notice the skin color first. He was an Army veteran of WW I. Nobody was going down in the hole before him to inspect and determine the next steps. As Superintendent he did not have to do that and most with that title did not. He could have sent somebody else to do the dangerous job including people with different skin colors who would have done it to earn favor with the boss. He chose himself for the job.

It eventually cost him his health and his job. OSHA was not around in those days and it was just accepted that if you worked in a coal mine something negative would eventually happen to your health. There was no SSI and Medicaid to cover the financial and health cost. However, that’s what people who understand the Band of Brothers and Sisters do. Stand in the gap for each other and their people. The community would then rally around the injured and fallen to help whatever way they could.

You may ask how I “know” these things aside from personal observations and conversations with family and friends? It is a fair question. Much of the history of the Coal Country in my family’s region during the period is recorded in a book our family purchased 35 years ago that was prepared and published by a long term resident and historian. She solicited and received photos, newspaper accounts, company documents, etc. and published them with the archived local history and first hand accounts of residents from each community. In addition, copies of actual birth and death records from the counties and communities are provided going back to the late 1700’s. Families were listed with ages on census reports. The project took her over ten years to complete and publish. It is a treasure trove for genealogists.

Unionization

On its surface, unionization can be a quality response to oppression and danger within employment. I will not delve into government related unionization at this time, which is destructive and one of the worst things that was ever allowed to happened to our form of government. I really don’t know how we can talk about coal miners and not at least briefly discuss the United Mine Workers of America – the UMWA.

Back in the height of the underground coal mining years, the UMWA served an important role in racial relations as they were one of the first unions to offer membership to African Americans. As a result the standard of living for all workers elevated, the owners could not play games easily with union versus non-union and lock-outs. This gave the workers some say in how things went.

As the move away from underground mining increased, the union’s membership and power reduced. Down to about 10 K miners and nearly bankrupt a few years ago, they started working to unionize and represent other industry groups as well as the Navajo Nation. At one time it had become one of the more corrupt and violent unions in our country during its long history going back to 1890, which was formed from the merger of two other unions. It has in the neighborhood of 80 K members now that were needed to shore some 40-50 K of retirees’ pensions and medical plans. Which means the new members are covering the costs of old members because there was nothing left to pay out without growing the membership somehow.

If history is the best predictor of future behavior you already have a good indication of how it is going to work out for the younger members.

At its beginning the coal mining union movement had good intentions. However, over the ensuing years it became a money pot for corrupt leadership until it was all gone. Honest and reasonable relations with company owners would have benefitted all parties. Instead there was violence and strikes with threats to everybody involved. The owners would then go hard core with private security, lock-outs and scabs. That led to the union’s eventual near destruction as they cried wolf too many times along with using the threat of stopping production of a nationally necessary energy source through violent strikes. Business invests capital where it will bring the highest returns with the least hassle from the workforce and regulators. So strip mining, especially in western states, now dominates the coal industry. Needless to say that activity is not as manpower intensive even if it is the target of environmental wackos at times.

Along the way the UMWA lost influence with election outcomes with the dwindling numbers of miners and their ability to impact the economy. They were left used and abused. They fell for the same ole Uniparty Cabal manipulation. Nothing but money pits, votes and slaves for them to use just like the cartels, traffickers, sexual perverts, BLM, ANTIFA, etc. are today. That Band of Brothers and Sisters with its synergy was systematically destroyed.

For a good laugh, picture the beta males and woke population of today being compelled to go to work down in a dark hole with the coal miners of that day. Oh my…

The Moral of All BIMD Stories

If you have chosen to spend your time reading BIMD, I ask that you thoughtfully consider the ramifications of one important truth. We the People have been in a war for the soul of America since our founding. I pray for you to be granted wisdom and discernment so you will not be used for nefarious purposes no matter the personal cost. Character and integrity matter as you approach the Lord after your last breath here, especially when the Uniparty Cabal is trying to burn everything down to get their way.

The Uniparty Cabal is part of a larger, sinister worldwide group of people who use proven methods to gain wealth and power over others. It works something like the following with modifications as needed.

Identify a goal or mission; plan long term accomplishment of same; locate and/or develop the resources needed to accomplish it; seek out and convince like-minded others to join forces to accomplish the objective; use whatever tools necessary to convince common folks to join in (including, lies, manipulation, deception, brainwashing, blackmail, etc.); increase control and steal the created wealth; manipulate useful others to move on to other goals/missions/objectives; burn down the no longer viable project/industry/business/nation/community/etc.; employ cleaners in the military/law enforcement/legal/judiciary/government/media. Rinse and repeat.

Please do not participate. If you find yourself involved with them, leave immediately.

Back to the story, as for Coal Country folks of that day…

The Hillbilly Highway Called

Papaw and Dad were UMWA members. You had to be to receive a job in those days. I possess my father’s old union membership card along with an old blueprint he drew on a mine he surveyed and engineered. I remember him stating he never wanted anything to do with them, said he never went to a meeting.

The coal mining families became splintered as the mines were shut down and most left for the allure of manufacturing and construction jobs primarily in the Midwest. That Coal Country Band of Brothers and Sisters fell apart and relocated. That severely impacted families, friends, neighbors, businesses, schools, churches – everybody. Entire communities were left for dead as families had to uproot and move away from what they knew and the lands of their ancestors.

Let’s briefly summarize the Uniparty Cabal’s implementation of their plan so you do not miss a historical application. The buyers of our region’s mines were primarily from the northeast and Midwest. Once they bought, they would begin the process of shutting them down most of the time. Why? One major reason was to reduce competition in the marketplace to increase coal prices to increase profit by using the mines they already owned. Another was that many of the owners as well as their larger customers also had interests in manufacturing, steel and iron production, distribution and so on. They needed the migration of workers to fill the jobs. As western state strip mining kicked in during the 60’s and 70’s the volatility of being in the underground mining business caused many local owners to sell out.

Use your imagination and envision a 4 lane interstate highway between coal country and the Midwest. Now, picture it having three lanes heading north and only one lane heading south. That is what it would resemble during those days. The one southbound lane would be traveled on weekends for families to go visit kinfolk or go on vacation into the mountains or further, to the beaches. The three lanes heading north would carry the traffic load most of the time as families relocated.

The migration simply transferred the strong work ethic, family dynamics and equally strong sense of community to the regions that had the jobs. Want to know why the Midwest continued to grow into manufacturing meccas during those years? Some of it was good access to transportation via railroads, better highway systems, the Great Lakes, and rivers. Some was due to ample access to energy and governmental support. Most important was having access to a growing work force that could get things done. With all that going on, guess who felt the need to help organize the labor? The Uniparty Cabal also controlled the union leaders in closed shop states where union membership was required to hold a job.

Money, power, votes. Beginning to see how and why this worked the way it did?

Meanwhile Back in the Hills Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine

What was left behind with the migration were areas that existed as they had for many years, lacking commitment from state government to invest into the improvement of the quality of life of the remaining residents. Time stood still. Poverty reigned, which led to crime, substance abuse and people not achieving their full potential. If you did well in school as a student, you looked to leave since there was very little opportunity.

The unofficial fight song of the University of Tennessee is dearly loved by Vol fans and equally hated by opponents because it is played to distraction during sporting events. However, once again listen to the words from our gal, it gives insight into how things were left.

That corn in a jar is now legally consumed throughout our state with distilleries on almost every corner of tourist areas. Now, skip forward a generation to one I have posted in the dailies before, which was more appropriate for my younger years.

We can debate (or not) the character and integrity of choosing to illegally make moonshine, grow marijuana, and distribute them. Within the spirit of those who did (and still do) is something we need to recapture as a nation. It is contrarian at its core. It challenges all accepted narratives and questions authority to the point of open rebellion if necessary. This is not to advocate violence. This is to advocate that some develop a backbone to challenge alleged authority and not go along to get along.

We know the leadership of our nation and many other nations of the world are corrupt and criminal. There is no valid excuse for not knowing. As a result, why comply with them when they violate the law and Constitution? What do you have to gain other than doing their bidding and pretending you are going to live forever in this evil world? Shut ’em down without firing a shot. Stop doing what they say to do that is against the law and Constitution. Period. Both are open sourced, so read them. Then live accordingly. Guidelines, mandates and bluster from politicians is not the law or Constitution.

It’s like with the Bible. You can pretend to know what it says and means because somebody else told you something, or, you can actually read to comprehend and source supporting analysis to come to your conclusion led by the Holy Spirit. If you make it a regularly planned activity, it is not too hard to digest over a lifetime of pursuit.

To MAGA well, you have to seek truth and live accordingly.

As an example, why voluntarily choose to have an unknown substance injected into your body? A substance that the snake oil sales people refuse to provide its ingredients and want that information withheld from the public. Because the government and CDC told you to take it? Do you actually trust the medical community cartel of the Uniparty Cabal? Is the threat of losing a job worth rolling the dice on the number of days and amount of pain in your life? In my opinion, you are better off with the shine and weed than that stuff. Do what the law and Constitution say that is not in conflict with the Lord and nothing more. Live your life.

What the Rocky Top and Copperhead Road songs tell you is that the same Uniparty Cabal who sent us to Vietnam for the Neocons to make money and live their elitist lives, who also heavily tax the legal production and consumption of alcohol; want to use you as their sheeple slaves. Notice that both shine and weed are legal in many states now as long as tax money is collected. They could not make enough off of their illegal production by just taking bribes, so they opened it up legally and tax them.

Grow your own where you are planted. 😀

Pete DeBusk and the B. Rays knew all of this. They left the small towns of their youth to make their ways and fortunes. However, they never left their people behind. When it became their time to become business leaders, they did it with their people. Which is why they were committed to providing the education, healthcare and access to opportunity in the regions that government frequently ignores because there is not enough money in it for the politicians and the Uniparty Cabal.

They put into practice growing where they were planted. They embraced free market capitalism combined with caring and doing something positive about the welfare of their people.

The Road to Positive Change

This road starts with the desire to treat others as you desire to be treated. So if you are looking to take advantage or screw over your neighbor, you probably need to move on. It becomes critical that the people support one another and lift each other up. This develops the Band of Brothers and Sisters spirit that leads to the synergy of achievement as a group of people. When that happens it leads to positivity, goal setting – and winning.

Be a part of the solution so as not to contribute to the problem. There is a need to relocate occasionally. Sometimes that is our only option. What we should avoid is falling victim to chasing somebody else’s dream or calling. Chase the one that has been laid on your heart. Which means you need a heart. It is a heart that responds to not only your needs, but the needs of those around you. You care.

This region of Coal Country for the most part lost that battle in those days. It lost its most important assets, which was many of its people. Instead of a transition of the workforce toward other manufacturing and construction type jobs with the electrification of the country into the rural areas to go with the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority, much of the financial capital as well as people capital left. The Midwest flourished as a result. Which was the intent of the Uniparty Cabal.

That remained the case until decades later when the Midwest began falling victim to the ruses of the Uniparty Cabal as well. How did that giant sucking sound work out as Mexico, Japan and China took over the primary wealth creators? What happened to the lot of the common man and woman in those deep blue urban areas and factory towns? The Uniparty Cabal simply does not care about what happens to We the People no matter where we live. They view the world as theirs to manipulate whatever way they desire.

What was missed by those in authority here was that it was never about Coal Country remaining that way long term. The coke produced from the coal in Coal Country is a better quality generally, but the demand had reduced. Nothing in life ever stays the same. It was about using the wealth that came from its production to build a long term quality of life, access to education and training, as well as other employment opportunities that could carry the future in the region. Politicians in government and community leaders failed to incentivize private capital to take on the challenges of building business and industry in the region that could utilize the strengths of the Band of Brothers and Sisters work force. It failed to educate and train its people. It failed to support the mission of its national founding documents that basically state that all men were created equal before God and that each person is individually precious. Instead, many who prospered the most walked away to join the elites instead of staying true to their roots and people.

Hillbilly Highway Adds a Southbound Lane

The Great Depression spawned FDR’s New Deal and with it came the 1933 TVA Act. Many locals hated it, others embraced it because it changed the actual landscape. There was no question that something needed to be done to put people to work. There is no denying it changed the economic face of the region forever. So when things were at their worst as a nation economically with the winds of war in the air and at the beginning of the downhill economic slide for the region; a new plan was hatched. It would take 40-50 years to understand most of its positive and negative ramifications, then make modifications. It took the 1960s and the addition of nuclear power to the TVA power grid as well. All of it was happening while much of the regional work force continued to be siphoned off to the Midwest primarily. However, some growth in industry was beginning in the more urban areas in and near Coal Country that provided much needed jobs.

https://www.tva.com/About-TVA/Our-History

A cottage industry began to develop around the newly created lakes and vistas of the mountains called tourism. Just because many of the people left for jobs in other areas, it did not mean they did not want to return for visits, to seek new employment opportunities, or eventually retire there. As more and more vacationed in the area, they made plans to find jobs or prepare for retirements in attractive areas regardless of where they were from originally. Many of these people were able to revisit their family’s roots and reunite in communities their ancestors left.

A simple, quiet shift had begun. A lane of the northbound interstate had been switched to being southbound.

Conclusion

We will now take an exit ramp from the Coal Country Heroes of BIMD and return to the region to cover different people and time period at a later time. During the series we have seen the influence of two accomplished Coal Country business families of which I had historical interactions as well as my family and friends; the DeBusk and Thompson families. Their positive impact on the area cannot be overstated, however, their success also led to international benefits for mankind in their areas of expertise.

Within the stories about Dolly and Pete DeBusk there was the mini-story of former TN Chief Justice Gary Wade, a former classmate of my wife and friend of ours. One of the good guys whose hometown and family are on the outskirts of Coal Country, but highly influenced and impacted by its people, just like Dolly and her family. We discussed Dolly’s impact regionally and internationally. And just in case I need to remind you, my wife slept with Dolly (and her other siblings) growing up. 🤣

Also associated with the region and within my interactions, were/are two other well known entertainers who benefited from living and working in Coal Country who paid it forward to help others, Levon Helm and Morgan Wallen. In the later’s case he is just getting started. Both exhibited their share of contrarianism.

It is now time for BIMD to head back to the Delta. As we depart from Coal Country I leave you with a poem from my Coal Country Mamaw.

Sowing and Reaping

I’ll try to gather, and store in my heart,

A wealth of joy and sunshine,

To last me through dark hours of sorrow,

That to every life must come sometime.

I’ll try to scatter as many flowers

As I can, along the life’s dreary way,

To cheer and brighten the lives of others,

With whom I come in contact each day.

If I can help to reclaim one life that has wandered,

Bring a smile to one face, to one heart a song,

Where before had been only darkness and sorrow,

It will be worth living a whole life long.