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Yes... I’m sure they can. It’s primarily a choice. And let’s not pretend that we’re talking about the underprivileged. Coal miners often make more than college

Yes... I’m sure they can. It’s primarily a choice. And let’s not pretend that we’re talking about the underprivileged. Coal miners often make more than college graduates. Working harder too, and in a single very specialized field. So you take that away, what skills do they have? What choices are they free to make? Often those fighting the hardest are doing so because they have a sweet deal. The sweet deal of working deep underground on a coal face, in dirty, dangerous conditions? Uh huh. Besides you’re proving their point, when people out there just shrug and say “fuck ‘em, not my problem,” who wouldn’t fight? They don’t owe you anything either. Not to mention that your “average salary” bit is deceptive. The average salary for a coal miner is around $65,000, while the average salary for a recent college grad with a bachelor’s is $50,000. Obviously that includes everything from engineering to expressive dance, and there is no definite ceiling. A coal miner is stuck on the low end, period, and painting them as privelaged... on HN... is pathetic.

crazydoggers 8y ago
Here’s a coal miner... "It's not an easy life here," he says. "But I think it's about the best life you can have." Imagine instead of a blue collar worker which is easy to empathize with or glorify... a banker or lawyer or some other less well liked worker. Imagine those people making good money... saying their industry needs to be protected just so they can keep their jobs. https://www.npr.org/2018/05/09/607273500/in-the-coal-counties-of-central-appalachia-will-trump-s-promises-come-true https://www.npr.org/2018/05/09/607273500/in-the-coal-countie...
crazydoggers 8y ago
$65k is not low paying. Haha. And they’ve made life choices to be there and do that, rather than prioritize other things. My grandfather came to this country with nothing and put both his sons thru college, working multiple jobs, learning English.. with no skills! Never would he have complained if the company he worked at over 8 hours a day putting stuff in boxes closed because they were killing people. Coal is destroying the world plain and simple. It’s not much to ask to move on. It’s an industry that needs to end.

crazydoggers 8y ago

Here’s a coal miner... "It's not an easy life here," he says. "But I think it's about the best life you can have." Imagine instead of a blue collar worker which is easy to empathize with or glorify... a banker or lawyer or some other less well liked worker. Imagine those people making good money... saying their industry needs to be protected just so they can keep their jobs. https://www.npr.org/2018/05/09/607273500/in-the-coal-counties-of-central-appalachia-will-trump-s-promises-come-true https://www.npr.org/2018/05/09/607273500/in-the-coal-countie...

crazydoggers 8y ago

$65k is not low paying. Haha. And they’ve made life choices to be there and do that, rather than prioritize other things. My grandfather came to this country with nothing and put both his sons thru college, working multiple jobs, learning English.. with no skills! Never would he have complained if the company he worked at over 8 hours a day putting stuff in boxes closed because they were killing people. Coal is destroying the world plain and simple. It’s not much to ask to move on. It’s an industry that needs to end.