This is the second time I have written about one of the most evil men who has ever lived. His egregious actions deserve a second exposure of his lack of concern for human life.

In 2010 a catastrophic explosion occurred deep in the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia. The mine was owned by Massey Energy; whose CEO was Don Blankenship. Massey was cited multiple times for safety violations. Recordings of telephone calls and eyewitness accounts from mine employees reveal the fact that Blankenship instructed his supervisors to ignore safety and increase production. The result was the loss of 29 lives.

Blankenship’s salary was approximately 10 million dollars per year. He was able to afford hiring the best attorneys available. After the trial, jurors revealed a great deal of confusion about the charges. The only charge they convicted Blankenship of was the least serious. He was sentenced to one year behind bars.

Understandably the families of those who perished are angry. For them this is another case which proves that two judicial systems exist in America; one for lower-income Americans, and one for the wealthy.

One woman vows that she will make Blankenship aware of every single day. She is encouraging West Virginians to write a letter every day to Blankenship. Her name is Ann Bybee-Finley.

“He only gets one year and nothing we can say or do will change that right now. Working with what we got, how can we make this year more meaningful?” Bybee-Finley said. “If we could make it longer, a lot of people would, but we can’t, right now, so we have to take this alternative approach.”

Coal mining is one of the top five on the list of dangerous professions. Accumulations of coal dust create a constant danger of explosion. The most important safety regulation involves venting, which allows fresh air into the mine. The Upper Big Branch mine was not compliant with safety regulations regarding ventilation, resulting in the explosion.

When the sentence was pronounced, family members were dumbfounded. So am I. Twenty-nine men lost their lives; 29 families lost loved ones; and the entire community is devastated. Meanwhile Blankenship will serve his one-year sentence, and then be free to live a life of luxury and privilege.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of Ben Lopatin

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