Obama Eulogizes Victims of Mine Accident

[underpants]

Source: New York Times

“How can we fail them?” President Obama asked in his the eulogy. “How can a nation that relies on its miners not do everything in its power to protect them? How can we let anyone in this country put their lives at risk by simply showing up to work? By simply pursuing the American dream?

“We cannot bring back the 29 men we lost,” he added. “They are with the Lord now. Our task, here on Earth, is to save lives from being lost in another such tragedy. To do what we must do, individually and collectively, to assure safe conditions underground. To treat our miners like they treat each other – like a family. Because we are all family and we are all Americans and we have to lean on each other.”

“Day after day,” he said, “they would burrow into the coal, the fruits of their labor what we so often we take for granted: the electricity that lights up a convention centers; that lights up our church or our home, our school or our office; the energy that powers our country the energy that powers the world.”

But he said they went down into the tunnels far beneath the surface to follow in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers and to provide for their families. “It was all,” he said, “in the hopes of something better.”



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/us/26obama.html?hp

[madrchsod]

1. thank god and the american people that we have obama as our president

to those folks he was no longer a stranger.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Obama: W.Va. miners died in pursuit of better life

Source: AP

By PHILIP ELLIOTT

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) - They lived and they died pursuing the American Dream, working in dangerous conditions underground to help keep the lights on across the country, a somber President Barack Obama said Sunday in a eulogy to the workers who died in the worst mine accident in a generation.

The president told the families of the workers killed in the Upper Big Branch mine, about 35 miles from here, that the nation would honor their memories by improving safety in the mines.

"How can we fail them? How can a nation that relies on its miners not do everything in its power to protect them?" Obama said. "How can we let anyone in this country put their lives at risk by simply showing up to work, by simply pursuing the American Dream?"

With workers' families sitting near him - and the Massey Energy Co. executive who runs the mine sitting near the rear of the hall - Obama spoke broadly about the 29 workers killed in the explosion.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20100425/D9FABNS80.html

[Omaha Steve]

3. K&R!

I missed the original post. My apology.

[underpants]

7. Better headline

I only posted the parts of the actual speech that the NYT included.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Obama: W.Va. miners died in pursuit of better life

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[Jefferson23]

5. So not one Republican attended? Kudos to Obama, great speech.

[TomCADem]

8. It Was Very Moving For The President To Recount The Daily Routine Of These Men

He noted how they awoke before 5:00 a.m. and worked dig coal to generate the energy that most Americans take for granted. The words hopefully gave Americans a window into the lives of those who died.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

25. he understands and highlights that we are all connected

he is a very great man.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

20. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito was there

I'm no fan of my district's GOP congresswoman, but, for the record, she did take part

[Jefferson23]

24. Good, at least one of them showed up. n/t

[Iliyah]

22. Are you

Kidding? No GOP???

[struggle4progress]

6. A miner's life is like a sailor's aboard a ship to cross the wave

Every day his life's in danger. Still he ventures being brave.
Watch the rocks: they're falling daily. Careless miners always fail.
Keep your hand upon the dollar and your eye upon the scale

Union miners, stand together. Heed no operator's tale.
Keep your hand upon the dollar and your eye upon the scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN3mxSRkpD4

[pinto]

9. Kudos to Obama and Biden for showing up and noting the deaths and the families..

This event had nothing to do with the politics of the thing.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[pattmarty]

10. Nice speech, but what is he going to do for safer working conditions................

...........for the miners and all the other jobs where workers are putting life and limb in danger day after day? What's the old axiom about action and words?


EFCA NOW!!

[Bluzmann57]

12. Ok here's the deal

Do not criticize that which you know nothing about. I work in an MSHA governed place and they do the best they can AFTER BUSH GUTTED THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Obama is doing his best to restore some sanity to the regs, but there is only so much that he can do. Blankenship, the piece of dogshit that owns this mine likely will go to prison after the MSHA investigation is concluded as he will be brought up on federal charges. The public outcry is just too great on this one to let that bastard slide.
Yeah I do agree EFCA now. But those men would have perished with or without EFCA because the mine was non Union and will remain that way until Blankenship is in prison. Likely after that.

[pattmarty]

26. I stand by my statement. I understand that OSHA and MSHA have.........

............been gutted over the years. I disagree with your statement that EFCA would not have helped. If it had been easier to form a union then PROBABLY this mine would have been unionized AND safer. I criticized "generally" since I am nor have I ever been a miner, but I HAVE been a (physically) working person all my fucking life. My MAIN point is that he is doing basically what Clinton did with respect to working peoples lives, not very fucking much. We need the government to get behind "labor" as we are THE majority of American citizens, whether working in a mine or for fucked up "employers" like Wal mart or McDonalds. It wasn't just Bush that "gutted" safety regs, this has been going on since Carter through EVERY administration EVEN Clinton's who was no friend to labor. We need a party AND President that will stand up for 90% of Americans who actually physically work and struggle for a living.

[WPA-Worker]

13. Safer Working Conditions?

Obama is a dithering speech-monger. If you want safer mining conditions then round up the corporate board of Massey for public execution.

An eye for an eye!

[madrchsod]

14. go away......

[Orrex]

11. I can't help thinking that if Bush had given this eulogy...

He'd have mentioned 9/11 at least four or five times, and he'd have called for mountaintop removal mining as a safe alternative to dangerous down-in-the-mines excavation. He would also probably have called for drilling in ANWR and in various national parks because, you know, these are vital to our energy independence.


For the sake of the survivors, the victims, and their families, I'm grateful that Obama is our current President.

[Lint Head]

15. Bush the War Criminal would not have given this eulogy.

He thought Katrina was an opportunity to show his swagger. He didn't allow photos of dead soldiers bodies returning from war.
Do you think he really gives a flying crap about 29 dead miners in a non union mine.

[Orrex]

16. Well, yeah.

That was kind of the point.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

27. really.

having a hard time typing over the lump in my throat (wait, that doesn't make any sense.... well. back to the point.... )

Thank god *bush is long gone (though his "legacy" torments us still) ---

if he was still squatting in DC, he wouldn't bother to show up, but his handlers would produce a fake memorial, edited together from some other public appearance. CorpMedia® would preach it.

[ProudDad]

17. We're still waiting for the Employee Free Choice Act, Barry... (n/t)

[FrenchieCat]

23. Yep...cause it's all his fault, and of course,

he should sign an executive order to make it so,
since he has absolute power over all of congress,
and he makes the laws.

And that would be Barry, the Magic President to you!

[Historic NY]

18. I think the people of WV have a different view of the President today...

he offered more than words but a shoulder to lean on. I think he will follow through with a review of mining safety issues .

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/36770220#36770220

[maxanne]

19. yes indeed

there will be a review.

And that's where it will end.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

21. even my conservative family in WVa. thought it was a beautiful service

and said he did well

[defendandprotect]

28. Only strong Unions and less corrupt capitalism can save any miner . . .