Donald Trump promised the Coal Miners that he would restore jobs. It sounded good and they believed him. The president got what he wanted, which was the votes of people in mining towns. Those miners and their families however, were lied to. There is no way for the president to restore coal mining jobs. The people who live in coal mining towns have been used to this profession being the life's blood of many generations. That day is over, and I'm certain the president knew this when he promised to reopen the coal mines. This morning CNN reiterated the story they reported on Wednesday, where they said that the drop in natural gas prices is hurting the coal industry.
This is true, but there is so much more to the story.
The days of coal for heat
I grew up in the county, where most every home in the community was fueled by coal. That day is no more. The majority of Americans use electricity or gas products. There is no longer the need for coal as there once was in the past. My grandmother told stories of poor people who stood on the railroad track waiting for the coal train to go by. The men on the train would sometimes throw lumps of coal to those who were waiting. This helped people to heat their homes. I can remember the big truck coming and unloading coal from a Shute. The children loved watching the coal pour into the bin under our house. We used metal buckets we called coal scuttles, and retrieved the coal.
We would set the scuttle near the old warm morning stove. An use it to heat our homes. As Americans are no longer using the product. The demise of coal mining is as simple as supply and demand. Changing times have reduced the demand. Hillary Clinton knew this, but she was accused of trying to bankrupt the coal mining families during her campaign.
The fate of the miners
Shoveling lumps of coal is a harsh, dirty way to heat a home. When this was the only way, it was accepted. Today, Americans have a choice, and are using it. This is truly sad for the miners who do not know any other vocation. There is nowhere else they can go and use their skills. They still have families to feed and bills to pay.
This is why Donald Trump's promise was so vain. He lives in the lap of luxury, while those he made false promises to are struggling. President Trump is cutting funding, and that will hurt the coal miners even more. Those who are unable to move away from coal mining areas can obtain education, and vocational training so they can learn another line of work. The problem is there are simply no other opportunities in their neck of the woods, and this is what the president needs to be addressing. He made a campaign promise, and since he cannot keep it, he should find another way to help these citizens who voted for him. The fate of the miners is in his hands.
