How mine rescue would happen here

The rescue of the trapped miners in Chile should serve as an example of what can be accomplished when people work together to solve problems. If the same tragedy had occurred in a coal mine in West Virginia, I can assure you that the outcome would have been very different.

West Virginia mine owners would never have invested in an underground safety capsule, government safety officials would indicate that the mine had been cited for numerous violations, the mine owners association would indicate that all necessary precautions had been taken and the actual rescue would be delayed until the courts determined who was going to pay for the effort.

Republicans would oppose any attempt at a government subsidized rescue attempt, while Democrats would insist that funds be appropriated to fund all future mine disasters and strengthen existing regulatory agencies. Eventually a senator from Kansas would put a secret hold on all funds until his state gets a grant to fund a “Hole to Nowhere.”

News organizations would point out that the trapped miners included several undocumented individuals, touching off a national debate on which miners should be rescued first. Adding additional controversy, the Christian Right identifies seven miners who have been “born again” and can afford to wait to be last ones out. Reporters discover that the expert drill operator is a Muslim and that news results in an immediate stoppage of all drilling efforts.

The last trapped miner dies just before the 2012 election.

John H. Mason

Grayslake