The redneck Wars

[RGacky3]

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the west verginia Coal mine strikes of the 1920s, and in fact one of the biggest labor uprising in the united States was part of it.

It was the United Mine workers from Unionised counties in WV that came to support (physically) the miners in a county where the law and the companies used thugs and violence to represss and union activity, it invovled about 10,000 mine workers comming down and confronting company thugs and 'lawmen,' eventually federal troops were called in and the the miners layed down their guns, the conflict then went to the courts and when the companies brutality was shown the miners won. Many rights for the Miners were won.

The reason this is interesting to me, is because at a time where racism was rampent in the south (and still is in many areas), and the red scare was in full swing black miners, white miners, many of them generally from conservative backgrounds really all of them came together to fight the companies in solidarity with other workers. I think its a good example of American Labor Militancy.

I think things like this should remind Modern Leftists not to count people out.

[erupt]

I'm familiar with that situation. The West Virginia coal miners were treated terribly in the early twentieth century.

The Pennsylvania steel workers were also a great example of labour militancy. The Homestead Steel Strike and other Pennsylvania steel strikes were among the most violent strikes the country has ever seen. Many of the business owners feared a workers' mutiny.

But back on the subject of the West Virginia coal mining; you are right about the example of labour militancy. I, however, view it as an example of how when workers are working in such terrible conditions, they then understand that they are being exploited and they fight back, regardless of who they are working with.

[freakazoid]

I saw a thing about this on TV, it called Hillbilly the Real Story on the History channel, http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=266419&action=detail . One interesting thing about the fight was that the bosses even used at least one airplane to drop bombs on them. Which one bomb was a dud and they used it as evidence against them. The term redneck comes from those union members because the would wear a red scarf around there neck.

[erupt]

I've seen that show. There is some pretty strange religious ceremonies done in the hills of West Virginia, as well. It has to do with snakes or something, can anyone recall that?

[Dean]

I've seen that show. There is some pretty strange religious ceremonies done in the hills of West Virginia, as well. It has to do with snakes or something, can anyone recall that?

They pray with snakes, and they poison my mind. These sacreligious hillbillies raised with the swine.

[freakazoid]

Snake handlers, and you people think I have some crazy beliefs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling