"Justified" clips

           In class, we watched several clips from the FX television show "Justified," which mainly takes places in Appalachia and deals with Appalachian residents. The particular episode that we watched focuses on the efforts of a coal executive as she tries to acquire land from local residents in order to legally begin a coal mining operation. In a town hall type meeting between the executive and the locals, she explains that coal is not something to be wary or distrustful of, but rather a point of pride for the region and something to embrace. A local woman speaks up during this meeting, denouncing coal while citing reasons such as the toxic effects on the land and the pollution of the water supply. In essence, she reasons that the destruction of the land that she and her people consider home is not worth the lump sum of money being offered by the coal executive. Later on in the episode, however, this same local woman bargains with the coal executive, demanding triple the offered amount of money as well as a percent stake in the coal company in exchange for a piece of land she owns that is crucial to the coal project.
             I found these clips to be extremely interesting because it puts more of a focus on the actual residents of coal mining lands and their internal struggle, rather than on the coal company whose motives are generally one-sided and predictable. The town hall meeting scene illustrates many of the environmental concerns that arise with mining projects, and the general distrust of the local populace with the promises and intentions of the coal company. The part that I found particularly compelling was when the local woman made a deal with the coal executive after putting on such a show denouncing coal in front of her community. While some may view this as just another example of someone succumbing to their own greed, I saw it as an example of how those approached by coal companies probably should react. This woman made sure to secure enough money for her family and the entire community for generations. The fact is, these areas are extremely impoverished and the amount of money that coal companies are offering these people for their land is nothing compared to the amount those same companies will make off the land. Realistically, it is inevitable that some, if not most, will succumb eventually, but I believe these people should at least be demanding financial security that is as permanent as the land they live on, because that is essentially what they are giving up.