Fighting for What You Love & Fighting for What's Right

In the trailer, “On Coal River” we watch as a coal-mining town that is faced with a serious dilemma between the work that they love, and the people that they love. The people who live in the Coal River Valley are seen as a proud people, proud of who they are and what they do. However, when they learn that a toxic waste dam is affecting the health of the students at a nearby school, the tables start to turn.  We see as a town gets turned upside down and we see people who are not afraid to fight for what they believe in. Some people in the town fight for the children, and some people in the town fight for their coal mine. One thing that really stands out when watching this trailer is when the women says,  “I used to be so proud when someone would say what’s your husband do for a living? What’s your father do for a living? Their coal miners.” It’s striking because even though she says it in the past tense she cannot mask the smile of lingering pride that creeps up onto her face. Yet, the health of the students at Marsh Fork Elementary causes her to change her beliefs. Even though she is not alone in her new fight to save the school, many people of the town are seen not fighting for the same cause. This trailer really shows the lengths people will go for the things that they believe are right. It shows that human need to fight for the things that they love. Many people love their children but, as also displayed by the trailer, the people of the town also love their coalmine. So it’s really difficult deciding what side would be right. Of course someone would say that the people fighting for the health of other people would be the right thing to fight for. But what about the others? Do they not have a valid reason to fight other then the fact that they love their work? The fact that it is their work is reason enough. In a town like this, odds are many families are provided for by the money a family member makes working in the coal mine. So what’s more important? Money or Health? Can you have health without money? And can you have money without health? This town is faced with a serious problem with two extremely contrasting sides.