Call on President Obama to preserve Blair Mountain

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Ninety years ago, in 1921, 10,000 coal miners marched from Marmet, West Virginia to Blair Mountain to rise up against the rule of the coal operators and fight for the basic rights basic right to live and work in decent conditions.

Today, Blair Mountain is threatened with obliteration by mountaintop removal (MTR) mining, and it is here that a new generation of Appalachians and Americans are taking a stand.

For five days, participants in the Appalachia Rising: March on Blair Mountain have braved intense heat, thunderstorms, and coal industry intimidation to raise a call for justice.

On Saturday, thousands more will join the marchers at Blair Mountain to peacefully demand the preservation of this historic landmark, the abolition of mountaintop removal mining, stronger labor rights, and sustainable jobs for Appalachia.

Until recently Blair Mountain was listed as a national historic site, protecting it from coal mining and destruction. But Big Coal is moving in, and got it de-listed. President Obama can protect Blair Mountain by instructing his administration to re-list it on the National Historic Register.

Call on President to preserve Blair Mountain and end MTR

Subject: Preserve the Battle of Blair Mountain Historic Site

Dear President Obama,

Ninety years ago, thousands of coal miners stood up for their rights as workers at the Battle of Blair Mountain, West Virginia. Now this historic landmark is under threat of devastating mountaintop removal mining, which is also killing jobs and destroying the environment throughout Appalachia.

The Battle of Blair Mountain is an integral part of American labor history, and to allow Blair to be destroyed would be to tear out a crucial page of American labor history and burn it.

I urge you to stand up for environmental justice, workers' rights, and the preservation of American history by designating Blair Mountain as a National Historic Landmark.

Taking place right now is a 500-person-strong, five-day-long march to save Blair Mountain. The march is a broad coalition of miners, activists, students, academics, environmentalists, and other citizens. I join them in calling on you to support the transition to a sustainable, green future.

To do so you must abolish mountaintop removal, one of the most destructive processes of resource extraction. Mountaintop removal employs fewer people than other types of mining, and has unacceptable impacts on the environment and communities of Appalachia. As our president, it is your job to protect people’s interests, not corporate profits.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Dear President Obama,

The Battle of Blair Mountain is an integral part of American labor history, and to allow Blair to be destroyed would be to tear out a crucial page of American labor history and burn it.

I urge you to stand up for environmental justice, workers' rights, and the preservation of American history by designating Blair Mountain as a National Historic Landmark.

President Barack Obama

Phone:(202) 456-1111

Fax:(202) 456-2461

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Call on President Obama to preserve Blair Mountain

Call on President to preserve Blair Mountain and end MTR

President Barack Obama

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