But you'd think watching their dads and granddads die a torturous death would wake them up.

We're talking very fine particles passing into the lungs. It's not the coal dust but the silica dust that's the problem; like putting shards of broken glass into your lungs.

This has been a known problem for many decades and several administrations both Republican and Democrat. No one has been able to solve this problem through regulations or any other process I know of. It's like blaming the government for not making smoking safer. The only way to avoid the problem is not to do the work or have something in place like the nuclear industry that tracks exposure and cuts you off once you've received over a prescribed dosage.

Best we can do is notify people of the risks, try to alleviate them as best we can and let people choose to expose themselves if they want to. IMHO this is a great incentive for a college education or some type of trades training.

to pass through the filter or the filter itself fills up before your shift is over. Other's have commented on these devices as being only effective if properly fitted and the user follows all proper procedures (no beards for example). You also can't wear one of these if you have asthma or some other lung limitation. The mask you're posting wasn't an approved type when I was a government inspector back in the 90s since it didn't cover (protect) your eyes.

Mining is a dangerous job even when it's done properly.

At the end it is odd to me that Fouts does not blame the coal companies ( who did not follow government health and safety mine regulations), but blames the government for not helping him. He doesn’t want a handout , but what he “earned”.

What did he “earn” exactly? He earned his pay, which he got. He “ earned” black lung . I do feel that the government should help those with black lung, but also enforce strict health and safety regulations involing coal companies.

In some ways I gather he is feeling he “ earned” government assistance. He is understandably resentful of his situation. Curious to me he is not angry at the coal companies, who threw his safety under the bus for profit.

Your thoughts?

Sorry, but have little sympathy.
I'm certain his ideology claims "personal responsibility" and "not relying on government" yet he didn't even wear a respirator and now wants government help. A TOTAL contradiction.

There's some kind of authority/father figure abuse (by the companies) he's willing to overlook/excuse, while shifting blame to the other authority/maternal figure (the government) for not preventing the abuse to occur (despite all the government's actions to protect him).

As another miner states earlier in the article: “It almost makes you feel like you’ve been kind of stupid”. Fouts is not willing to accept he's been an idiot, and it's more comforting to blame the more remote "government" than the nearer company he was working for.

(thru gifts and donations) in coal country from public school curriculum to churches that teach coal miners and their families that coal is a gift from above and the world needs them to dig it out.

A poster born and raised in coal country explained to me a couple of years ago that people in coal country are literally brain-washed into believing that their is no future outside of coal production... Only people who are brave enough/scared enough to leave coal country get a clue that there are many other ways to make a living.

shaft.

By his own admission he took the risks others avoided.

I know his type. Worked with them for years.

The article doesn't say but I'm guessing it was a non-union mine. I'm also guessing any attempts to organize were rebuffed by Fouts and his friends who believe that the company had his best interests at heart.

I'm guessing he and his buddies bought into the Republican " government just takes your money in taxes, Hillary's wants your guns and Democrats are socialist/communists" so keep voting for McConnel and every other tea party asshole on the ballot.

Pretty soon his wife will be out of work, when they cut taxes so deeply the funding for school buses will end too.

As Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid."