An environmental hero died yesterday and no one seems to be paying attention.

[Tsiyu]

18. Another kick

I thought about this thread for a while last night but declined to post my feelings.

It's easy to dehumanize "hillbillies" like Larry Gibson. To marginalize their lives and their value to this nation.

When people equate Teabaggers to hillbillies, I cringe at the ignorance. First off, hillbillies live in the hills, not in cookie cutter subdivisions, and most of the Teabaggers I've seen are suburban folks very much like most of the members of DU.

It is hard to take a stand in coal country. So many people depend on the jobs and are just used to seeing their landscapes decimated for a paycheck.

It took real, authentic courage for Gibson to take the stand he did for so long, so tenaciously.

Took a lot more courage than it does for DUers to disparage "hillbillies." ( One of the reasons I've stopped posting here. )]

Thank you for posting this follow-up. DU sometimes thinks it's "progressive" and hip, but sometimes it just comes off as elitist and cruel. True hillbillies don't need grade school style derision. They need our support.

My $.02