You never really forget a hog killing once you see it. The smell of woodsmoke mingling with the smell of burning flesh as the men pour boiling water over the body to loosen the hair that would then be shaved off with a sharpened garden hoe in quick raking motions […]
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Commentary: As The Coal Industry Shrinks, Miners Deserve a Just Transition – Here’s What It Should Include
Murray Energy, one of the biggest private U.S. coal companies, has become the fifth coal company to file for bankruptcy in 2019. Union leaders and many elected officials worry that in addition to the 7,000 miners on Murray’s payroll, this step could threaten the solvency of the United Mine Workers […]
Read MoreClimate Activism Could Be Swaying Public Opinion In The US
Climate activists walked out of classrooms and workplaces in more than 150 countries on Friday, Sept. 20 to demand stronger action on climate change. Mass mobilizations like this have become increasingly common in recent years. I’m a scholar of environmental communication who examines how people become engaged with solving dilemmas […]
Read MoreIs Rural America Having a Moment in Democratic Policy Proposals?
Commentary: Immunizing Against Our Culture of Contempt
Today’s public discourse is a petri dish for breeding disgust for people with whom we disagree. Debates about healthcare issues affecting rural America are no exception. From the left’s “basket of deplorables” to the right’s “send her back,” our public and private spaces have become infected with a culture of […]
Read MoreHow Organized Labor Can Reverse Decades of Decline
Collective bargaining has long been one of organized labor’s most attractive selling points. In its simplest form, collective bargaining involves an organized body of employees negotiating wages and other conditions of employment. In other words, unions are saying: Join us, and we’ll bargain with your boss for better pay. Unfortunately, […]
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