Posted on 01/04/2006 5:14:08 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
January 4, 2006 - 07:58
Once in a while, it happens. TV serves up human drama in real time. It happened on this morning's Today show when the bereaved son of one of the Sago miners confronted the governor of West Virginia over allegedly lax safety enforcement in the mine.
Matt Lauer began with a stand-up interview, at the disaster site, of WV Governor Joe Manchin. Lauer then brought in John Bennett, the adult son of Jim Bennett, one of the miners who died, who stood on Lauer's other side.
Bennett described the history of violations in the mine. Lauer turned to Manchin to inquire about the violations, and Manchin launched into his response when Bennett took matters into his own hands. He spoke across Lauer directly to Manchin: "with all these roof falls and everything that has happened over the multiple months, not weeks, months, that this has happened," Manchin began to reply when Bennett again cut him off: "and they still send men in there?"
It was a poignant moment, as one's heart when out to the son. At the same time, it was an ultimate political moment: a politician on live national TV confronted by a bereaved constituent suggesting the governor's responsibiity for the death of his father and others.
Manchin remained calm and, without directly responding to Bennett's question, described the seals in the mine that had been blown out.
Lauer followed with an apt question to Manchin of his own: "when the average person across the country hears that this mine had been cited for 46 violations as recently as late December, it is hard to understand why it was open for business on Monday when that explosion occured."
Manchin replied by stating that even one fatality is too many, that mining is an inherently dangerous operation, and by mentioning that his own family had suffered a mining death [his uncle was killed in an infamous 1968 disaster in which 78 miners died]. "I know exactly how the families feel. I've been there."
Lauer turned back to Bennett, who seemed on the verge of putting another question to Manchin, when Lauer deflected it, asking Bennett "what questions would you like to put to the mine operators?" Bennett paused, palpably changing directions, and suggested that, for fear of losing their jobs, the men were afraid to speak out about the unsafe mine conditions. Bennett decried the absence of the United Mine Workers to protect the men in the non-union Sago mine.
Bennett conducted himself with dignity, as did Manchin, who is clearly in the crisis of his political life. There were no winners or losers, simply a spontaneous human moment, brought to us in real time.
Hi WVMM. The Today show suggested that someone, either a company official or someone from the governor's office, got on a cell phone and called into the church with the news.
OSHA has no jurisdiction.
Don't know if you saw the interview, but think you are being very harsh in calling the bereaved son a "moron."
He did not specifically put the responsibility at the feet of the governor. He asked the question as to why the men were sent into the mine despite the history of roof failures.
There might be good, valid answers to his question, but does it really seem moronic to you to pose it in the first place? If it was your family member who had died, wouldn't you want answers?
Thank You. I couldn't have said it better.
No one who is confronted with the sudden death of their father (mother, son, daughter, etc) should be held responsible for what they might choose to do or say at that fragile time, especially when turned into an instant "celebrity" by network TV. The idea that the "Today Show" cares about the real suffering of these people ... is laughable.
Did anyone stick a microphone into Katie Couric's face at the moment she realized her husband died? Did any reporter arrange a face-to-face at the mooment of death with the doctor and Katie and suggest that an earlier diagnosis might have saved Katie's husband...just to give the new widow a chance to comment, of course.
Also, wondering how you know that the bereaved son was a "liberal"?
He looked like a very average guy, wearing a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. #8 cap. Yes, he did regret the absence of a union, but I wouldn't be so fast to tag him a liberal. Wouldn't surprise me to learn he's voted Republican more than a time or two.
That's a good point- this man just lost his father, he is human being whose immediate reaction should not be put up for our judgment and criticism. Many people lash out in anger when faced with such news, sometimes saying things they don't mean. I'm glad that my worst moment has not be covered by live media, and that is something we all should keep in mind.
If he was, you can bet the MSM would point out the he was a Republican every time they mentioned his name.
---correct--and a complete MSHA inspection of the average home could very well turn up 46 "violations"--especially if it is multistoried and has an unfinished basement, occupied by a family with children--
“Union members” burned my old mans car right in the driveway one night.. tossed a bucket of red paint on the front of the house too.
The media were swarming around just like the families of the trapped and the rescuers themselves.
Someone "heard" they were alive and the stampede to the cell phones began.
All it would have taken was for just one of the networks to clarify the reports were at that point "unconfirmed".
bump
If this was the case, why didn't the men simply vote the union in?
The thing that stands out to me is that the Governor seemed to think his loss of an uncle is the equivalent of those that lost husband, father or son. I don't think so. In my life I was fortunate to have two beloved uncles. I had others but not that I loved or knew so dearly and there is no way I would ever equate them with my own dear father, my son, or my husband, not to mention my two brothers. Sorry, it's not the same, unless this uncle was a surrogate father or something such as that.
At the risk of seeming to be callous towards those thirteen families who are suffering today, my first thought this morning when I heard of the reporting mistake was also of Katrina--specifically of Shepard Smith angrily emoting from the overpass.
I'm not entirely proud of that reaction, but there it is.
I saw similar interviews with safety experts. They said the federal government inspects all mines quarterly. They go over the places with a fine-tooth comb and many, many violations were due to paperwork deficiencies, etc.
You can bet the "Blame Bush-Fest" will commence, just like with Katrina.
I tend to agree. It was something of a stretch to cite the case of his uncle. Then again, his experience was certainly relevant, if not identical. He doesn't come from a totally different universe.
It isn't the governor's fault. The blame game has begun. It's one of the uglier aspects of all these tragedies. Someone has to be blamed, there is no such thing as an accident.
I'm sure the death of a loved one is painful, no matter the relation. And I'm sure the whole town is grieving. Mining is and has always been very dangerous. I would never want one of my loved ones working in a mine.
Here in Kentucky an issue is the "mountaintop removal" form of mining. I assume it is safer to the miners, but there are questions about the environmental concerns (for example, how it affects the drinking water in the area). Of course, the city of Pikeville is wanting to have two mountains around their town to be removed, not for mining but for growth reasons.
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