I am appalled at reading that the UK Athletic Association is giving $500,000 to the Robinson Scholars program.  Doesn’t everyone know that eastern Kentucky has coal? Coal is the lifeblood of the region and is doing great things both economically and socially for the region.  The increased use of mountaintop removal coal mining is only going to make more money and pour jobs into the region.

Why do these kids need a college degree when a mining job making big bucks is waiting on them?  And with all of the flat land MTR is leaving, great blue and white collar jobs are opening up everywhere.  Let’s use this money to educate poor central Kentucky kids who don’t have the great future that the kids in eastern Kentucky have with all of the coal that is being produced.  Per Joe Craft and Friends of Coal, the region is thriving and has unlimited possibilities once those pesky mountains have been removed and gotten out of the way.

Jerod Smith

history junior