The joyful reunion of the freed Chilean miners after 69 days of captivity is truly heart-warming. Who could not be moved by the sight of these men - one by one - being reunited with their loved ones? The hugs, kisses, gestures of triumph and huge smiles speak volumes about the human spirit. But let's not forget the back story - the story of mining safety and how we regard human life.
During the time that the Chilean miners have been trapped, I could not help admiring the Chilean government as well as the mining company that was able to mount such determined efforts to effect a successful rescue. Although it is well-known that mining companies take dangerous shortcuts that endanger the lives of their workers, I wonder if there is any mining company in the USA that could garner the type of resources utilized by the Chilean company to rescue its workers. One need only reflect back on the most recent US mining disaster in which 29 West Virginia workers were killed for a likely answer - NO. The American mining company those brave men worked for had been cited numerous times for safety violations. However, without a tough OSHA examiner to ensure that the proper safety measures were instituted, the company played a deadly game of Russian Roulette with its workforce. I guess it is better to lose a few men than to cut into the company's profits.
Unfortunately, our pursuit of the almighty dollar has relegated our reverence for human life to that of a distant memory. Life is cheap; money is king. Perhaps we should all consider moving to Santiago...