--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Southern West Virginia we live in a…" description: "\"In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and one-half million pounds of explosives are being used every day to blow up the mountains. Bla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/judy-bonds-81520_blow_in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-w_300835.png" --- # In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and… ![“In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and one-half million pounds of explosives are being used every day to blow up the mountains. Blasting our communities, blasting our homes, poisoning us, trying to intimidate us. I don't mind being poor. I mind being blasted and poisoned. There…” quote by Judy Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/judy-bonds-81520_blow_in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-w_300835.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/judy-bonds-81520_blow_in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-w_300835.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/judy-bonds-81520_blow_in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-w_300835.png) > “In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and one-half million pounds of explosives are being used every day to blow up the mountains. Blasting our communities, blasting our homes, poisoning us, trying to intimidate us. I don't mind being poor. I mind being blasted and poisoned. There ARE no jobs on a dead planet.” Judy Bonds ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes severe ecological damage from mining, linking poverty to environmental destruction and loss of livelihood. **In simple terms:** Mining destroys homes and health, leaving people poor and unsafe. Key Takeaway Address environmental harm to protect communities. Themes environment poverty mining health justice Mood angustrated determined Type activist warning When to use this quote - community activism - policy advocacy - public health campaigns Key Concepts resource extraction toxic exposure economic decline Questions to Reflect On - How can communities balance economic needs with environmental health? - What policies could stop harmful mining practices? A Different Perspective Economic solutions alone cannot fix environmental damage without ecological restoration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War zone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-zone/) [War zones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-zones/) [West virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-virginia/) ## Related quotes > [Police do not belong in war zones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keys-moran/police-do-not-belong-in-war-zones/) [Daniel Keys Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keys-moran/) > [It's quite a traumatic thing for a lot of our veterans that come back... You're in a war zone, you're dodging IED's and bullets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-daniels/it-s-quite-a-traumatic-thing-for-a-lot-of-our-veterans-that-come-back/) [Charlie Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-daniels/) > [When I went to Afghanistan in 2003, I walked into a war zone. Entire neighborhoods had been demolished. There were an overwhelming number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/when-i-went-to-afghanistan-in-2003-i-walked-into-a-war-zone-entire/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I'd been to a number of war zones before in my life, but I had never been in one as terrifying as Chechnya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-anderson/i-d-been-to-a-number-of-war-zones-before-in-my-life-but-i-had-never/) [Scott Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-anderson/) > [I understood why war zones are called 'theaters' because they frame a kind of play acting or, worse, deceit, that can stain a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretel-ehrlich/i-understood-why-war-zones-are-called-theaters-because-they-frame-a/) [Gretel Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretel-ehrlich/) > [I've gone to war zones before and never got shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manute-bol/i-ve-gone-to-war-zones-before-and-never-got-shot/) [Manute Bol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manute-bol/) > [It's become a cliche to think of marriage as a disaster area and a war zone. Although political shows are really popular now, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-daly/it-s-become-a-cliche-to-think-of-marriage-as-a-disaster-area-and-a/) [Tim Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-daly/) > [You look at any war zone and you talk to any soldiers and they have to blank out - in order for that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/you-look-at-any-war-zone-and-you-talk-to-any-soldiers-and-they-have/) [David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/) > [I'd spent thirty years visiting the Dalai Lama, and twenty years as a journalist going to difficult places, war zones and revolutions from North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/i-d-spent-thirty-years-visiting-the-dalai-lama-and-twenty-years-as-a/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Playing music in the wake of the Blink thing was like finding love in the middle of a war zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/playing-music-in-the-wake-of-the-blink-thing-was-like-finding-love-in/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [ \[Negro\] should realize that he is living in a war zone, and he is at war with an enemy that is as vicious and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/negro-should-realize-that-he-is-living-in-a-war-zone-and-he-is-at-war/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Generally it's not a good idea to wear Banana Republic - type khaki journalist clothes in a war zone. You might look too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/generally-it-s-not-a-good-idea-to-wear-banana-republic-type-khaki/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I live in a war zone. I would never have imagined 37 years ago when I started practicing law that there would still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/i-live-in-a-war-zone-i-would-never-have-imagined-37-years-ago-when-i/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [Well, the fact that the news industry doesn't have enough money to only send salaried staff to war zones means there is an enormous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/well-the-fact-that-the-news-industry-doesn-t-have-enough-money-to/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I made The War Zone when I had just given birth to twins, and my post-partum frame was very much on display there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/i-made-the-war-zone-when-i-had-just-given-birth-to-twins-and-my-post/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) ## More by Judy Bonds > [There are no jobs on a dead planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-bonds/there-are-no-jobs-on-a-dead-planet/) Judy Bonds > [I want you to notice nature, how geese are in flight and they form a V in a leadership role…The lead goose, when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-bonds/i-want-you-to-notice-nature-how-geese-are-in-flight-and-they-form-a-v/) Judy Bonds Explore all 3 Judy Bonds quotes ## More Blow quotes > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-rage-blow-you-cataracts-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If he wants to blow his head off, let him. I don't give a damn about Jim Bakker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/if-he-wants-to-blow-his-head-off-let-him-i-don-t-give-a-damn-about/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me! A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/not-i-not-i-but-the-wind-that-blows-through-me-a-fine-wind-is-blowing/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Music is a wind that blows away the years, memories, and fear, that crouching animal I carry inside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/music-is-a-wind-that-blows-away-the-years-memories-and-fear-that/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [One of the wonderful things about Portlandia - and I'm not just blowing smoke, although I can blow smoke, but I'm not - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-raab/one-of-the-wonderful-things-about-portlandia-and-i-m-not-just-blowing/) [Scott Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-raab/) > [I would always find a way to blow the deal and I'm not sure why. I think there was part of me that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-would-always-find-a-way-to-blow-the-deal-and-i-m-not-sure-why-i/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Letters crossing in the post, unfamiliar tunes heard three times in one day, the way that blows of fate descend upon the same bowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/letters-crossing-in-the-post-unfamiliar-tunes-heard-three-times-in/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Truth is, right now two bombs could drop out of the sky and blow up this house and whatever building you're in and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/truth-is-right-now-two-bombs-could-drop-out-of-the-sky-and-blow-up/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in ... Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) Browse all 2,324 Blow quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. 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