To the editor

As a new resident of Craig, but no stranger to small town living, I for one commend the Craig community for taking a stand against the supporters of an organization that, based on my research, is going after the Colowyo Mine simply because it is a manufacturer of coal, not because it is a threat to any natural resource in our area. An organization that uses federal tax dollars to survive, and now, with these frivolous claims, creates more drain on our federal funds. If you, as you have said, have seen the list of supporters and the reach this organization has, maybe you would reconsider this “shame” you feel for a community you have resided in for “30+ years.” I agree with you, I think that we should, as a community, protest any supporters of this organization. However, it is not the job of “Danny Griffith” or any other business owner who made a decision regarding their business, to answer to any other business that chooses not to take the same stand. To say this is “hypocrisy” is ridiculous! The business owners of this town have every right to choose what they distribute and what companies they choose not to support. What we did as a community is support those business owners in their decisions. New Belgium and Breckenridge Breweries chose to support an organization that is looking to devastate the communities we live in. To state that this community is doing the same thing to these companies as what WildEarth Guardians is attempting to do to this community is another ridiculous statement. Those companies do not depend on these communities for their survival; our communities depend on the existence of the coal mines to survive. That you do not understand this distinction is simplistic and shallow in your thinking. It would probably be very simple, based on the press releases from these organizations, to get back in the good graces of our community. Declare that they do not support the efforts put forward by WildEarth Guardians to negatively impact communities in Moffat County, and will no longer be supporting them in any fashion. I, for one, as a newer resident of Craig, see this as a wonderful thing that shows a community supporting each other (something this country is rapidly losing). Let those giant corporations figure out how to answer to this, but, to me, it’s great to see our community rally together and show they will not sit quietly and lose everything they have. good job Craig and any other of the communities who are making a stand; makes me proud to reside here!

Brad Golden

Craig