WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Mingo County resident Bo Copley knows coal and he told Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton exactly why approximately 350 protesters were yelling at her outside the Williamson Health and Wellness Center Monday afternoon.
“The reason you hear those people out there saying some of the things that they say is because when you make comments like, ‘We’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs,’ these are the kind of people you’re affecting,” Copley said choking back tears while handing Clinton a picture of his three children. “And while my hope is in God that’s my future.”
Copley, 39, was a maintenance planner for an Arch Coal subsidiary when he was laid off. He sat a few feet from Clinton Monday and was given an opportunity to speak during a roundtable discussion that touched on the topics of wellness, the drug epidemic and economic development but it was Copley’s coal comments that were most direct.
“I just want to know how you can say you’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs and then come in here and tell us you’re going to be our friend,” Copley said. “Because those people out there don’t see you as a friend.”
Clinton made the controversial comments in March but has apologized several times and did so again Monday.
“It was a misstatement because what I was saying was that the way things are going now we will continue to lose jobs. That’s what I meant to say and I think that it seems to be supported by the facts,” she said. “I didn’t mean that we were going to do it. What I said was that (coal miners out of work) was going to happen unless we take action to try to help and prevent it.”
Clinton promised to do “everything I can to help” the coalfield communities no matter what happens politically, Clinton said.
“That’s just how I’m made I’m going to do everything to help,” she said.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin was sitting near Clinton and vowed his support for her election bid and predicted she would work hard for West Virginia. Manchin himself took criticism from the protesters who yelled “Traitor Joe” when he entered and exited the building.
“I don’t think they’re mad at me,” Copley told Manchin. “Honestly, if I can be candid, I think still supporting her hurts you. It does.
Clinton told Copley what’s being overlooked is her $30 billion plan she introduced last summer to help hurting communities. She said she was “totally at peace with it”. She did tell Copley she was not going to over-promise.
“I’m not going to say it will all be perfect because we’ve got to work hard to get to where we can look honestly at your daughters and your son and say there is a future and here’s how we are going to get to it,” Clinton said.
Following the roundtable reporters asked Copley if Clinton had changed his mind.
“Honestly, I would have liked to have heard more of the plans she would have for us,” he said. “I wish she would have made her apology in public instead of just to Senator Manchin.”
Copley and his wife invited Clinton to a revival meeting at their church Monday night but she declined the invitation.