Much pain in a neighboring state

West Virginia is a neighboring state. Yet, it might as well be on another planet. The lifestyle in West Virginia is almost entirely rural. There are no major cities -- not even any medium cities. Unlike Virginia, education has never been a priority in West Virginia. Most people work with their hands. And a lot of people work in coal mines. It's a brutal way to make a living. A trip through a mining town is a journey back into a different era. It's hard to believe men still do this type of dangerous, back-breaking labor.

Yesterday, the worst U.S. coal-mining accident in 25 years occurred in our neighboring state. Events like this have a way of putting things in perspective. As I look out at another spectacular day in Sterling, Va., I know there is a lot of pain one state over. There is pain and fear everywhere lately, but there is nothing uncertain or abstract about what happened in that mine. Read more.