Good comrade, It's sad to say but I had never heard of these incidents.
As a piece of filmmaking, IMO, it is first rate. But even more than that, the history detailed itself gives the possibility of cross-racial, cross-national and, even, cross-political cooperation, esp as regards local cop Hatfield's defense of the miners against the intrusions of big business. Food for thought. No. I am not advocating cooperation with the police. I am simply bringing up the point that policing forces, esp the state's national guards, contain within themselves contradictions that the greater the oppression the more likely it is that cracks will develop within the 'blue lines'. That oppression will certainly get more so than less until we, as a people, rise up and tell the system to go fck itself and seize control of the state machinery with the express purpose of diminishing, withering, abolishing its purpose and its existence. "Matewan" continues on TCM On Demand until August 8. JAI On Sat, Aug 1, 2026 at 11:00 PM henry duke <[email protected]> wrote: > Oh my gosh, yes, John, this movie is so excellent and uplifting ! > Best, > henry > ------------------------------ > *From:* [email protected] < > [email protected]> on behalf of John A Imani < > [email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, July 30, 2026 12:42 PM > *To:* dopex-losangeles <[email protected]>; change-links < > [email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [change-links] "Matewan" > > Comrades, > > Saw a really interesting (and good) movie on TCM On Demand (available > until August 6) . "Matewan" (1987) > <https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=matewan+massacre>. > Appalachian coal miners in the 1920s. Bout how black and Italian "dagos" > joined with 'dirt-poor' W Virginian white folks to fight for a union. > > "Matewan" was written and directed by John Sayles > <https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=John+Sayles> (who > also was the main producer). Interesting role as 'Few Clothes' is James > Earl Jones. > <https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=James+Earl+Jones.> > > The movie's like "Harlan County, USA" > <https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=%22Harlan+County%2C+USA%22> > that took place and was made in the 1970s. But while "Harlan" was more > documentary-like, this one is dramatic but still showing sht as it was. > What was really interesting to me was how the local law enforcement (esp > in the person on one Sid Hatfield > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Hatfield>) sided with the miners > against the thugs of the Baldwin–Felts guards > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin%E2%80%93Felts_Detective_Agency>, > hired by the mine owners, The Stone Mountain Coal Company. Hatfield (yes, > a descendant of the legendary Hatfield/McCoy feud) > <https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=+Hatfield%2FMcCoy+feud%29> > was murdered by the Baldwin-Felts gang in 1921. > Battle of Matewan > Wikipedia > https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Battle_of_Matewan > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan> > > Although the movie is a dramatization it is filled with personages and > issues based on history. > > This is the AI conspectus: > > The Battle of Matewan (also known as the *Matewan Massacre*) was a > shootout in the town of Matewan in Mingo County and the Pocahontas > Coalfield mining ... > > AI Overview > > People also ask: > > Is Matewan a true story? > > Yes, Matewan <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093509/> is based on a real > event, specifically the historic Matewan Massacre (or Battle of Matewan) > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan> that happened on May > 19, 1920, in West Virginia. The 1987 film uses real historical figures like > police chief Sid Hatfield and Mayor Cabell Testerman, but it also adds some > fictional characters and subplots to tell the story. > Real Historical Facts > > - *The Shootout:* A deadly gunfight erupted on May 19, 1920, between > local town defenders and private agents from the Baldwin-Felts Detective > Agency. > - *The Cause:* The detectives were evicting striking coal mining > families from company-owned houses. > - *The Casualties:* Ten men died in the short fight, including *seven > detective agents (JAI: E.A.)*, two miners, and Mayor Cabell Testerman > . > > > - *Real People:* Figures like Police Chief Sid Hatfield and Mayor > Testerman were real-life leaders who opposed the detective agency. > > > JAI > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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