The Dangers Of Hidden America By Jeanne Marie Laska

In “Hidden America” by Jeanne Marie Laska, Laska shines light on everyday jobs that know one truly gives a second thought to in this day of age. We want America to run perfect and we do not care how it gets this way anymore we are to busy in our daily lives to care. This is why Laska’s book has such a great impact she opens our eyes to a wake up call that these people and these jobs are still here. There are so many jobs forgotten, but Laska only touches on a few such as coal miners, a cheerleader, a oil rig worker, a rancher, a gun salesman, a trucker, a waste management worker, a migrant worker, and air traffic directors. These are all important jobs and only a few when there is plenty more out there that have long been forgotten as well. Something specifically in some of these jobs is how dangerous they can truly be that we do not take notice to. Each job has its risks of course, but do we ever give due to people risking their life so we can have the

Laska made this comment multiple times that the only time we hear of mines is when some miners are trapped or dead from an explosion in a mine. We never think of how truly dangerous it is for these men and women to go underground and mine this coal so we can have the luxuries we have today such as electricity. Multiple times Laska states of men being buried buried alive but often times we do not hear about the injuries. For example “They were turning it and a bit come out and mangled his leg. We had to drag him outta there a stretcher, all bleedin’ bad.” (Laska 37) This man did not die, but was he honored for getting injured in the line of duty or was he seen as stupid for letting it happen. People do not mean for mistakes to happen, but we are only human. Laska talks about two of the main characters Scotty and Pap were almost buried alive by a collapsing ceiling. No one knows the true risk unless you do it