Laska has made this comment several times, saying that the only time we hear about landmines is when some miners get trapped or die from an explosion in a mine. We never think about 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, like electricity. Repeatedly Laska says of buried men buried alive, but we often don't hear about the wounds. For example “They were shooting it and a piece came out and they mangled his leg. We had to drag him out of there on a stretcher, all damn ugly." (Laska 37) This man didn't die, but he was honored for getting hurt in the line of duty or he was considered stupid for letting that happen. People they don't mean for mistakes to happen, but we're only human. Laska is about two of the main characters, Scotty and Pap, who were almost buried alive by a collapsed ceiling. No one knows the real risk unless you do