Boy Overwhelms Senate Committee

(From the Gazette-Virginian 01/31/2008)

A Halifax Boy Takes Aim

BY BETH ROBERTSON
G-V MANAGING EDITOR

Eleven-year-old Matthew Epps stepped to the General Assembly’s senate committee’s podium Monday morning and took a country boy’s verbal aim at the target on behalf of his generation’s tomorrows.“I am the future, and not just me,” Epps told legislators.

“If you allow this to happen, it would be like throwing a person’s health down the drain, or worse.”Young Epps was addressing the very serious issue of a proposed uranium mining operation in neighboring Pittsylvania County.

On Monday, Epps had accompanied his grandfather, Southside Concerned Citizens Chairman Jack Dunavant, to the hearing in Richmond.Matthew, who has helped distribute signs and brochures for SCC at Southside meetings, was anxious to speak at previous meetings, but had not.

His premiere at the podium was destined to be the General Assembly. Not bad, sir.His grandfather introduced him, advising the committee he did not know what Matthew had to say. The young man stepped to the microphone and advised legislators that from his studies “things point to it not being safe” to mine the uranium ore.

“And in conclusion, it can’t be done safely,” he said.

Emails were rolling in yesterday.One wrote: “I am the future ..Those are the words that jolted the committee.” Another said: “This is wonderful .... It’s these little children who will suffer the most and the longest! I’m just touched to my soul that this boy was brave enough to talk before a senate committee and say so much in so few words. What a great kid!”

We couldn’t agree more.