I hope this case inspires some of you. It shows that miners can and do succeed when they are persistent and well-prepared, even when representing themselves against state and federal attorneys in a court of law.

Under the previous administration, the EPA declared the ditch was a federally-protected waterway, and Robertson needed a federal permit under the Clean Water Act.

• Welcome changes in Washington, DC
• Giving power back to the people

All of which brings us back to the question of why we rely so heavily on China in the first place. America’s economy is heavily dependent upon energy and telecommunications, but does that require Chinese manufacturing? Clearly not.