20/20

[disneyjunkie]

I guess what im saying is if there so poor that they cant afford food where the extra pounds from?

Please tell me you're kidding.

 

[Rebelmom67]

Please tell me you're kidding.

Exactly. If they're so poor, and they are, junk food is much more affordable than healthy food. Heck, I'll even opt for a twix bar and a coke at work because it cost me one dollar. You read that right, I'm still in an area that has 50 cent sodas and candies in the snack machines.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Exactly. If they're so poor, and they are, junk food is much more affordable than healthy food. Heck, I'll even opt for a twix bar and a coke at work because it cost me one dollar. You read that right, I'm still in an area that has 50 cent sodas and candies in the snack machines.

I had a twix and pepsi ($2.00)for breakfast this morning.
Pepsi is my liquid crack.

I was standing at the counter minding my own business when all of a sudden those darn twix bars started calling my name.

 

[Rebelmom67]

I had a twix and pepsi ($2.00)for breakfast this morning.
Pepsi is my liquid crack.

I was standing at the counter minding my own business when all of a sudden those darn twix bars started calling my name.

Damn New York prices!!!! I tell ya, those twix are addictive and CHEAP!!!

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

If they're so poor, and they are, junk food is much more affordable than healthy food. Heck, I'll even opt for a twix bar and a coke at work because it cost me one dollar

When I was in community college, it was pretty common for me to have a bag of microwave popcorn and a can of gingerale for lunch, because I could get that for a buck at the student union store. Dinner was usually a 99 cent burger and a water from the Wendy's in the mall foodcourt before I went into work at the dept store.

 

[cathyce2]

I am not much of a mountain girl I discovered though. The roads scare me. I am more of a beach girl. Nice and flat here at the beach.

I know exactly what you mean! I'm a SW Virginia girl, married to a native Floridian. We go up every summer and as soon as we cross the state line DH stops at the rest area and refuses to drive until we come back down the mountain heading south. I like to go extra fast (like 30) on the mountain roads just to see how white his knuckles will get..

 

[madcam]

I'm so sad after watching that. I wanted my 8 yr old to watch it with me so we could discuss being greatful for what we have and talk about how important education is, etc. (kinda awkward when the incestuous sex segment came up and i had to hurry her off to bed )

But why would ABC have these heartfelt stories about these people, have them come on camera and basically lay their story out for all of America to see, and then do nothing to help them help themselves? I mean Oprah and Ty help deserving people all the time. (Even Dr. Phil sends meth heads off for free rehab)

Couldn't ABC set up a scholarship or job opportunity for the football player who let them show the sad story of his life and his family. I mean he's not on drugs, he works, he was the first to graduate from High School in his family, he hasn't gotten anyone pregnant and he wants nothing more than an opportunity to make a better life for himself. Diane said, at the end, that there was an update on him.....he moved to Nashville and couldn't find work so he is back at home. What?!?!? You spent two years interviewing and following this kid and your ok summerizing at the end with "too bad his life still sucks"?!?

Could they not give little Courtney some stupid Hannah Montana boots or the little girl who brought her math grade up from an "F" to almost an "A" while her mom is off in rehab AGAIN some type of computer to help with her school work. Or how about the mom that walked 16 miles daily to get her GED, can't yall spring for her new teeth???

Poverty is everywhere and it doesn't matter where you live. And I know that they cannot help everyone and that helping one or two people is not the solution to ending poverty here or in any other country but if the football player had a chance at an education, he could in turn help his family. I guess I just wish that since these people let ABC use them for their story...... it wouldn't have been too much to ask ABC to do a little something for them.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I wonder the same thing myself when I see these types of programs. I didn't watch this one in particular, but it sounds like an interesting program to say the least.

My first college was Mary Baldwin in Staunton, Va. I used to take the train between Virginia and Missouri. (Deathly afraid of planes.) It was always such a beautiful ride. We would go through the Appalachian Mountains and there were some very rural towns in West Virginia in particular that we would go through. It was very obvious that there was some serious poverty in some of those little towns. It breaks my heart.

The village where I am student teaching has similar types of problems. Not quite to the extent on the program maybe, but it is a serious issue. There are 534 people in the village. The village has one little country store. Thankfully it is 10 miles from the slightly larger city where I attend university (17,000 people in that town), but this village could be the icon for generational poverty. I think something like 90% of my students are on Free/reduced lunch. It is definitely a different culture than the one I am accustomed to.

 

[Kycha]

Couldn't ABC set up a scholarship or job opportunity for the football player who let them show the sad story of his life and his family. I mean he's not on drugs, he works, he was the first to graduate from High School in his family, he hasn't gotten anyone pregnant and he wants nothing more than an opportunity to make a better life for himself. Diane said, at the end, that there was an update on him.....he moved to Nashville and couldn't find work so he is back at home. What?!?!? You spent two years interviewing and following this kid and your ok summerizing at the end with "too bad his life still sucks"?!?

He did receive a scholarship. I think the whole experience was just too overwhelming for him and he dropped out. I'm assuming that Diane Sawyer and ABC are hoping to bring awareness to the situation in that region by doing this report. It is especially dire now...after the devastating ice storm they had a few weeks ago. The state just does not have the resources to help these people.

I am two generations removed from Eastern Kentucky. Fortunately my grandmother had enough strength and ambition to get herself out. I still have many, many relatives that live in that area. Some of them are in a bad way. Mainly due to alcoholism. You should hear some of the stories my Grandmother(and Mother) has told. Funny thing though. My family is slowly emigrating back to Kentucky to retire. Two of my uncles have built homes there. And my mother and 92 year old grandmother will be moving there in April. For my Grandma, that is the place she wants to lie out the rest of her life. It really is a beautiful and special area of the country. I love it!

 

[AnnaS]

I am watching it makes me sad that the parents can afford drugs, beer, cigarettes, pepsi, but cannot afford milk or meat.

I thought the same thing.

I missed it. I wanted to watch it when I heard Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America and forgot all about it. I only got to see the last 10/15 minutes.

 

[Dixie Luvr 98]

I don't want people to get the wrong impression from this report on 20/20. This is an economically depressed area and there are many who live in poverty. But not all of us do. Most people are hard working, law abiding people who can support their children. We do have lots of problems, but many cities have areas that have similar problems too.

I understand completely. My son is in the Marines and says it is impossible to get past the stereotypes.

We live in north central West Va and are in an area that the episode did give passing mention of as being indistinguishable from suburbia anywhere in the US. Not denying the problems, just get very tired of the image.

And is anyone as old as me and remembers when there was a hillbilly on the Mtn Dew can? Mine is diet, by the way

 

[DawnM]

Darn it. I missed it. I got so upset with the cable company that I returned all their stupid DVR boxes and shut it off.

I am now with only OTA channels and don't have a way to record shows. It is driving me bonkers. The Directv guy came out yesterday and didn't finish the job so we still have no way to record.

I really wanted to see this.

Did they talk at all about services for the parents to learn parenting and life skills?

Dawn

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I am two generations removed from Eastern Kentucky. Fortunately my grandmother had enough strength and ambition to get herself out.

Hmmmm, both of my grandmothers had the strength and ambition to improve their lot in life and their children's while staying right here. I don't think that leaving the area in and of itself is the solution to people's problems.

 

[SeaSpray]

I'm so sad after watching that. I wanted my 8 yr old to watch it with me so we could discuss being greatful for what we have and talk about how important education is, etc. (kinda awkward when the incestuous sex segment came up and i had to hurry her off to bed )

But why would ABC have these heartfelt stories about these people, have them come on camera and basically lay their story out for all of America to see, and then do nothing to help them help themselves? I mean Oprah and Ty help deserving people all the time. (Even Dr. Phil sends meth heads off for free rehab)

Couldn't ABC set up a scholarship or job opportunity for the football player who let them show the sad story of his life and his family. I mean he's not on drugs, he works, he was the first to graduate from High School in his family, he hasn't gotten anyone pregnant and he wants nothing more than an opportunity to make a better life for himself. Diane said, at the end, that there was an update on him.....he moved to Nashville and couldn't find work so he is back at home. What?!?!? You spent two years interviewing and following this kid and your ok summerizing at the end with "too bad his life still sucks"?!?

Could they not give little Courtney some stupid Hannah Montana boots or the little girl who brought her math grade up from an "F" to almost an "A" while her mom is off in rehab AGAIN some type of computer to help with her school work. Or how about the mom that walked 16 miles daily to get her GED, can't yall spring for her new teeth???

Poverty is everywhere and it doesn't matter where you live. And I know that they cannot help everyone and that helping one or two people is not the solution to ending poverty here or in any other country but if the football player had a chance at an education, he could in turn help his family. I guess I just wish that since these people let ABC use them for their story...... it wouldn't have been too much to ask ABC to do a little something for them.

I understand exactly what you're saying, and initially I felt the same way at the end of the show. But then I thought about it some more and now I'm glad that they didn't wrap it all up at the end with a pretty bow.

Diane did say that there were links on the ABC website through which people could make donations to help the people in that area. Also, I think by telling us that the college boy was again back home and out of work that maybe someone watching will reach out and offer him a FULL scholarship including ALL living expenses and/or a job with a good future. Same thing with the mom with the missing teeth. If we saw her get teeth from ABC at the end of the show, we'd subconsciously think "Oh ok, they're all ok now, they don't really need any more help". But by leaving things the way that the show left them, it REALLY drove home the point to try and help the people that we saw, plus all of the other people who live in the area. Those people are desperate; a quick fix like teeth for 1 person, college for 1 person, drug rehab for 1 person, just isn't enough. I felt bad for everyone they showed.

At least, that was my take on the show.

P.S. They did show that one couple who were able to buy their first house because the husband was now working in the coal mines. And they did show the family with the young girls move out into their own home (rented), and at least they were out of the over-crowded house. So I guess the ending wasn't all bad. It's still very sad though.

 

[SeaSpray]

Did they talk at all about services for the parents to learn parenting and life skills?

Dawn

They made some of the adults take GED classes so they could get their GEDs. The one mom showed us her certificate at the end and she was very proud of herself because it meant she could apply for jobs that she otherwise would not be qualified for.



You know....they showed going back to the 60's where Robert Kennedy visited the area and tried to/started to bring awareness about the living conditions... so many decades later... did ANYTHING or ANYONE really offer them any REAL help? It doesn't seem so.

They also said that the people of Appalachia had lost the most % of their population to wars.... the most of any other area of the entire country. These people were the pioneers of the country... I don't know...it's just really sad that these hard-working, tough people have come to down to this kind of a legacy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am two generations removed from Eastern Kentucky. Fortunately my grandmother had enough strength and ambition to get herself out. I still have many, many relatives that live in that area. Some of them are in a bad way. Mainly due to alcoholism. You should hear some of the stories my Grandmother(and Mother) has told. Funny thing though. My family is slowly emigrating back to Kentucky to retire. Two of my uncles have built homes there. And my mother and 92 year old grandmother will be moving there in April. For my Grandma, that is the place she wants to lie out the rest of her life. It really is a beautiful and special area of the country. I love it!

My sister's DH roots are in Kentucky. They are near "Butcher Holler" of Loretta Lynn fame.

Some of his realtives were in the movie as the "pie scene" was filmed in their town with the townies.

My sister said that it was damned scary to go up on the Hollers. They had "a guide"(relative, an uncle I think) otherwise they could have been shot.

She brought us back some coal and made them into Christmas ornaments.

Here in MO and IL we have alot of people from Kentucky, Tennesse. It is a different mentality. My BIL is laid back.

Agree with the alcoholism. Rampant in his family.

 

[jamimb]

My first college was Mary Baldwin in Staunton, Va. I used to take the train between Virginia and Missouri. (Deathly afraid of planes.) It was always such a beautiful ride. We would go through the Appalachian Mountains and there were some very rural towns in West Virginia in particular that we would go through. It was very obvious that there was some serious poverty in some of those little towns. It breaks my heart.

I grew up in one of those poor rural towns in West Virginia. I am happy to say that my DH and myself were lucky enough to get out (We now live in MS) and God has richly blessed us here but I will never forget growing up there. Everything that was on that TV program is true and were some things we were faced with everyday. In our hometown if you have medical insurance and all your teeth your living high on the hog. Seriously,
I cringe when I think about the conditions we grew up in. Both our parents were coal miners and could barely afford the bills. Since moving out of state we realize just how poor we were but while living there as a child that was just the way things were and we did'nt realize that everyone did not live that way. Both myself and my DH have had to have exstensive dental work on our teeth because when your struggling to survive dental care is not high on your priority list. My girls have NO idea how good they have it. Heck we just put braces on oldest DD's teeth. We are now able to vacation and give them a good life.

We still go home to visit parents acouple times a yr and I am struck everytime by the poverty that I see. Its hasa been a way of life there for so ling that I truly believe that some people do not realize that it doesn't have to be that way, that all people don't live like that.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Seriously, I cringe when I think about the conditions we grew up in. Both our parents were coal miners and could barely afford the bills.

I thought they said last night that the coal miners make like $60,000. I thought that was an astronomical wage for that area. Maybe I misheard.

 

[powellrj]

I guess I am just super sensitive about these types of shows. My town was really screwed over by an HBO "documentary" in the fall. It was like they went out of their way to find every person missing teeth, without an education, under employed and hard drinking person in town and then act like the whole town was on its last legs. The show was about how desperate we are that all we do is race stock cars and drink on the weekends and then get ready for for the next round.

The people in this program had union jobs with insurance that provided dental (I know because I know people who work there), they just didn't use it.

We are also the Headquarters of one of the major religions in the country, complete with christian recording studios and a large christian college. Of course none of this was shown, also the fact that we have more churches than bars, but according to HBO, all we do is drink and fight.

 

[TaraPA]

A few years ago we had a project in our local MOMS Club called Brown Box Project or something like that - does anyone know what I'm talking about? Every month or so we'd fill a box with nice used things to send to a family in Appalachia. I'm not sure if we "adopted" one family or if the things were distributed to anyone that needed them. We loved to fill that box - and it was nice to not have to just send cash or brand new things - because after seeing part of 20/20 last night that would make me angry to know my $20 went to cigarettes & soda. We sent things as basic as soap & toothpaste (new of course) to second hand curtains, bedding, toys, coats, etc.

JC & Ali's Mom - are you aware of a project like that in your area - or anyone? If so could you post a link to sign up for this? I'd love to get my kids back on track with this. We are so fortunate to have the things we have, and I'd love to pass the good clean used things on to someone else that would appreciate them.