![]() ![]() This elegy, and its author, are just one more unfortunate chapter in the real elegy of Appalachia. He has made his millions off of our people and our story, while offering us nothing. Vance is no better than the coal barons and industry profiteers who ravaged our lands for generations while killing our people. So why is it just a problem for Eastern Kentucky? It’s a problem because for hundreds of years, outsiders have used our people for profit, all while making millions of their own. We all know a few people who are lazy and don’t want to work, but that is something experienced all over the world, not just Eastern Kentucky. Vance portrays Eastern Kentuckians as a poor, stupid, lazy imbeciles who refuse to work. In a land of seemingly endless plenty, Growing Up Poor offers a startling and beautiful collection of stories, poems, and essays about growing up without. But, the people of Appalachia are worth fighting for and this caricature portrayed by Vance is something we must eliminate so we can move toward a brighter future. Using these tactics, Vance is trying his best to convince government officials, and the people of Appalachia, that any money spent here is a waste. He wants people to believe this myth that poor people are undeserving of help and only make bad choices. Vance is bait for Washington lawmakers to justify their lack of action and excuse the utter failures of our national government. However, the people of Appalachia still move forward. From virtual serfdom in coal camps to the United States military murdering innocent union organizers, Appalachia has a long, bloody history of oppression from outside forces. Our history is full of struggle and a mutual effort to overcome. Appalachia is a culturally rich region that values love, family, and community over anything else. Suffering has forever been the birthright of Appalachians. To understand the position that Appalachia is in, you must look at the history of the region. Vance was born into a situation far more forgiving than almost all Eastern Kentuckians: benefiting from better funded schools, adequate employment opportunities, and many other systemic factors. Being from Eastern Kentucky is already a disadvantage to our youth because of bad-faith systems put into place by elites who built a system to purposefully hold our people back. Growing up in Appalachia is not easy, and something that Mr. Vance, who deems himself an expert on the subject of Appalachia, actually grew up in central Ohio, attended an Ivy League university, made his money from investment banking, and has not lived a single day as an Eastern Kentuckian. Vance’s childhood summer visits to his grandmother’s home in Breathitt County. Since the release of “Hillbilly Elegy,” both the book and now the movie, there have been several books, articles, and more written about J. ![]() Vance, has been made into a movie by Ron Howard.
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