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People's perception of West Virginia?
Alright. I'm a senior in high school in West Virginia. And recently we watched this movie, "Jesco White: Dancing Outlaw." It's about this man from a county not too far from where I live, but he's a redneck and hick, and basically what I'd guess people percieve West Virginian's as being like. But we're definitely NOT like him at all. For the most part, we lead normal lives and aren't very 'country' at all, really. So I was just wondering what people think of us? Thank you (:
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Well, I moved from North Carolina to West Virginia not many years ago and it was quite the culture shock.
I live in Southern West Virginia and, really, it is quite the "country" scene. It also is very dirty from the coal mines we have--so everything has that weird dirt film on it.
What's sick is, nobody really cares about the film from the coal dust. Nobody cares it's in the water supply. Nobody cares about their health even when doctors tell them that it's very unhealthy and cancer-causing to continue drinking the tap water.
I worked as a cashier for awhile and you'd be surprised at how many people were unable to READ simple labels. One man picked up a box of Stridex face cleansing pads and asked if it was Alka-Seltzer! I was very surprised as the PICTURES on the boxes aren't even similiar.
One man threw a fit when he tried to use his EBT/Food Stamps card and he couldn't read "Enter Your Pin" at all. After I clearly explained it needed the four digit number he had chosen before to be pushed in, he yelled at me and said he was unable to read to put the pin number in. Uh...when did "reading" consist of the numbers 0 - 9?
The people here are also very uncaring. They're selfish and seem to feel they deserve "more" than everyone else. Most people here are on mental disability checks that they receive through the government. Because they get a grand check of $600 on the first of the month, they feel they're better than "working people" and that they should be waited on hand and foot.
Now, maybe you haven't traveled very far. Maybe you're in some great city up in the north part of WV. Maybe you're just blind to your surroundings. West Virginia IS redneck and hick. West Virginia IS very country and dirty.
We have pigs and cows. People raise chickens for cock fighting (my cousin does). Many people make moonshine to drink and chew tobacco. Outhouses still exist and aren't uncommon here. There are daily blue grass gatherings, and once a week they gather in the mall to dance.
There are buildings practically falling apart onto the roads that already have pot holes in them. Most people here live in bashed in little trailers and campers (yes, insulation seeping out from the holes and everything) up little dirt roads. Heck, I even know a man that lives in a cave in the hills here.
People really are inbred here too as far as I can tell. I know a couple that have three children and the parents are actually brother and sister. I know people related by blood to their cousins on "both sides" of their family tree. I've heard many times about a boyfriend and girlfriend actually being cousins. I wish I was kidding!
Laws here are really relaxed though. If you know the right people, you can get out of just about anything. I know people who get out of traffic tickets often. You just have to make a few calls and the ticket disappears.
Everyone is not like what we see in movies and television. Sure there are uneducated people in the big cities. Sure there are highly intelligent people living in the middle of nowhere.
You have to think of the MAJORITY though and, I hate to say it, it sounds like they were spot-on in the movie. I wish it wasn't like this, but it honestly is.
I've seen a bit of WV and even the cities seem dirty and run-down to me. I do hope you're actually from the Northern part and it's actually clean and pretty up there. It'd be really sad if you're from around where I live and you're just so use to this mess that you're blind to it now.
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Everyone is probably going to have their own opinion, but I asked my boyfriend and he said:
That a person he has met from there did not finish the eight grade, but does lead a moderately successful life.
So, I don't think you should worry about what people think about where you live, because they shouldn't be judging you anyway. & Everyone that lives there can't all be completely retarded.
=D
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