I Grew Up in Appalachia Too. J.D. Vance Is a Hillbilly Phony

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Thank you for your outrage and points about vance. These kinds of people, pretending to be something they're not,

piss me off too to no end.

I grew up in the Ozarks, and I know what you mean about stealing your thunder in being an appalachia native (I hoped I spelled this right).

I've always been proud of my Ozarks background, w/ good reason. Many generations of my family grew up in the Ozarks, and it was a unique experience, w/ unique people, neighbors, and friends.

Sadly, these times are long gone now, being that tourism and the lake culture (fishing, boating, etc.) have all taken over the entire interior of MO and its lakes, etc., and everything is now stuffed to the gills w/ tourist traps, and 2-lane roads crowded/jammed endlessly around the lakes. When is enough, enough? Many have moved to the Ozarks that I'm aware of, that were thinking 'oh my, we'll move to the Ozarks and get good prices, etc. on everything!'.

As my Mom told me later, NO. This is not true. Prices aren't better, and one has to drive literally 50 miles in any direction for doctors, hospitals, shopping, etc. Mostly over two-lane roads (and maybe you're lucky you have a state highway or Interstate available (but you still have to drive to it a number of miles). And she didn't like it being that no theaters, no shows, no events like in big cities etc. were available, unless she drove all the way to the Lake of the Ozarks or down South to Branson for a show, easily a 100 miles roundtrip.