Diane Sawyer - Appalachian Special

[Cataholic]

Thanks Pam!! I'll get a reminder post it on the tv now. There was a huge response to it and alot of the comments were directed at Diane herself. I know she was hurt by many of the remarks.

D&D, I didn't see the special, but, want to watch 20/20 this Friday night. Why were people directing the hurtful comments to Diane?

[Daisy and Delilah]

D&D, I didn't see the special, but, want to watch 20/20 this Friday night. Why were people directing the hurtful comments to Diane?

The comments are mostly from natives of the area that are angry about the way she dipicted them all as toothless, incestuous, good for nothing, drug addicts. The show covered the fact that not all people are like that but many of the people still feel like they're being made to look bad again. She is from Kentucky and she's apparently seen by some as uppity and unknowing about how things really go there.

There were also dozens of angry comments directed at her for not offering to put the young man through college that supposedly dropped out due to lack of funds. Not just directed at Diane but to ABC and others.

Of course, there were people complaining about poverty in all areas and why would Diane concentrate on this area only.

There are hundreds of comments on the ABC website and some of them are ugly.

Pam: I did see it this morning. I was also reading about the actual help that's been given.

[kokopup]

originally posted by Daisy and Delilah

The comments are mostly from natives of the area that are angry about the way she dipicted them all as toothless, incestuous, good for nothing, drug addicts. The show covered the fact that not all people are like that but many of the people still feel like they're being made to look bad again. She is from Kentucky and she's apparently seen by some as uppity and unknowing about how things really go there.

There were also dozens of angry comments directed at her for not offering to put the young man through college that supposedly dropped out due to lack of funds. Not just directed at Diane but to ABC and others.

Of course, there were people complaining about poverty in all areas and why would Diane concentrate on this area only.

There are hundreds of comments on the ABC website and some of them are ugly.

Pam: I did see it this morning. I was also reading about the actual help that's been given.
_____

I can see how the locals would be upset with how they are depicted.
I have seen media distortion for years, after all i was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. It is true that there are still pockets of poverty
in Appalachia. This is true for just about every region in the US. Look at our intercity. It is not fair to go out in the mountain and find a few families and make it a epidemic. Drug abuse is not unique to this or any region of our world. This is a problem that plagues all regions, And income groups. Incest is a another worldwide problem that they tried
to isolate to the Mountain people. We give it a name like child abuse or
some other name but it is still incest.The number one social problem in the Netherland is incest. This is a country with one of the highest standard of living in the world. There are religious groups that have incest as a part of there tenet's. This is not a unique problem to Appalachia

Changing social issues in is not easy from the outside. It must start from within. Martin Luther King would roll over in his grave if he could see how rampant black on black crime is. How do you stop this. It has
to be a change in the mindset of the people. This is true with Appalachia and the intercity of our larger cities. It is easy to have exposes' on the problems facing America and the world , that 20/20 is famous for, but harder to come up with solutions to these problems.

[RICHARD]

Thanks Pam,


THis fits in with my thoughts of the last week.

I purchased on of those water purifying pitches - PUR - a few weeks ago.

I kinda glossed over the print on the box saying that by "purchasing this product, I am helping bring pure water to people overseas". I felt good for all of 3 seconds, Then Pam has to show up and kick my arse.

I don't really get on the bandwagon about any 'causes' anymore. Most of the money goes to amin costs and I was stunned at the 20 bucks I gave to greenpeace and the WWF and how it turned into 50 dollars of letters, pamphlets and mailing costs, just to get another 20 spot from me.

Yep, we do have a problem here in the U.S. with poverty.

You do have to give people credit-I seriously doubt anyone of us could make it living under those conditions. I have seen first hand the type of poverty in Mexico that is on par with what was on that show.

LOL, I probably still have the splinters in my ARSE from the wooden seat of the outdorr crapper.

We tend to feel put out about having to deal with little things like turning down the thermostat at night and have to go pee in a cold house.

On your way there, look out the window and think about a Number 2 in your weather in your part of the country.

We can and will commiserate with these poor folks and their way of life, but we first have to figure out why the OctoMom has a better set of fingernails than us, Who is going to win the Grammys on Sunday night and Our wonderful governmentand reps who will take a handout dollar for pet projects and pork barrel spending, but refuse to let it filter down to the poorest people in the nation.

My spin?

Build one nice house in each neighborhood and give it to a family. Like the show where they build ridiculously nice house for 'in need' families.

Don't put in all the unneeded crap like HDTVs, mircowave ovens and electric
window shades. Put in a crapper, a stove, heat and a washing machine, maybe?

Then tell everyone that this is what we have to offer to people if they choose to participate in what made our country great-Sawyer is another effing hack that went out of her way to put together this piece to shame the rest of the country- I looked at the South Central Dogs link and see the same thing.

The worst of a neighborhood - and the people there are fooled into giving a sound bite to people who manipulate the story for max shock value.

-------------

Our heart strings will be tugged, but how much can we do for people who don't trust the 'revenuers' for help?

A sticky wicket at best, but to condemn the country, the citizens in and out of the area is really not fair.

The whole story needs to be looked at.

[Medusa]

My spin?

Build one nice house in each neighborhood and give it to a family. Like the show where they build ridiculously nice house for 'in need' families.

Don't put in all the unneeded crap like HDTVs, mircowave ovens and electric
window shades. Put in a crapper, a stove, heat and a washing machine, maybe?

Then tell everyone that this is what we have to offer to people if they choose to participate in what made our country great.

That raises an interesting point: whatever happened to Habitat for Humanity? Do they not go into Appalachia? I think you're onto something, RICHARD.

[RICHARD]

That raises an interesting point: whatever happened to Habitat for Humanity? Do they not go into Appalachia? I think you're onto something, RICHARD.

HFH demands that the owner put in what is called "sweat equity"-In other words, they have to do a percentage of the work to qualify for a HFH home and the loan.

Someone will correct me.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I can see how the locals would be upset with how they are depicted.
I have seen media distortion for years, after all i was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. It is true that there are still pockets of poverty
in Appalachia. This is true for just about every region in the US. Look at our intercity. It is not fair to go out in the mountain and find a few families and make it a epidemic. Drug abuse is not unique to this or any region of our world. This is a problem that plagues all regions, And income groups. Incest is a another worldwide problem that they tried
to isolate to the Mountain people. We give it a name like child abuse or
some other name but it is still incest.The number one social problem in the Netherland is incest. This is a country with one of the highest standard of living in the world. There are religious groups that have incest as a part of there tenet's. This is not a unique problem to Appalachia

Changing social issues in is not easy from the outside. It must start from within. Martin Luther King would roll over in his grave if he could see how rampant black on black crime is. How do you stop this. It has
to be a change in the mindset of the people. This is true with Appalachia and the intercity of our larger cities. It is easy to have exposes' on the problems facing America and the world , that 20/20 is famous for, but harder to come up with solutions to these problems.

Very well said. You've made some wonderful points.

Having lived in the area for a few years, I was able to witness that dark side of life first hand. I longed for the day that those people would wake up and try to help themsleves. Eventually I realized, it would probably never happen. Changing social issues from the outside is nearly impossible for sure. Learning to live differently than you have for hundreds of years is nearly impossible as well.

To me, there is a fine line between exposing this situation or keeping it hidden. Either way, it should be depicted accurately.
I can also understand how those natives feel after seeing the program. It most likely brought them to feel ashamed of themselves. However, the website , as well as the show itself, provided disclaimers for the facts they were presenting. On one hand you could see it as being portrayed both ways I suppose. 1.) As if everyone in eastern Kentucky is living like that. or 2.) Only certain groups/families in exclusive pockets are living like that.

Appalachia is not the only area in the U.S. with the problems that were portrayed in Sunday's show. Not by any means. I want to believe that it wasn't ABC's intention to represent the fact that they thought it was exclusive. I hope Diane Sawyer did it to raise awareness of that area just in that particular program. Maybe we'll see other areas brought into the light after the comments she's received. I can agree with the points mentioned in alot of the comments but the nasty remarks were unnecessary.

I don't know if anything will reach these people. Will they ever choose to live another way? I believe they are distinct from others in comparable situations. As I said before, it's hard to explain. I've met alot of people in my life but never any people exactly like the people of the mountains. I considered my husband's family as some of the more learned people there. I never met the people that lived even further on top of the mountains and deeper in the hollers. It was a character building experience from the first day I was there. I'm a different person today because of it.

I can't relate to all those people in the show. I know the residents of the area can't completely relate to all of them either. I do think they need to open their eyes and realize these problems exist rather than acting as if they don't. I was surprised at how many comments indicated the situation isn't realistic.

If something can be done, I hope 20/20 can make sure that something is done and follow through with it. In the meantime, I hope they continue to bring improvement and expose other parts of the country that are suffering. I shudder to think they do this for ratings only and ignore the gigantic resposes they receive.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I wonder if Habitat even goes in there? I know how proud they are to get a new trailer or modular home there. At least they were when I was there.
Most of the people I met would love to put in some sweat equity for a new place.

I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night. You've made another great point, Richard!

[Pam]

I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night. You've made another great point, Richard!

Now be careful Terry. Let's not have Richard getting a big head!

Your comments, Terry, are so well put down and they give great insight into the life there. I agree with you - let's hope that this was done for the right reasons. I have no idea what prompted the TV special on Camden, NJ as Diane certainly did not grow up there. It was a good program in that it pointed up that, no matter what the depressed area, there are always some people there that want to rise above it. Sometimes they just need a little helping hand. Let's hope this will happen in Appalachia.

[kokopup]

The problems as presented by ABC are not unique. I have seen similar programs on PBS and others. I am just not a fan of the way ABC, 20/20
in particular presents issues of this type.

My best friend growing up moved to Green banks , West Virginia after
we worked together in the Space Program. He was a manager for the Green bank radio telescope observatory. The facility was put there because of its isolation from everything including radio signals. They moved there in the early seventies. During his entire 30 years he was there his wife worked with the locals on many of the issues presented on the show. Her biggest problem was getting their trust. Even when the young people were on board with the programs she was trying to carry out the parents would not cooperate. Outsiders were not trusted and change was resisted. You can try to give help but until they are willing to change nothing can happen. You have to realize how isolated
some of these people are from the rest of the world. Go to the end of the world then climb that mountain and you might be there. We are talking backwoods. They have developed a life style that we can't understand but this is all they have ever known.

My father used to talk about the poverty he was raised in back in the
1900-10 era. He was able to escape this by quiting school and becoming an apprentice Jeweler in Birmingham at 11. There are isolated parts of this country that are stuck in this era and do not know how to escape. Life and lifestyles have not changed in generations. 20/20 is not going to change this. You have to want to escape and a
way to get there. The young boy on 20/20 had the desire but was not
equipped with the knowledge and resources to do so.

These are similar to the problems with escaping the intercity. It is extremely hard to pull yourself up with your boot straps when you don't
have any boots.

[Medusa]

I wonder if Habitat even goes in there? I know how proud they are to get a new trailer or modular home there. At least they were when I was there.
Most of the people I met would love to put in some sweat equity for a new place.

Why wouldn't they? I would think that the people there would be anxious and excited to help build their own home.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Why wouldn't they? I would think that the people there would be anxious and excited to help build their own home.

I had to realize that I was there thirty plus years ago. HFH must have gone into those areas by now. I can't help but wonder what survived the lack of work and motivation.

Pam: Thank you. I have such a feeling for that place, even though it's long gone from my life.

kokopup: So true. Gaining trust was a true test of what kind of person you were. I finally got it by looking at life the way they do. It wasn't easy.
The families and it's members are all they have. If you remove one of them, it's as if the other's have lost a limb. They don't function without each other.
I think their ways of thinking can be penetrated but it's going to take alot of time and patience.

I would love to see all of this come to an end in this country but I'll always have a special place in my heart for the people of Appalachia.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Now be careful Terry. Let's not have Richard getting a big head!

Laughing out loud, Pam!!!

You're right. I seem to be complimenting Richard all the time. I need to pull in the reins so his head doesn't explode.

[Hellow]

I live in this area. I see stuff like this all the time. But this show makes us all look like hicks that have absolutely no money, no electricity, no water, and basically make it look like the 1800s. Its not like that. There is barely anyone like how I described anymore, unless they are homeless. Things have gotten more modern around here, if the locals like it or not. They badly need to correct this show.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I live in this area. I see stuff like this all the time. But this show makes us all look like hicks that have absolutely no money, no electricity, no water, and basically make it look like the 1800s. Its not like that. There is barely anyone like how I described anymore, unless they are homeless. Things have gotten more modern around here, if the locals like it or not. They badly need to correct this show.

There have been changes since I lived there. Modern conveniences were available but not necessarily used. I remember it was a big thrill to go to Hardee's for a pork biscuit and a soda. I know it's not quite like that now.

Reggie, can you explain why the show made you feel like you were all stereotyped? Did the disclaimers not clarify the difference in the regions?
I'm just curious to know exactly why so many people of the area feel the way you do.