Marigold, I honestly get where you're coming from too. I know what you're saying. I also have strong beliefs that govern how people need to take charge of their lives. I hope that the majority of the people of Appalachia have come out of the mountains and tried to get help for a better life for their families. I would love to see nothing more than those people doing just that. In this day and age, perhaps enough of them have been curious to the ways of modern technology.
However, I'm afraid there is still a large majority that hasn't done this. Why? The grandparents taught one way and the next generation followed, so on and so on. We can't force these people to live differently. It has to be their choice.

When I lived there, there was no tv cable available in the remote mountain areas. I can't even imagine what it would be like to run cable all the way up one of those mountains. It's practically impossible so no one does it. We got three major channels on the tv and that was it. The picture was almost unrecognizable. There might be other alternatives available today.

As I said before, my former FIL worked in the coal mines to support his family. He owed his soul to the company store when he died. He got a black lung settlement that helped pay bills to an extent. Black lung killed him. Those people got nothing free. The only government assistance they got was for their handicapped son that eventually died while I was there.
You're saying that everyone gets everything free and they don't. You can't group these people all together like you're doing.

I know I've said enough already but I feel the need to defend these fine people. This is just one family. All of the Appalachians are not like this but many of them that I know there now, are exactly like this.

Lastly, I just think we should have compassion for everyone that needs it. I've never said I agree with what goes on there. I would love to see change come about. It's going to take alot to achieve this but maybe more fortunate people can get the ball rolling. Maybe we can awaken some of the people and make them aware of what is available to them. I'll hope and pray that we see that in my lifetime.