How Do West Virginians See Their Own History? | Cole 

I was born and raised in West Virginia for 17 years and I always felt I was part of a Third World Nation, one not aligned with anybody, with a totally corrupt government, all land owned by absentee owners, mostly big coal companies that no law applied to. We had exactly one government leader, Robert Byrd of the famous Byrds of Virginia fame, who cared about us at all. Now we have Joe Manchin, who does not. Education in the 1950 and early 1960s was good but declined in the later 60s as coal became less important making what taxes the coal companies paid less. Life saving innovation in the mines themselves such as Continuous Miners and nearly robot machines also meant fewer human Miners were needed, but those who still mine coal, still die from black lung, though roof falls are seldom now. Unions were the life's blood of the Miners but even the United Mine Workers open mines with scab labor and now, the UMW is a ghost. Most young people leave as soon as they can, just as I did in the late 60s, the old coal camps have fallen apart and the towns, and what is called cities are old and tired looking. There is some new industry but not enough and the old mining infrastructure is being lost. This is Trump country, mostly because he is a Rebel, anti establishment and likes to paint himself as a victim, something I saw often back in the old days too and those good people do have a point to their complaints, the State Government does not represent them, the Federal Government uses them, they are irrelevant to business and people denigrate them all over the country. West Virginia is nothing like Virginia, different topography, different culture from a different part of Europe, more respect for black people but not so much for Latinos. But, Hillbillies tend to be very patriotic, proud of their country, but find themselves not really allowed to. Depicted on media as inbred idiots, easily swayed by a New Your City conman, even to their own detriment but what they really are is Rebels, in search of a good leader, one who actually will lead them out of the Third World and into America.