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More similarities than many people would like to admit. I live in Georgia. I went to high school in the western exurbs of Atlanta. Plenty of low class culture to be found, as well as alot of middle class people. I went to high school with some people who behaved like that. Some of them even harassed me. Low class White and low class Black culture are more alike than many would want to admit. I should know because I've encountered people who ascribed to both. Got beat up in class by two students who adhered to "redneck culture". Same thing was done to me by three Black students.
And I know about the giant truck tires. I've seen it and I'm more frightened by it than impressed. And the big rims on cars, I've sometimes seen them on some really junky cars. I was once told "you can't paint fecal matter".
And something else. Appalachia and many inner city areas have this in common: pollution, particularly in parts of eastern Kentucky. Coal companies have all but raped parts of eastern Kentucky and parts of West Virginia. Some places, the water is undrinkable as a result. Inner cities areas, many are around the most polluted parts of the city.
And another parallel is this. For the ones who can get a good education, they leave the region. Same goes for Black people from the inner city. Many who do get an education and do well for themselves leave.
I would say one major difference between the underclass culture existing in Appalachia vs underclass Black culture in the inner cities is space. In Appalachia, there are more open spaces. While violence and drugs are issues, being sparsely populated means less people get hurt, and less perception of being unsafe. With the inner city, it's cheek to jowl, so it's quite crowded, and more people to get in trouble with.
That's really true. Parts of Indianapolis are culturally very similar to Appalachia.
Arrest rates are lower in poor rural areas because there aren't cops on every corner. E KY poverty has no effect on rich people in Louisville or Lexington so they are left alone. Actually most of E KY is devoid of police. If you call 911 it takes a state trooper an hour to get there.
No doubt environmental degradation has a large impact on poverty rural or urban. The two worst places to live in KY - W Louisville and E KY - have the worst environment. W Lou is a dumping ground for factory and power plant pollution. Driving through there my throat burns. E KY has surface mining issues - polluted water, land slides, noise and debris from explosions, etc. And both are in flood plains
In short, anything could be taking place and sometimes it doesn't get reported. Given what you have said about arrest rates, there could be anything taking place. Actually, in the documentary "Children of the Mountains, there was actually an incident that took place involving statutory rape.
And the dumping of the pollution, in both places, shows that it is easy to get away with dumping things into communities that are poor, and for that reason, considered powerless. I know about the explosions from the surface mining. Mountain tops in some places have been blasted off.
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Now, I have heard of the pot growing taking place in Kentucky. Marijuana is actually the #1 cash crop of Kentucky. More marijuana is produced in Kentucky than anywhere else in the USA, except California.
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ETA: When I drive from Elizabethtown to Lexington, in late spring, with my car windows open on the highway, I smell a lot of honeysuckle but no marijuana. I haven't driven through eastern KY in a long time, and don't remember much about it. I wonder if people who drive through that area can smell the marijuana from their cars.
That's really true. Parts of Indianapolis are culturally very similar to Appalachia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOldTime
I don't know about appalachia, but many parts of southern Indiana are very similar to areas of Kentucky without a doubt.
I know about southern Indiana being similar to parts of Kentucky. Larry Bird was born and raised in southern Indiana. His accent sounds more like that of Kentucky than Indiana.
And as for parts of Indianapolis being more culturally closer to Appalachia, I don't know how true that is. I do know this. Back in the 40s and 50s, migrants from Appalachia went to cities such as Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, and some other Midwest cities.
ETA: When I drive from Elizabethtown to Lexington, in late spring, with my car windows open on the highway, I smell a lot of honeysuckle but no marijuana. I haven't driven through eastern KY in a long time, and don't remember much about it. I wonder if people who drive through that area can smell the marijuana from their cars.
It depends on where you go. And when did you go through Eastern KY?
It depends on where you go. And when did you go through Eastern KY?
I've never smelled marijuana anywhere driving through the rural areas of Kentucky. But I have smelled Sycamore and especially Tobacco in August, and the corn fields when they're tassling, you'll smell alot of that.
I've never smelled marijuana anywhere driving through the rural areas of Kentucky. But I have smelled Sycamore and especially Tobacco in August, and the corn fields when they're tassling, you'll smell alot of that.
Last time I was in eastern KY (early June), I got a good whiff of MJ as a bunch of bikers rode by. That doesn't really say anything though
Last time I was in eastern KY (early June), I got a good whiff of MJ as a bunch of bikers rode by. That doesn't really say anything though
You're right, it doesn't. Likely on a long ride through scenic country.
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