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The people who want to be part of a solution at least act like it. Those who don't leave.
The thing about Harlan is that they are too proud to accept help and too proud to move on from their backwards ways.
It's not because they are poor, but because they MAKE themselves poor and don't even TRY. My family moved here from Germany, I am a German citizen, I consider my heritage to be German, as far as my American identification, I identify with Chicago and Detroit, even Lexington, far more than Harlan, though I spent the longest amount of time there.
It was a sad time, though. It's a sad, hopeless place because the people don't see anything wrong with the status quo.
um, do you live IN detroit, or do you live in auburn hills or soemthing like that. because your assessment of poor harlanites could easily be applied to the people of detroit as well.
and seriously, what qualifies as "backwards ways", youve got to be more specific than that
um, do you live IN detroit, or do you live in auburn hills or soemthing like that. because your assessment of poor harlanites could easily be applied to the people of detroit as well.
and seriously, what qualifies as "backwards ways", youve got to be more specific than that
Hardly.
Wayne County-Detroit has a far higher average income, a far higher level of education, and all of those abandoned, run down neighborhoods you're seeing are just that... ABANDONED.
But as I said. Harlanites are among the poorest of the poor in America, and they have no desire to do good things. They are content with being stuck in the vicious cycle of drugs, poverty, and backwardsness (defined, by me, as the "I'M REDNECK AND PROUD" type). They must realize that hope and change will not come to them from anyone but themselves.
Really though, the only change they'll ever be able to achieve is if they leave.
Tell me one way in which Harlan can overcome the massive set of problems it has.
Wayne County-Detroit has a far higher average income, a far higher level of education, and all of those abandoned, run down neighborhoods you're seeing are just that... ABANDONED.
Perhaps you're thinking of this?
Or this?
But as I said. Harlanites are among the poorest of the poor in America, and they have no desire to do good things. They are content with being stuck in the vicious cycle of drugs, poverty, and backwardsness. They must realize that hope and change will not come to them from anyone but themselves.
Really though, the only change they'll ever be able to achieve is if they leave.
Tell me one way in which Harlan can overcome the massive set of problems it has.
thats why i asked if you really live in detroit, or in the detroit area. im not aksing about wayne county, im asking about detroit.
those neighborhoods are not abandoned, they are just abandoned by wealthy people. im sure those left wouldnt qualify as real people by your standards though. animals i suppose.
you dont have to prove to me how nice detroits outer areas are. i know. ive been.
all those things you say about harlanites are said about inner-city poverty stricken people constantly. theyre stupid, theyre poor, they dont care, they dont want to imrpove themselves.
fact is, you have no compassion, and no desire to understand:
-how they became poor
-how difficult it is to get out of poverty and truly leave the area where you family has been for generations when the opportunities to do so are extraordinarily limited.
PS, its quite ironic that that shot of downtown detroit shown is taken from canada. have you even been to downtown detroit?? those fancy little GM buildings are it. everything else is burnt out warhouses.
thats why i asked if you really live in detroit, or in the detroit area. im not aksing about wayne county, im asking about detroit.
those neighborhoods are not abandoned, they are just abandoned by wealthy people. im sure those left wouldnt qualify as real people by your standards though. animals i suppose.
you dont have to prove to me how nice detroits outer areas are. i know. ive been.
all those things you say about harlanites are said about inner-city poverty stricken people constantly. theyre stupid, theyre poor, they dont care, they dont want to imrpove themselves.
fact is, you have no compassion, and no desire to understand:
-how they became poor
-how difficult it is to get out of poverty and truly leave the area where you family has been for generations when the opportunities to do so are extraordinarily limited.
PS, its quite ironic that that shot of downtown detroit shown is taken from canada. have you even been to downtown detroit?? those fancy little GM buildings are it. everything else is burnt out warhouses.
Obviously you've never been to downtown Detroit. I was just there a week or two ago. They're renovating the entire area, and as much as many people hate to hear it, the worst of times are over.
Also, I lived below the poverty level in Harlan.
What did my family do? We moved. Sometimes you have to suck it up and leave family behind. How they became poor? The same way all of Appalachia became poor.
Also, Detroit and Wayne county and almost synonymous. Detroit accounts for 90% of Wayne's population.
Also, Indian Village and Boston Edison are close to downtown, far from the outer areas. There are places outside of the Lodge corridor I'd love to buy some property in, even.
As for the abandoned areas... No, they're abandoned.
How would I know? I've BEEN THERE.
But the difference is that inner city poverty stricken individuals, at least in the area I have spent a LOT of time in, AKA the city of Detroit west of Mack, are making a lot of progress.
The people are Harlan do not WANT to change. It shows because they are NOT changing. There's the difference.
Again: Say one positive thing about Harlan and what they are doing to improve their position?
Obviously you've never been to downtown Detroit. I was just there a week or two ago. They're renovating the entire area, and as much as many people hate to hear it, the worst of times are over.
Also, I lived below the poverty level in Harlan.
What did my family do? We moved. Sometimes you have to suck it up and leave family behind. How they became poor? The same way all of Appalachia became poor.
Also, Detroit and Wayne county and almost synonymous. Detroit accounts for 90% of Wayne's population.
Also, Indian Village and Boston Edison are close to downtown, far from the outer areas. There are places outside of the Lodge corridor I'd love to buy some property in, even.
As for the abandoned areas... No, they're abandoned.
How would I know? I've BEEN THERE.
But the difference is that inner city poverty stricken individuals, at least in the area I have spent a LOT of time in, AKA the city of Detroit west of Mack, are making a lot of progress.
The people are Harlan do not WANT to change. It shows because they are NOT changing. There's the difference.
Again: Say one positive thing about Harlan and what they are doing to improve their position?
no, i have been to downtown detroit. i went to a game at comerica park, and stayed at a hotel down near the river there. downtown detroit's got nothing. you know that. but im not here to argue about how nice detroit is. you know that detoirt has poverty stricken areas, and you know that all the terrible things you say about eastern kentucky are said about detroit, thats the only reason why i brought them into this, in a hope that you could find some parallels and perhaps lead you to be less callous with your harsh evaluations of eastern kentucky and its people. the fact that you openly refer to them as rodentia is truly sad.
i could continue to try and convince you, but then again, convince you of what? that the people of eastern kentucky are people? this is pathetic that i even should have to try and do that, and i wont continue it.
fact is, many eastern kentuckians are happy people, proud of where they are from and will continue to live there through love of their family members and a bond with the land theyve been on for generations. you go out of your way to put those people down, and make those people who actually enjoy their lives in harlan feel as though they shouldnt. that is just plain wrong and you truly should be ashamed.
Personally, I like Justified. I've watched most of the episodes and I think it's pretty good. Is it an actual representation of these areas? No. I think the setting is not representative of Harlan/Lexington at all. Just my opinion. The storylines are quite believable, though.
Last edited by KentuckyJon; 04-25-2010 at 08:07 PM..
Not really, it's the fact that I could go to school and be surrounded by a bunch of un-tamed primates whose only cares in life were 4-wheelin' and crushin' up some oxys to snort in the middle of class.
When the kids at your school carry hunting knives and drug use occurs in the classroom, you know you're in a messed up place.
Did you go to private school while living in other cities? From what I gathered from my oh so terrible Kentucky education is that drugs are a problem everywhere. I geuss the well behaved Detroit school children don't ever do drugs at school or bring weapons. I'm sure Detroit is a fine place, never been. I did come across this Detroit Has Worst High-School Graduation Rate : NPR. Apparently Detroit is a leader when it comes to having the worst graduation rates in the great ol' USA. Isn't Detroit usually in the Top 5 for having the most murders too? Did you feel like you were surrounded by "un-tamed primates" in Detroit as well?
Wayne County-Detroit has a far higher average income, a far higher level of education, and all of those abandoned, run down neighborhoods you're seeing are just that... ABANDONED.
Perhaps you're thinking of this?
Or this?
But as I said. Harlanites are among the poorest of the poor in America, and they have no desire to do good things. They are content with being stuck in the vicious cycle of drugs, poverty, and backwardsness (defined, by me, as the "I'M REDNECK AND PROUD" type). They must realize that hope and change will not come to them from anyone but themselves.
Really though, the only change they'll ever be able to achieve is if they leave.
Tell me one way in which Harlan can overcome the massive set of problems it has.
Of course Detroit has a higher average income than a remote area in eastern KY. You're really comparing average income rates between Harlan and one of the largest cities in the nation? I could find nice pictures of Harlan just like you did with Detroit and make it look nice and pleasant, which is how it really feels in my opinion. Why don't you represent Detroit the way it really is, you know, a city thats lost half of its population and leads the nation in murders and unemployment. Of course people will have to leave Harlan if they want a high paying job. It IS a small, remote town. If somebody is happy living where they do then that doesn't make them any less of a person. How can Harlan overcome its problems? You said that hope and change won't come to them from anyone but themselves, so that's on you since you were apparently a resident.
what is sad is that Harlan has such a rich culture and to capitalize on this would require embracing the history and crafts of the Appalachian peoples as a whole. I think they are doing a fair amount of what they can do. I admire that they have done the ATV park since they have to come up with some industry. I think that moving away from it's culture is a mistake because like in many places American culture abroad has been destroying the native culture. Harlan needs to capitalize on it's roots. That could likely create some tourism and economic upswing. Love the view from Ivy hill in the opening credits that is real I have a photo of it that looks just like the one they show in the credits. So basically this television show if it is picked up could create a tourism industry and production there could benefit local economy as well.
what is sad is that Harlan has such a rich culture and to capitalize on this would require embracing the history and crafts of the Appalachian peoples as a whole.
Very true. There's a lot of history within the Appalachian folks.
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Did you go to private school while living in other cities? From what I gathered from my oh so terrible Kentucky education is that drugs are a problem everywhere. I geuss the well behaved Detroit school children don't ever do drugs at school or bring weapons. I'm sure Detroit is a fine place, never been. I did come across this 
