guthriedm15's blog

When I heard the words “Appalachia”, or “Appalachian region”, my first thoughts are of the Blue Ridge Mountains and of the people that inhabit the mountains. Unfortunately, I am guilty of thinking of these people as “hillbillies” or “rednecks”. In my mind, these people are often uneducated, perhaps racist, and suited to live away from civilization as we know in order to live off of the land. These people are also hardy, polite, church-going people that are almost always absurdly conservative when it comes to their social and political views. These people seem to be stuck in the past because they resist change by their very nature.

While my opinion may seem blunt or slightly inappropriate, I believe that it’s partly justifiable because I grew up in a place that is much like the counties that have been considered to be part of Appalachia. My opinion of people like this has arisen because of the intimately close experiences I’ve had with them. The large majority of the people in my family remind me of the types of people that I have described. The people that attended my high school are like the people that I would associate with the Appalachian Region.

My childhood upbringing has played a crucial role in the development of the people from this area. I grew up surrounded by a family that fits the very stereotypes that I’ve mentioned. Much of my family is made up of people that go hunting on a regular basis, have no neighbors within a few miles, and resist any new change or technology and are what I would call “redneck”. Because of my family, I understand that these people are rough around the edges and gruff on the outside, but have many redeeming qualities about them. In my experience, these people are heavily independent,polite, and respectful.