Children of the Mountains'

This past week ABC's Diane Sawyer (a native Kentuckian) aired a 20/20 investigation focused on the children of the Kentucky Appalacian region. The feature focused on different children of the region and how they are working to overcome the odds placed upon them by the area. For example, a statistic offered up by the program was that up to 1 out of 10 residents is completely without teeth and that children as young as 2 have as many as 12 cavaties. The program also highlighted a few hero's who were working to make conditions for those in the region better than they have ever been. I first learned about the program from Bill O'Reilly's, The O'Reilly Factor, when he interviewed Diane Sawyer regarding the feature. Now, before I go out and bash Mr. O'Reilly, let me state that I agree with Bill on almost every issue that he has added insight on. I watch his program nearly every evening and find his commentary second to none. However, I was shocked at how hard he came down on Diane, essentially blaming the Appalacian people for much of their disfortune. The heart of Bill's point comes down to folks choosing not to move away from the area knowing that there is no livelyhood present in the hills, and essentially refusing to better themselves. I can understand where he is coming from, he being from Long Island, NY where poverty of this magnitude is a distant reality. But, it is unreasonable and above unfair to blame the children of the region for their misfortune. What are they to do? I think parents feel somewhat trapped. They do not want to completely leave their families behind, forsaking them so they can have a better life. Many, also, do not have the money to move away, even if they had the opportunity to do so. I also feel that other's (and this is not only directed at Bill, mind you) portrayal of the region is not always accurate. The "hills" have really come a long way, both economically and socially. Students are getting better educations than ever before, new buisnesses are beginning to crop up in cities like Pikeville, KY, and most of all, more money is being spent on the region than ever before. So, the Bottom Line...outsiders, even within the state of kentucky, do not often foster a very accurate opinion of the appalacian hills...