Not that people shouldn’t be held accountable for their politics, but, as in everything, the issue is more complex than it seems that face value.

I was placed in the region through Teach for America a decade ago, right in the midst of the first Trump election. I initially took the political rhetoric at face value, assuming everyone was parroting the viewpoints of conservative talking heads.

While there is some truth to that, the actuality of any individual’s opinion is more nuanced than that.

The area has been historically marginalized and abused by corporate and political powers of all varieties. Coal severance money was misdirected, and many of the mine owners saw the writing on the wall, taking all available funds and abandoning the area.

As a consequence, the working class was left with few jobs outside of healthcare or education, with a consequent over-reliance on government assistance, leaving the populace with a feeling of hopelessness and abandonment.

The fall from prosperity happened with a similar, and related, flight to large cities. From the viewpoint of the marginalized, it seemed as if liberal policies favored Urban prosperity over rural.

Not that the issue can be whittled down to the urban and rural divide, but the overwhelming sense was that something drastic needed to change, and only one political party even acknowledged that sentiment.

The area has certainly been propagandized to, but most of the opinions are more moderate and practical than the election results would imply.

Like much of the country, it is very easy to find the vocal minority that treats the political scene like a sports match, with an almost religious devotion to “their team”. I just wish there was more condemnation of those people who address it that stupidly.

With it being such a rural area, the community relies on each other, and easily looks past any problematic opinions, in favor of meaningful human connection in action.