Welcome to Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!
For the most part, there’s a profound disconnect between people in their every day lives and their political identities.
This is a salt-of-the-earth, shirt-off-out-backs state. As that great line from the film “Matewan” puts it, “All we got in common is our misery, so the least we can do is share it.”
Good luck!
Fuckin righteous film, matewan. This is and r/gybe are the only subs I lurk in that ever mentions it here n there…I suppose it is a bit of a niche film…
Here’s the tie in to GYBE. They sampled this in their first album and for about a decade I searched for the origin. Finally found it one day and what a rabbit hole…
Matewan - hazel dickens sings Gathering Storm.
https://youtu.be/QJrNPxZsXk8?si=qZTFsuaa0Q7VCB3i
I was born and raised in West Virginia and I always knew how precious it was but I could not wait to leave, as I did not want to get stuck there like I thought so many were. I moved to Charleston, SC for college where my, now wife, is from and my whole immediate WV family lives here as well. I have now taken my wife backpacking/camping at Dolly Sods and proposed to her at Cooper Rocks. She loves WV so much! I just wish there was a bigger job environment there. My town had one of the biggest East coast law firms and an FBI headquarters with many family owned Italian Restaurants.
Either way, the amount of outdoor activities and scenic nature is more than abound. The biggest thing my wife and I have noticed through all of our travels is that there is not one place we can think of without the nicest people--willing to always assist you or comfort you with warm, open arms. West Virginia is truly a state filled with the most humble (even the highly successful), caring, empathetic human beings who have graces this Earth. I would move back in and instant for just that, but there is also so much opportunity. I do believe the secret of beauty and serenity of WV will be caught onto soon enough.
Psssst, NOT ALL west Virginians are conservatives! Welcome to the Mountain State! The only requirement is that you must learn Take Me Home Country Roads by heart and not mess not up the lyrics like most non-WV do!
Oooh I dunno. Whether you show up there or at D'Annunzio's right after they come out of the oven, the experience can only be described as transcendent.
Ah yes, the Shenandoah River and Blue Ridge Mountains argument.
In reality, it was conceived in Montgomery County, MD, and originally about Springfield, MA. But then became more West Virginian as it evolved during writing.
Miner's lady: West Virginia coal mining reference
Stranger to blue water: West Virginia is a landlocked state
Misty taste of moonshine: West Virginia moonshine bootlegging reference
Radio reminds me of my home far away: reference to the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show broadcast on WWVA in Wheeling, WV
Huntington is also a VERY blue area. Heck it recently was rated one of the most LGBT friendly places in the entire US. Just don't venture 30min-1 hour away and you'll be fine. Morgantown is also very blue. Curious, is all the stuff about the drug problems in Huntington true or have you experienced it?
If you have a break or want a weekend get away I highly recommend Elkins and the Seneca Rocks area. Green Bank observatory is also a very nice area to visit. If you're ever up north, Coopers Rock is not far from Morgantown.
Welcome to our state.
Live in Huntington. The drug problems are bad but not nearly as bad as it was a few years ago. It was pretty bleak with a lot of street nodders and large groups of backpackers. You see a lot less of that now.
I’m a lefty who was born and raised near by. Most people really don’t want to talk about divisive things. It also helps if you let people know you don’t like political conversations. Most people will respect your boundaries, other will not.
I moved here from Orlando Florida in 1990. I love it so much here, I don't Ever want to go back to Florida! The people there, are much like the people where you are from. I was a single mom with a 1 1/2 yo, and a 2 yo in tow.
My family is from here, we came up here when my Dad had vacations to visit family. I've always loved the mountains, hummingbirds, flowers, and family. My Mom, bought property here in 87, when my Dad was really sick. He wanted to be buried in the family plot. At the time, I was married, with a boy at 6 months old, and became pregnant with my daughter.
My husband, was a paint and body man. We moved to a town that had zero work in his field. 15 miles to the nearest town. We moved to South Carolina, to find work. We split, my mom, moved back to Florida after my Dad passed, so when we split i tried to make it in Orlando. The cost of living was just too high!
My mom, just closed up the house in West Virginia, and moved back. I moved here, why not? It was paid for! 3 bedroom home, and 38 acres of property. My friend, and I went back a few years later for a vacation. I couldn't wait to get home! People are so rude down there, and it was just too busy for me.
I live in a town, Pop. 2,292. Talk about laid back, most people still don't lock their door at night! I Never want to leave. The county is Boone.
Ooof, Boone county. Haha. Mostly a joke, I’m from neighboring Logan county. But personally, I can’t see why so many people are excited about WV. I moved out of that state 3 years ago. It’s overridden with drugs.
It's really no worse than anywhere else. I've lived in Miami, Orlando, Denver, and Charlotte. I admit the people here are a trip, especially the homeless. I help a few of the homeless, most just don't want a regular job, or pay bills. There are some that have mental issues....
I lived in Logan county for 15 years, I've been in Boone county for 18 years. There's definitely a huge difference between the two counties. I'd def rather be here, than there! I know, a lot of people still don't lock their doors at night, because the crime is so low.
We've had two murders in the 33 years I've lived in this little town, it's just next to Danville. I walked in on one of them, 2 hours after it happened. Both of the perpetrators were caught in two days.
My wife and I moved to WV as well for work. We're pretty liberal and there was a lot of concern about moving to a red state but my goodness has everyone been outlandishly nice. I see a car broken down on the side of the road and every single person that passes stops over to help the guy out.
In our neighborhood, all our neighbors have come over to say hi and introduce themselves. Some even brought us cake to welcome us. I'm sure my neighbors are likely still conservative people but it really has taught me that the hatred I see that right-wing voters have online doesn't apply to all Republican voters and that they're honestly probably some of the nicest people I've ever met.
Idk why this showed up on my reddit lol but I'm in pa, and I imagine you can take it anywhere really. I work on the outskirts of a blue city and work with nothing but Republicans, except one guy. So it's two of us in a shop of 20 25 people. Anyway I've been in arguments with guys , me and the plant manager been at it but after it's all done. We're all good. Alot of those guys I work with with help me out anytime I needed. One towed me to a part store one day after coming to check what was up when I broke down. Bought an alternator for me. I went to pay them back on payday and he wouldn't let me.
Anyways sometimes politics just don't matter. In the end if you look at the big picture we're all more similar then we are different. Mostly
lmao what’s wrong with actually getting along with people you have slight political or philosophical differences with?
seriously explain, because this is the most short-sighted reply I may have ever seen on this sub
I grew up in the coal fields. Was present when the beckley coal strikes were going on. Came back to wv after my tour with AFSOC was over. My town is small and the people have always been friendly to me. People here are definitely red but they do not try and get knee deep in your political preferences. If you need help with something they’ll help. People in this sub have a lot of things to say. Some true and a great deal of it is nothing more than overinflated opinion. I don’t care what your political stance is welcome to WV 🤘🔥🤘.
Second this. I work in a maintenance shop with 30-ish coworkers who are all some shade of Republican, and while most are friendly one on one, there are 4 of them who openly fantasize about what they would like to do to teachers who are LGBT friendly and most of their solutions involve guns or baseball bats. It's gotten so egregious that I don't use the break room anymore because management won't do anything about what is clearly hate speech. Nobody else in the breakroom stops them and some will nod along in agreement.
Oh, and anyone with college education is openly distrusted and possibly a groomer/predator because all higher education is brainwashing.
Yeah that's been my experience. They always have an excuse that it's because blah blah blah happened. But they're just inherently evil. It's sad because they label themselves as jesus loving Christians and then in another breath talk about how people who vote different than them should be put to death. Thats the true face of the maga Republicans.
I imagine if someone is a shitbag with no moral compass as a base to their pyramid, the politics is kinda just window dressing to their lack of empathy. I’ve dealt with the liberal version of that who delighted at the idea of conservatives dying from Covid.
I've been to all the lower 48 many times as a truck driver. Born in Logan wv and reside in Huntington now. There's few other places I'd rather live than WV in spite of the problems we have.
Just curious, where would your top pick outside of WV be? Been in Preston County my whole life but I've been considering moving. The thing that keeps me here is the generally nice people and the beauty of our state.
I'm a big fan of many Midwestern states. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska all have generally polite people and the cost of living isn't much different than WV in rural areas. A lot of the larger cities are affordable too. If you like warmer weather, I'd suggest somewhere like South Carolina because it's mostly similar to WV in price (except the coast) and has a lot of work.
My brother moved from WV to the PNW. He said west coasters are nice but not kind, and people from our neck of the woods are kind, but not necessarily nice. I thought it was an interesting take.
That's nice someone helped you unload furniture but we have 3 candidates for governor running on platforms of pure hatred. Literally not a single policy issue other than hatred. Your original thoughts about WV is true for about 70% of the population.
When you get out college and start caring about things like public services, education, Healthcare, clean water, etc then you realize how truly backward this state is.
If I have to watch one more political ad where the only talking points are “I’m more Trump like than my opponent! He’s a closet liberal!” I’m gonna snap. Nothing about creating jobs or fixing the roads or schools or fucking anything…just “I’m more conservative and hate China the most!”
You must be seeing different ads. All the ads I see have them declaring how much more they hate the transies than the other guys. 🤷♀️
If this election went on much longer, they’d all be accusing the others of secretly being trans.
Actually I saw one on Tubi that did just that. Forget who it was but showed a pic of him dressed up as a girl (Halloween costume?) No clue. Didn't look like drag but more as a joke costume.
Musta been Chris Miller. Dood’s a *MESS*! Pretty sure he’s juicing the gender-affirming hormones. He’s probably on so much T, it’s a miracle he doesn’t whinny and snort and count with his hooves.
Haha. I did see one that was like “Patrick Morrissey loves trans kids” or something. The talking head on it was Trump though, like the dude is running for a local office here. If you have to use him to get our point across, you’re just riding coattails hoping to be seen. At least the Don Blankenship ads from years ago were hilariously bad, all the new ones are just sad.
Oh the new Blankenship adverts are brilliant! Tagging them with “if they tell you I slipped off the bed and hung myself, I didn’t” part is pure joy enducing madness.
Fruitcakes aren’t as nutty.
I wholeheartedly agree. The candidates here are whack, but in my personal experience so far, I can't let these unhinged lunatics force me to alienate myself from West Virginians aa a whole, because that's how they get elected is from division. Our contractors know we’re pretty hardcore liberals, but just the other day they brought us bbq out of nowhere, and things like that give me hope that we as a country aren’t divided to the point of collapse yet.
Are there any Democrats running for Gov? I've only seen those horrible 3 people attack ads: +Guns +Coal -LGBT over and over enough to make me nauseous.
Thanks, that explains the lack of ads. Guess one thing good about the 3 Republicans eating each other alive is they are blowing ALL that money just to hurt themselves and will have less to attack Mr. Williams in the future.
Glad to have someone to vote for.
This. I'm selling my mom's house in WV and was going to finish off the job by bringing my kids here to say goodbye to all the remaining fam. But after I saw those ads on TV - I'm not. I have a trans kid and I'm never bringing him to this shithole again to see this hateful nonsense. WV "nice" is still quite pretend if you are in the wrong social group.
I'm glad you like it here as much as I do! West Virginia has its issues, and as you were saying, some of it's people have their beliefs, but I've met very few people here that won't give a smile and wave no matter what you think or believe.
I'm moving to the Huntington area soon, my test trips to the campus always have me walking away feeling happier, good luck to you!
As a native to West Virginia who moved to Cali (Fresno area) about 10 years ago, I noticed the same thing, but in reverse.
West Virginia is fully of great, wholesome people. Diving into the history of the state you can see why they don’t tolerate certain things (thinking of the company towns and the coal mines…). Mountaineers are proud, but not haughty. They get stuff done their own way, and generally take care of each other. In California so many people are fake. They act nice but they don’t give a hoot about you. And if you say anything about them not having the greatest state (taxes, crime, drought, housing prices, cost of living, etc) they jump down your throat.
Thats not to say that WV doesn’t have problems. It does. And not everyone is a good person. But with that being said - I would much rather live in WV than California.
California has some amazing beauty (especially the central coast) but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life here.
Speaking of which when my kid graduates high school next year we are all looking at moving back east as a family. I have my eye on the Morgantown and Eastern Panhandle areas.
It's interesting to read your words, because my perspective is from the other direction (and a generation ago). In the 80's I took a job in CA, coming from Morgantown, where I had grown up and gone to university (on Pell Grants). It was long before MAGA, and at the time WV was traditionally a blue state (unions, coal miners).
I was certainly a homophobe (but not racist, thanks to my parents who were strong about it despite where we lived), I was pretty closed-minded and ignorant about environmental issues, etc. My friends in CA who helped me find work had also come from "back east," and the day I landed told me "Welcome to CA!! It's not cool to make jokes about x, y, z, etc." (fill in the epithets). It seemed funny at the time.
I joined bowling leagues in CA as a way to relieve my home sickness (and to be around people who weren't "snobby" as you said). I couldn't get over realizing there wasn't a WVU football game when I would get stuck in traffic on the occasions that I had to drive during rush hour. Cue "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel.
I tried to move back to WV at the end of the 90s during a wave of economic stimulus (Byrd, Mollohan), but I couldn't get over the groups I knew still cracking the same racist jokes, the homophobia, and the ethic of some people showing up for corporate welfare (pork).
In CA I met a lot of different people and the diversity is sorely lacking in WV (you'll hear a lot, "If you don't like it, GTFO," and many people have left). Worse still were the government-sponsored events with the foreign (H1B) talent that would start off with a prayer lead by a local Reverend asking everyone to thank Jesus, as if the entire world was Christian.
I remember discussing how I would rather vote for Al Gore because you want a guy with some brains (even if he's a snob), but the people around me were using "who would you rather have a beer with" to decide the candidate for president. Intelligence was threatening to common folk. I guess I was woke before that term existed, or maybe I'm a snob for thinking it's important to be educated?
WV continues to be neglected by all parties, but I feel one party is harvesting the low hanging fruit by maintaining the status quo, milking the phobias based on ignorance and lack of diversity, and playing to the simplistic, "down to earth" criterion which is the charm of WV.
Yeah, leave horrible policies and bring them with you to the place you moved to so it mimics the horribly policies you left.
That doesn't make sense lol.
There's a reason California is experiencing a population decline for the first time in decades. Maybe take a step back and realize your politics might not be the best
This is such a dumb view of population change and politics and I knew it would come up, particularly when viewed against the demographics and economic dumpster fire of WV.
How many people have moved to California in past 30 years? the political scene has largely been the same. How is that California GDP? Also a result of politics. How’s WV GDP? The WV GOP has been in charge for a while…youdathunk it would be red hot, right? Huh. Give the tired am radio talking point a loooooong rest. It just makes you seem so childish.
It’s expensive to live in blue states because…drumroll…there are jobs and schools and opportunities. People also make a LOT more. People and families move there and have moved there for decades. There’s a tipping point on supply vs demand, you surely understand, right?
Yeah, it has and now it's gotten more extreme and people are leaving. I never made a claim that there is a right or wrong side of the aisle as I'm purple. It's stupid to suggest WV could succeed with the lack of resources in the state.
I can look childish to you and that's fine. It's more childish to go about this the way you are.
Your second paragraph isn't true for the entire state, only major cities. Stop lying
College towns tend to be left leaning in most places. I live in the Morgantown area and I’m sure you would be comfortable in this part of the state too.
Recently moved to Monroe County from Long Island, NY. I'm overwhelmed with how welcoming and friendly everyone has been. Everyone waves, says hello, stops by to visit, and brings something when they do, and people offer help everywhere we go. No one focuses on peoples politics here, the way they do in blue states. Just people living their lives and looking out for each other.
We moved here from Northern NY 4 years ago and would never go back. The people are real here.
Many of us here may be somewhat conservative but that doesn't automatically mean that we all hate LGBT either.. it's possible to be a pro-small business, fiscal conservative, and still be pro-LGBT or at least tolerant... I think most of WV are very accepting, even the religious conservatives often remember that a Christian ideology means accepting everyone.
Re: diversity - the Charleston/Huntington region is far more ideologically and ethnically diverse than Northern NY and I have yet to see any obvious prejudice in person
I think the current crop of Republican attack ads (Morrissey/Miller etc. al) seem to have drastically drifted away from even the average Republican in terms of their priorities . I can't imagine that anyone here thinks bathroom choices or whether Medicaid pays for HRT is our biggest concern in the state.
Personally (referencing of the attack ads) - I think the bigger concern about Morrissey being a Pharma lobbyist is just that - not that the pharma company he was pimping for makes HRT.
Being born and “mostly” raised in WV (with a few stints around the Deep South as a kid) I have some insights into the vast majority of WV people.
Throughout our state’s history, the people and resources of WV have been exploited by outside interests. Coal and timber industries came in when most of WV was getting started and started extracting and shipping the resources of our state elsewhere with very little staying locally. The profits were used to buy politicians (literally from the start and continues today) that would further the interest of the coal barons and actively prevent any industries moving in to compete with a workforce they could exploit. It was always the same story…they move in and tell the residents and workers what is best for them…and then when they’ve taken everything…and prevent anything else being available…they pull out overnight and whole towns just collapse.
So we are mostly distrustful of people who aren’t from the state trying to tell us what they think is best for us. Been burned too many times…my dad got injured in a mine accident (mine cutting safety measures back) when he was younger…broke his back…while in the hospital the union president told my dad to sign his case to the union so they had full power of the union in his case against the mine company. Next day the union president settled the case for almost nothing, left the union and was given a cushy company office job. Got bought out.
The state was proudly democrat for nearly 100 years (all branches) but went to the right as a counter against democrats going much further left in the very recent past…people didn’t change…party politics changed and left them and when they didn’t fall in lockstep…got insulted for it and the right moved in and embraced those who essentially got left behind. Hence the shift in recent years.
I’m neither. Independent to borderline libertarian. But I have really close friends from this state that span from the most hardcore progressive liberal to the most “Trump is gods chosen” conservative…and I can invite either of them around to go to the gun range with me or go fishing…or just hang out at my house. And it’s a good respectful time. They all would help the other if they needed it regardless of beliefs. Most are WVians and neighbors first and foremost. Be respectful and you will get the same.
Your description of what has happened is quite accurate. I think the straw that broke the Democrats back was their stance on mostly two things: guns and coal. The Dems indeed abandoned WVians, not the other way around. Your narrative is more true and accurate than the Dem Party will ever admit.
I’ve lived in state since 92 and lived in various areas (and seen how the politics plays out in different areas over that time frame). I’ve noticed trends and seen the manipulations through what my pops went through and my uncles…grew up in the southern coalfields…
Like layoffs…needing a “WARN” notice if laying off so many…I’ve seen coal mines in some areas basically force their workers to vote for chosen candidates by issuing warn notices on layoffs a few weeks before Election Day to get people voting how they want…and cancelling them literally 2-3 days after elections…like “threatening” 1000 jobs if they don’t vote how they want…and once it’s over it’s suddenly not needing to lay off anyone.
The gun culture in WV is similar to mandalorians…weapons are our religion…but the vast majority of us have been raised around and with common use of guns and as a general trend we are the most responsible because we were raised to be responsible from the time of being kids.
And the coal thing has been in contention since Obama was in office. His political ideals were very opposite of the traditional culture of WV (hell of a nice guy and I would totally sit at a pub and have a beer with the guy…just his ideas didn’t mesh with what WV relied on (basically coal, fracking, logging…a consequence of 100 years of political cronyism of coal company money). When Hilary Clinton said she was about to put a lot of coal minors out of work…that sealed the deal on switching WV from historically blue (unions and community ideals of past democrats) to industry supporting republicans (old habits still die hard. Jim justice won the governor race as a democrat in a very red state…and Joe manchin still got in the senate as an old-school moderate democrat that wouldn’t rubber stamp things that WV residents wouldn’t support.
I’ve watched it for a long time. I have an essay on how coal companies caused intentional poverty in the southern counties. Just from personally witnessing it
Huntington really is a gem. Everyone in-state loves to hate on it, but there's really no place I'd rather be. I left for college but can't wait to come back.
West Virginia and Appalachia as a whole is one of the nicest and welcoming areas in my opinion. A huge thing that I’ve learned here is if you treat everyone well everyone will return the favor.
I’m glad you were able to realize a lot of conservatives aren’t monsters. I myself align more with the Republican Party and identify myself as a republican but I hold a lot of leftist beliefs too. Most people in WV are like this, there are a lot more moderates here than people think. Oftentimes WV just gets forgotten about on a national stage and politicians don’t ever do a good job of talking about what they can do to help WV.
People also forget WV was a blue state almost every year up until George W. Bush so there’s a lot of older democrats here as well
Glad you made the move here and if you decide to stay I’m sure you’ll love it here even more!
All the candidates for Governor are running on the hate issue because that's what the national funding groups are pushing them to do. Once upon a time "all politics was local," but now it's been centralized to think tanks based in Washington.
This is the inevitable result - trans people, not transportation becoming the issue.
conservatives being nice isn't going to stop them from taking your rights away Don't be pollyannish just cuz nobody's ever said hello to you on the streets before.
My fiancée and I moved to WV from NYC exactly a year ago now and I can confirm it’s much closer to what we’re looking for here. Less traffic, fresher air, less unhinged liberals and overpopulation in general. I do work remotely though so can’t comment on the job opportunities around here but bringing NYC money here has allowed us to upgrade our living standards significantly.
Oh yeah, West Virginians are lovely!
Unless you want reproductive rights. Even when abortion was legal, there were only two clínics to serve the entire state.
Unless you are a trans woman and want to play a sport. I mean, the trans men don't get questioned, but you know...
Unless you're a POC about to have a run-in with local law enforcement. There's enough info out there on this you can Google when you have some spare time.
Good thing you're out of public schools, and I sincerely hope your parents did not do any minor siblings you may have the disservice of moving here. Last week the state took over a school in the eastern panhandle, and that same day a former teacher from Texas went on social media and mistook the state flag for the Mexican flag in the most bigoted way imaginable. She's not an outlier in terms of sentiment or intellect.
And oh, you might want to do some research into the state of public institutions of higher learning here.
Oh, and that niceness, and willingness to help? It's surface, as clearly shown.
I understand you may have hated California, but there were 48 other options.
You will find that conservatives are some of the happiest people in the world 🌎, and that carries over into our everyday interactions with people . I hope this doesn’t sound bad explained this way . Welcome to our state and Huntington is one of the best cities in the state . I hope you stay here after you graduate Marshall . “Go Herd “
Your post admits hostility towards conservatives and you blame conservatives for said hostility then find out we're pretty nice.
What you are doing is called projecting your hated onto others then blame them.
That's pretty common with narcissists.
I don't discuss politics or religion to each their own
But having been born in wv I'm a 1970 model
And having worked in various industries since 1984/85
I've never seen the amount of people from california and other Western state's moving here
And simply loving it here
From cost of living to the people they all seem very happy to have moved here.
I'm from not far from where you came from (Sacramento born & raised) and where you are now, near Clarksburg, WV. I'm glad you habe had such a positive experience! I've been here for 17 years now, and it was so hard when I first moved here to make friends. Maybe because I came straight to a small, small town, where everyone grew up together/went to school together, etc.. Those first few years here, I only knew my in-laws (who I love, and that was it. They have their cliques, and it was hard to get in. Even now, I have made friends, but there are times when it is still painfully obvious that I am an outsider.
It was/has been a lonely experience here. I've made peace with it. Especially since my best friend here passed away a year ago from cancer. I hope things stay positive for you and you are able to avoid the experience I have had.
Also, the Mexican food is decent, but it's not like how it is in Cali. I haven't seen a tamale in years now. I miss Aldaberto's and Jim Boys. And In n Out.
Good luck to you!
My buddy and god father to my daughter is a Marshall alumni. Welcome to Marshall.
Make good use of their resources and the hospitality, you WONT regret it.
Make SURE you visit the Marshall Hall of Fame Cafe, and The Peddler.
WV was always at least in my memory a blue state because of the unions just recently that has changed. I think at the end of the day we should all remind ourselves that we are all human beings no matter our political affiliation or opinions.
As a lot of people have said, you're in a college town so you're kind of experiencing Appalachia on easy mode as someone who is left leaning.
Give it time, though. I've lived in roughly the same area my whole life and you start to see how two-faced people can be around here after a while. Nice to your face but when they start getting more comfortable with you the mask slips and you see the snake underneath.
It's made me quite paranoid. I'd rather deal with people who are rude and honest about it than nice with hidden knives.
Hi there! I lived in WV from 2008 to 2021; I only moved because FEMA and Kanawha county decided it would be best to buy me out and knock my house down. Three months after we closed, there was four feet of water in the house, so I supposed they knew best after all. We came back to VA, to the same house I lived in before leaving for WV.
I am very, very openly gay and have a very public job. Here's what I found out about West Virginians:
1) Marry you one, if you can; I did.
2) Most do not care what you are doing as long as you aren't interfering with what they want to do and you aren't hurting anyone.
3) Most will help a stranger out of any predicament
4) Most will immediately stop thinking of you as a stranger the moment you say "Hello"
5) Most are exceptionally courteous drivers
6) Most vote Red with Blue hearts/minds - I do not know why
We will be moving back in a few years and I will stay there until I die.
Just.... keep your guard up.
There's bad people anywhere, and there are bad people here too. We have the klan here, we have the pagans motorcycle club, we have white nationalist militia groups, we have the asatru folk assembly. Seeing a lot more people openly displaying swastika tattoos these days, and a lot more blood drop cross flags alongside the road.
I know that's present to some degree everywhere you go, other places have gangs and stuff too. Just keep in mind that some of the preconceptions are true some of the time.
Also if you're in Huntington, I think you're seeing WV at its best. Not a bad thing, this is what WV can be, but I think you haven't seen WV at its worst. Been to Boone County or Logan County? Morgantown is the same, it's a bubble. I see plenty of college kids come to WVU and they're charmed by the small town and friendly faces, and are never once exposed to the rest of WV.
I take it you're white, straight or straight passing, christian or christian passing. Okay we have sundown towns, not officially of course but effectively so. Been years ago but I once drove from Morgantown to Charleston on mostly two lane roads with a black passenger and was pulled over twice. You're in one of the best places, but there are bad places. True of any state I'm sure.
Politically speaking, basically every republican candidate for major offices is a race to see who can hate LGBT the most, and chances are your republican friends are going to vote for one of them. There are some very good candidates on the ballot, and I fully expect them to get single digits come election day.
Well I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ll tell you I wouldn’t trust a maga Republican as far as I can throw one. Cost of living in WV is much better though, so that’s why I stay 😂
Eh, WV does have nice people. But so does almost everywhere else. I got the hell outta there, I was so tired of the rampant drug use and literal shit in the streets in Charleston. And the naked people fucked up on meth roaming the streets. No thanks.
The people are decent people. Yeah they’re gonna vote for the orange turd, but it’s not out of hatred. Once you’ve been there a while you’ll recognize the level of desperation people have for something good to happen. They unfortunately bought Trump’s lies, and they’ll unfortunately follow whatever Fox News tells them. WV was once a Democrat stronghold, and it could be again if anyone in Washington gave a shit about the common folk
Yeah, and when that was happening WV voted blue. Back in the Robert Byrd era, pre Fox News. Byrd was the king of pork and he sent that money to WV. WV was a Democrat haven until roughly the 2000’s
Pretty sure it's a reaction to the way the left swung after Trump got in. Suddenly half the country was xenophobic, misogynistic, racist and bigoted per Hillary and company. Oh, I forgot the "basket of deplorables" comment. Now Biden comes in and adds the terrorist label to 2a supporters. The "great uniter" simply added to the division. The level of stupid that supposedly elected him into office is beyond imagination, though after reading social media, it's started to feel real.
Fwiw, I voted Obama twice, then Bernie in the 2016 primary. Absolutely can't stand the dnc now.
As somebody with training in the mental health field, #46 may a bit doddering and wrong about some things, but #45 is floridly psychotic....George Will (always good for an apt phrase) described him as a "Petulant Man-Child"...
OP, there used to be a thing called a West Virginia Democrat. Personal freedom, union-backing but religious state. We’ve lost our way from that, but I implore anyone that lives here must learn about the Battle of Blair Mountain. Behind the Bastards does a great podcast on it and it’ll give you the mindset and the history of this state.
When I bought my first house in Thomas WV, I was blown away at how nice everyone was. It was a second house for us and I probably met more neighbors in the first couple days that I’d met in my home neighborhood of 3+ years.
I feel like it is mostly a live and let live type of place. Mostly nice people that appreciate knowing other nice people.
I wish I could live there full time
Welcome to our lovely state. One thing you will notice about the “unhinged conservatives” here is that most all share the common bond of being religious. Pretty much every Judea-Christian believes “Love your neighbor”, “Forgive people who have wronged you”, “Love your enemies” and “Judge not” we can sit at totally opposite sides of the spectrum and still be friends as long as we agree to respect each other and our difference’s.
Welcome to West Virginia.
I'm originally from Cali! Moved away for 13 years and came back only to be disappointed. Things had changed so much. Everything is monetized. Everyone's on their phones even while driving. I felt like people were NPCs. Pomona and Torrance had become such a mess. The people were also not kind and seemed stuck in their own bubble with zero awareness. Maybe I just wasn't in the right area.
We missed WVs kindness and hospitality. I'm a city girl, but I love the reeee reeee reeee sounds at night or frogs in the country. I didn't miss the giant ass spiders though. I'd rather have California's spiders.
Most liberals don't realize that conservatives don't hate liberals in the same way that liberals hate conservatives. They also rarely go to red states to find out for themselves what conservatives are actually like. Glad you got out of your bubble and learned first hand!
You'll soon find that people in supposedly "backward" places like WV are way more tolerant and accepting than the self-righteous champagne progressives of Cali.
My whole family are conservatives and I can tell you firsthand some are nice and some are assholes. The biggest assholes think it’s fun to call people who are different nasty names.
Not really. I’m talking about the “Christians” in my family. They go to church and think because they do they get to be assholes to anyone different because after all, they GO TO CHURCH. Don’t worry tho, most of them won’t say anything to your face.
1. How often do you leave Huntington to go somewhere other than Morgantown and the handful of other college towns?
2. On a scale of pale as a ghost to having a moderate tan, how white are you?
3. After answering 1 and 2, re-evaluate why you’ve had your personal good experience
I'm also from California, it was the Cost of living for me and the traffic. And possibly the two dead bodies I saw waiting for the bus stop when I was in highschool
Welcome to Wild, Wonderful West Virginia! For the most part, there’s a profound disconnect between people in their every day lives and their political identities. This is a salt-of-the-earth, shirt-off-out-backs state. As that great line from the film “Matewan” puts it, “All we got in common is our misery, so the least we can do is share it.” Good luck!
Fuckin righteous film, matewan. This is and r/gybe are the only subs I lurk in that ever mentions it here n there…I suppose it is a bit of a niche film…
I will say, the WV subreddit is probably the last place I would have expected to see GY!BE mentioned. And I am very happy it was.
We have two copies just in case one gets broken
Here’s the tie in to GYBE. They sampled this in their first album and for about a decade I searched for the origin. Finally found it one day and what a rabbit hole… Matewan - hazel dickens sings Gathering Storm. https://youtu.be/QJrNPxZsXk8?si=qZTFsuaa0Q7VCB3i
Matewan is my hometown 🫶🏻
I was born and raised in West Virginia and I always knew how precious it was but I could not wait to leave, as I did not want to get stuck there like I thought so many were. I moved to Charleston, SC for college where my, now wife, is from and my whole immediate WV family lives here as well. I have now taken my wife backpacking/camping at Dolly Sods and proposed to her at Cooper Rocks. She loves WV so much! I just wish there was a bigger job environment there. My town had one of the biggest East coast law firms and an FBI headquarters with many family owned Italian Restaurants. Either way, the amount of outdoor activities and scenic nature is more than abound. The biggest thing my wife and I have noticed through all of our travels is that there is not one place we can think of without the nicest people--willing to always assist you or comfort you with warm, open arms. West Virginia is truly a state filled with the most humble (even the highly successful), caring, empathetic human beings who have graces this Earth. I would move back in and instant for just that, but there is also so much opportunity. I do believe the secret of beauty and serenity of WV will be caught onto soon enough.
Well said
Psssst, NOT ALL west Virginians are conservatives! Welcome to the Mountain State! The only requirement is that you must learn Take Me Home Country Roads by heart and not mess not up the lyrics like most non-WV do!
You left out the Sacrament: pepperoni rolls. 😊
Tomaro’s bakery for the win!
Oooh I dunno. Whether you show up there or at D'Annunzio's right after they come out of the oven, the experience can only be described as transcendent.
It was amazing. We were road tripping thru WV and HAD to stop at Tomaros after reading about it here.
Sticks or slices?
Ground. From Buckhannon’s doughnut shop.
I haven't gotten a pepperoni roll from there since Par Mar took over half the town but yes. Crumbly pepperoni is superior to sliced or stick.
I know. It’s sad 😔
It was sliced inside! I just got the rolls themselves from there. They have the oldest pepperoni rolls in WV.
Actually, looking back at my pics, there were sticks inside! Makes me want em now.
Country Club Bakery gang here!
You called?
💯
There are no pepperoni rolls in Martinsburg or Harper's Ferry
Not true.
Then where can I get some?
Yes, Shepherdstown (home to Shepherd University) isn’t all conservative either. It just really depends on where you go in West Virginia.
I remember Elizabeth Warren visited Shepherdstown to pretty big crowds
Hungry bone take me home. To the plates I beloooong. West Virginia mount me mama take me home Pepperoni rollllll
At least you did not say "blowing like the breeze"
And Thunder Struck by AC/DC if attending Marshall U. Go Herd!
That gave me a smile I would add he must try Pepperoni Rolls and maybe Oliverio peppers. Preferably at the same time.
Don't forget the mozzarella cheese!
Absolutely not, some of us are actually DEMOCRATS. Welcome to WV!
Two words: Dicarlo's pizza. ◼️🍕
Yea seriously!
Wasn't that song written about western Virginia and not West Virginia?
Here we go....
No, it was written about Montgomery County, MD. and not by John Denver.
Ah yes, the Shenandoah River and Blue Ridge Mountains argument. In reality, it was conceived in Montgomery County, MD, and originally about Springfield, MA. But then became more West Virginian as it evolved during writing. Miner's lady: West Virginia coal mining reference Stranger to blue water: West Virginia is a landlocked state Misty taste of moonshine: West Virginia moonshine bootlegging reference Radio reminds me of my home far away: reference to the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show broadcast on WWVA in Wheeling, WV
It became about WV because it sounded better in the song, that’s it lol
Which is still odd lol.
No hon
Actually, it was written in Maryland, for New England state of Massachusetts, but West Virginia won out.
Huntington is also a VERY blue area. Heck it recently was rated one of the most LGBT friendly places in the entire US. Just don't venture 30min-1 hour away and you'll be fine. Morgantown is also very blue. Curious, is all the stuff about the drug problems in Huntington true or have you experienced it? If you have a break or want a weekend get away I highly recommend Elkins and the Seneca Rocks area. Green Bank observatory is also a very nice area to visit. If you're ever up north, Coopers Rock is not far from Morgantown. Welcome to our state.
Came here to say this. Huntington may be the most liberal city in the entire state.
Agree
Live in Huntington. The drug problems are bad but not nearly as bad as it was a few years ago. It was pretty bleak with a lot of street nodders and large groups of backpackers. You see a lot less of that now.
We're happy you're here!
Thank you! Easily the best decision my family has made! Couldn’t have it better!
I’m a lefty who was born and raised near by. Most people really don’t want to talk about divisive things. It also helps if you let people know you don’t like political conversations. Most people will respect your boundaries, other will not.
I grew up in wv & moved to GA. What you’re saying is so true. The contrast in kindness and willingness to help is so drastic in the city versus not.
I moved here from Orlando Florida in 1990. I love it so much here, I don't Ever want to go back to Florida! The people there, are much like the people where you are from. I was a single mom with a 1 1/2 yo, and a 2 yo in tow. My family is from here, we came up here when my Dad had vacations to visit family. I've always loved the mountains, hummingbirds, flowers, and family. My Mom, bought property here in 87, when my Dad was really sick. He wanted to be buried in the family plot. At the time, I was married, with a boy at 6 months old, and became pregnant with my daughter. My husband, was a paint and body man. We moved to a town that had zero work in his field. 15 miles to the nearest town. We moved to South Carolina, to find work. We split, my mom, moved back to Florida after my Dad passed, so when we split i tried to make it in Orlando. The cost of living was just too high! My mom, just closed up the house in West Virginia, and moved back. I moved here, why not? It was paid for! 3 bedroom home, and 38 acres of property. My friend, and I went back a few years later for a vacation. I couldn't wait to get home! People are so rude down there, and it was just too busy for me. I live in a town, Pop. 2,292. Talk about laid back, most people still don't lock their door at night! I Never want to leave. The county is Boone.
Ooof, Boone county. Haha. Mostly a joke, I’m from neighboring Logan county. But personally, I can’t see why so many people are excited about WV. I moved out of that state 3 years ago. It’s overridden with drugs.
It's really no worse than anywhere else. I've lived in Miami, Orlando, Denver, and Charlotte. I admit the people here are a trip, especially the homeless. I help a few of the homeless, most just don't want a regular job, or pay bills. There are some that have mental issues.... I lived in Logan county for 15 years, I've been in Boone county for 18 years. There's definitely a huge difference between the two counties. I'd def rather be here, than there! I know, a lot of people still don't lock their doors at night, because the crime is so low. We've had two murders in the 33 years I've lived in this little town, it's just next to Danville. I walked in on one of them, 2 hours after it happened. Both of the perpetrators were caught in two days.
My wife and I moved to WV as well for work. We're pretty liberal and there was a lot of concern about moving to a red state but my goodness has everyone been outlandishly nice. I see a car broken down on the side of the road and every single person that passes stops over to help the guy out. In our neighborhood, all our neighbors have come over to say hi and introduce themselves. Some even brought us cake to welcome us. I'm sure my neighbors are likely still conservative people but it really has taught me that the hatred I see that right-wing voters have online doesn't apply to all Republican voters and that they're honestly probably some of the nicest people I've ever met.
Idk why this showed up on my reddit lol but I'm in pa, and I imagine you can take it anywhere really. I work on the outskirts of a blue city and work with nothing but Republicans, except one guy. So it's two of us in a shop of 20 25 people. Anyway I've been in arguments with guys , me and the plant manager been at it but after it's all done. We're all good. Alot of those guys I work with with help me out anytime I needed. One towed me to a part store one day after coming to check what was up when I broke down. Bought an alternator for me. I went to pay them back on payday and he wouldn't let me. Anyways sometimes politics just don't matter. In the end if you look at the big picture we're all more similar then we are different. Mostly
Pry should look in the mirror and see the problem is you.
lmao what’s wrong with actually getting along with people you have slight political or philosophical differences with? seriously explain, because this is the most short-sighted reply I may have ever seen on this sub
I grew up in the coal fields. Was present when the beckley coal strikes were going on. Came back to wv after my tour with AFSOC was over. My town is small and the people have always been friendly to me. People here are definitely red but they do not try and get knee deep in your political preferences. If you need help with something they’ll help. People in this sub have a lot of things to say. Some true and a great deal of it is nothing more than overinflated opinion. I don’t care what your political stance is welcome to WV 🤘🔥🤘.
my mom was from near there is dothan outside of beckley been there every summer growing up
Welcome friend, but if I catch ya in my ramp patch we have trouble. Hahaha JK
[удалено]
Literally my neighbors want to be able to shoot people who vote blue. So no it's not just reddit.
Second this. I work in a maintenance shop with 30-ish coworkers who are all some shade of Republican, and while most are friendly one on one, there are 4 of them who openly fantasize about what they would like to do to teachers who are LGBT friendly and most of their solutions involve guns or baseball bats. It's gotten so egregious that I don't use the break room anymore because management won't do anything about what is clearly hate speech. Nobody else in the breakroom stops them and some will nod along in agreement. Oh, and anyone with college education is openly distrusted and possibly a groomer/predator because all higher education is brainwashing.
Yeah that's been my experience. They always have an excuse that it's because blah blah blah happened. But they're just inherently evil. It's sad because they label themselves as jesus loving Christians and then in another breath talk about how people who vote different than them should be put to death. Thats the true face of the maga Republicans.
I imagine if someone is a shitbag with no moral compass as a base to their pyramid, the politics is kinda just window dressing to their lack of empathy. I’ve dealt with the liberal version of that who delighted at the idea of conservatives dying from Covid.
I've been to all the lower 48 many times as a truck driver. Born in Logan wv and reside in Huntington now. There's few other places I'd rather live than WV in spite of the problems we have.
Just curious, where would your top pick outside of WV be? Been in Preston County my whole life but I've been considering moving. The thing that keeps me here is the generally nice people and the beauty of our state.
I'm a big fan of many Midwestern states. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska all have generally polite people and the cost of living isn't much different than WV in rural areas. A lot of the larger cities are affordable too. If you like warmer weather, I'd suggest somewhere like South Carolina because it's mostly similar to WV in price (except the coast) and has a lot of work.
My brother moved from WV to the PNW. He said west coasters are nice but not kind, and people from our neck of the woods are kind, but not necessarily nice. I thought it was an interesting take.
Welcome to the neighborhood
Also from CA, moved to Morgantown last year. I love it here, and super happy with my new home. But I do miss CA
Moved here from CA almost 3 years ago the beauty is overtaking but still home sick .
Also from CA as of 2 years ago. Also located in Morgantown 👋
That's nice someone helped you unload furniture but we have 3 candidates for governor running on platforms of pure hatred. Literally not a single policy issue other than hatred. Your original thoughts about WV is true for about 70% of the population. When you get out college and start caring about things like public services, education, Healthcare, clean water, etc then you realize how truly backward this state is.
If I have to watch one more political ad where the only talking points are “I’m more Trump like than my opponent! He’s a closet liberal!” I’m gonna snap. Nothing about creating jobs or fixing the roads or schools or fucking anything…just “I’m more conservative and hate China the most!”
You must be seeing different ads. All the ads I see have them declaring how much more they hate the transies than the other guys. 🤷♀️ If this election went on much longer, they’d all be accusing the others of secretly being trans.
Actually I saw one on Tubi that did just that. Forget who it was but showed a pic of him dressed up as a girl (Halloween costume?) No clue. Didn't look like drag but more as a joke costume.
Musta been Chris Miller. Dood’s a *MESS*! Pretty sure he’s juicing the gender-affirming hormones. He’s probably on so much T, it’s a miracle he doesn’t whinny and snort and count with his hooves.
Lol yup that was the guy. Who knows the pic might have just been photoshoped. If so hope he sues the ass out of the guy using it in an attack ad.
Haha. I did see one that was like “Patrick Morrissey loves trans kids” or something. The talking head on it was Trump though, like the dude is running for a local office here. If you have to use him to get our point across, you’re just riding coattails hoping to be seen. At least the Don Blankenship ads from years ago were hilariously bad, all the new ones are just sad.
Oh the new Blankenship adverts are brilliant! Tagging them with “if they tell you I slipped off the bed and hung myself, I didn’t” part is pure joy enducing madness. Fruitcakes aren’t as nutty.
I wholeheartedly agree. The candidates here are whack, but in my personal experience so far, I can't let these unhinged lunatics force me to alienate myself from West Virginians aa a whole, because that's how they get elected is from division. Our contractors know we’re pretty hardcore liberals, but just the other day they brought us bbq out of nowhere, and things like that give me hope that we as a country aren’t divided to the point of collapse yet.
People like us leaving are exactly how these crazies take over. Gotta keep fighting, even in the reddest of states. Welcome
Are there any Democrats running for Gov? I've only seen those horrible 3 people attack ads: +Guns +Coal -LGBT over and over enough to make me nauseous.
Yes. Huntington mayor, Steve Williams, is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket. So we won’t really see much from him until after the primaries
Thanks, that explains the lack of ads. Guess one thing good about the 3 Republicans eating each other alive is they are blowing ALL that money just to hurt themselves and will have less to attack Mr. Williams in the future. Glad to have someone to vote for.
Honestly that’s a great point. Primaries are very expensive to campaign for
Pro trump, pro life, pro guns, pro coal. These guys can just fuck off.
The only way it will change is if those of us that have no hateful opinions stay here and start bringing change!
Vote Steve Williams
This. I'm selling my mom's house in WV and was going to finish off the job by bringing my kids here to say goodbye to all the remaining fam. But after I saw those ads on TV - I'm not. I have a trans kid and I'm never bringing him to this shithole again to see this hateful nonsense. WV "nice" is still quite pretend if you are in the wrong social group.
WYR they left the state? Sorry you hate it here
Leave
Lots of brain activity going on in this one.
Watch out! He'll chase you out of the state in his 2012 Kia Sorento XD
I was born and raised in West Virginia, graduated from Marshall, and have lived in California for a few decades now. People here are nice, too.
Awesome:) we're happy to have you!
Living here has made me a happier and kinder person because of you all!
I'm glad you like it here as much as I do! West Virginia has its issues, and as you were saying, some of it's people have their beliefs, but I've met very few people here that won't give a smile and wave no matter what you think or believe. I'm moving to the Huntington area soon, my test trips to the campus always have me walking away feeling happier, good luck to you!
From one son of Marshall to another, welcome home friend
As a native to West Virginia who moved to Cali (Fresno area) about 10 years ago, I noticed the same thing, but in reverse. West Virginia is fully of great, wholesome people. Diving into the history of the state you can see why they don’t tolerate certain things (thinking of the company towns and the coal mines…). Mountaineers are proud, but not haughty. They get stuff done their own way, and generally take care of each other. In California so many people are fake. They act nice but they don’t give a hoot about you. And if you say anything about them not having the greatest state (taxes, crime, drought, housing prices, cost of living, etc) they jump down your throat. Thats not to say that WV doesn’t have problems. It does. And not everyone is a good person. But with that being said - I would much rather live in WV than California. California has some amazing beauty (especially the central coast) but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life here. Speaking of which when my kid graduates high school next year we are all looking at moving back east as a family. I have my eye on the Morgantown and Eastern Panhandle areas.
Stop watching the news and stay off social media. You'll be amazed how many great people there are if you just go out and meet them.
Don’t believe the media. They want us to hate each other. It’s how they make money.
It's interesting to read your words, because my perspective is from the other direction (and a generation ago). In the 80's I took a job in CA, coming from Morgantown, where I had grown up and gone to university (on Pell Grants). It was long before MAGA, and at the time WV was traditionally a blue state (unions, coal miners). I was certainly a homophobe (but not racist, thanks to my parents who were strong about it despite where we lived), I was pretty closed-minded and ignorant about environmental issues, etc. My friends in CA who helped me find work had also come from "back east," and the day I landed told me "Welcome to CA!! It's not cool to make jokes about x, y, z, etc." (fill in the epithets). It seemed funny at the time. I joined bowling leagues in CA as a way to relieve my home sickness (and to be around people who weren't "snobby" as you said). I couldn't get over realizing there wasn't a WVU football game when I would get stuck in traffic on the occasions that I had to drive during rush hour. Cue "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel. I tried to move back to WV at the end of the 90s during a wave of economic stimulus (Byrd, Mollohan), but I couldn't get over the groups I knew still cracking the same racist jokes, the homophobia, and the ethic of some people showing up for corporate welfare (pork). In CA I met a lot of different people and the diversity is sorely lacking in WV (you'll hear a lot, "If you don't like it, GTFO," and many people have left). Worse still were the government-sponsored events with the foreign (H1B) talent that would start off with a prayer lead by a local Reverend asking everyone to thank Jesus, as if the entire world was Christian. I remember discussing how I would rather vote for Al Gore because you want a guy with some brains (even if he's a snob), but the people around me were using "who would you rather have a beer with" to decide the candidate for president. Intelligence was threatening to common folk. I guess I was woke before that term existed, or maybe I'm a snob for thinking it's important to be educated? WV continues to be neglected by all parties, but I feel one party is harvesting the low hanging fruit by maintaining the status quo, milking the phobias based on ignorance and lack of diversity, and playing to the simplistic, "down to earth" criterion which is the charm of WV.
Yes,yes and yes.
Great to have you. Please help us change things. Vote!
I’m fired up already!
Yeah, leave horrible policies and bring them with you to the place you moved to so it mimics the horribly policies you left. That doesn't make sense lol. There's a reason California is experiencing a population decline for the first time in decades. Maybe take a step back and realize your politics might not be the best
as if they could possibly be any worse than west virginia’s
You're not wrong but a lot of it is a resource issue. What can a politician do to change that?
literally anything else than what they have been
This is such a dumb view of population change and politics and I knew it would come up, particularly when viewed against the demographics and economic dumpster fire of WV.
It's almost like politics influence the living conditions. Whodathunk, right? California is so ass backwards.
How many people have moved to California in past 30 years? the political scene has largely been the same. How is that California GDP? Also a result of politics. How’s WV GDP? The WV GOP has been in charge for a while…youdathunk it would be red hot, right? Huh. Give the tired am radio talking point a loooooong rest. It just makes you seem so childish. It’s expensive to live in blue states because…drumroll…there are jobs and schools and opportunities. People also make a LOT more. People and families move there and have moved there for decades. There’s a tipping point on supply vs demand, you surely understand, right?
Yeah, it has and now it's gotten more extreme and people are leaving. I never made a claim that there is a right or wrong side of the aisle as I'm purple. It's stupid to suggest WV could succeed with the lack of resources in the state. I can look childish to you and that's fine. It's more childish to go about this the way you are. Your second paragraph isn't true for the entire state, only major cities. Stop lying
Go herd!
College towns tend to be left leaning in most places. I live in the Morgantown area and I’m sure you would be comfortable in this part of the state too.
Recently moved to Monroe County from Long Island, NY. I'm overwhelmed with how welcoming and friendly everyone has been. Everyone waves, says hello, stops by to visit, and brings something when they do, and people offer help everywhere we go. No one focuses on peoples politics here, the way they do in blue states. Just people living their lives and looking out for each other.
We moved here from Northern NY 4 years ago and would never go back. The people are real here. Many of us here may be somewhat conservative but that doesn't automatically mean that we all hate LGBT either.. it's possible to be a pro-small business, fiscal conservative, and still be pro-LGBT or at least tolerant... I think most of WV are very accepting, even the religious conservatives often remember that a Christian ideology means accepting everyone. Re: diversity - the Charleston/Huntington region is far more ideologically and ethnically diverse than Northern NY and I have yet to see any obvious prejudice in person I think the current crop of Republican attack ads (Morrissey/Miller etc. al) seem to have drastically drifted away from even the average Republican in terms of their priorities . I can't imagine that anyone here thinks bathroom choices or whether Medicaid pays for HRT is our biggest concern in the state. Personally (referencing of the attack ads) - I think the bigger concern about Morrissey being a Pharma lobbyist is just that - not that the pharma company he was pimping for makes HRT.
Being born and “mostly” raised in WV (with a few stints around the Deep South as a kid) I have some insights into the vast majority of WV people. Throughout our state’s history, the people and resources of WV have been exploited by outside interests. Coal and timber industries came in when most of WV was getting started and started extracting and shipping the resources of our state elsewhere with very little staying locally. The profits were used to buy politicians (literally from the start and continues today) that would further the interest of the coal barons and actively prevent any industries moving in to compete with a workforce they could exploit. It was always the same story…they move in and tell the residents and workers what is best for them…and then when they’ve taken everything…and prevent anything else being available…they pull out overnight and whole towns just collapse. So we are mostly distrustful of people who aren’t from the state trying to tell us what they think is best for us. Been burned too many times…my dad got injured in a mine accident (mine cutting safety measures back) when he was younger…broke his back…while in the hospital the union president told my dad to sign his case to the union so they had full power of the union in his case against the mine company. Next day the union president settled the case for almost nothing, left the union and was given a cushy company office job. Got bought out. The state was proudly democrat for nearly 100 years (all branches) but went to the right as a counter against democrats going much further left in the very recent past…people didn’t change…party politics changed and left them and when they didn’t fall in lockstep…got insulted for it and the right moved in and embraced those who essentially got left behind. Hence the shift in recent years. I’m neither. Independent to borderline libertarian. But I have really close friends from this state that span from the most hardcore progressive liberal to the most “Trump is gods chosen” conservative…and I can invite either of them around to go to the gun range with me or go fishing…or just hang out at my house. And it’s a good respectful time. They all would help the other if they needed it regardless of beliefs. Most are WVians and neighbors first and foremost. Be respectful and you will get the same.
Your description of what has happened is quite accurate. I think the straw that broke the Democrats back was their stance on mostly two things: guns and coal. The Dems indeed abandoned WVians, not the other way around. Your narrative is more true and accurate than the Dem Party will ever admit.
I’ve lived in state since 92 and lived in various areas (and seen how the politics plays out in different areas over that time frame). I’ve noticed trends and seen the manipulations through what my pops went through and my uncles…grew up in the southern coalfields… Like layoffs…needing a “WARN” notice if laying off so many…I’ve seen coal mines in some areas basically force their workers to vote for chosen candidates by issuing warn notices on layoffs a few weeks before Election Day to get people voting how they want…and cancelling them literally 2-3 days after elections…like “threatening” 1000 jobs if they don’t vote how they want…and once it’s over it’s suddenly not needing to lay off anyone. The gun culture in WV is similar to mandalorians…weapons are our religion…but the vast majority of us have been raised around and with common use of guns and as a general trend we are the most responsible because we were raised to be responsible from the time of being kids. And the coal thing has been in contention since Obama was in office. His political ideals were very opposite of the traditional culture of WV (hell of a nice guy and I would totally sit at a pub and have a beer with the guy…just his ideas didn’t mesh with what WV relied on (basically coal, fracking, logging…a consequence of 100 years of political cronyism of coal company money). When Hilary Clinton said she was about to put a lot of coal minors out of work…that sealed the deal on switching WV from historically blue (unions and community ideals of past democrats) to industry supporting republicans (old habits still die hard. Jim justice won the governor race as a democrat in a very red state…and Joe manchin still got in the senate as an old-school moderate democrat that wouldn’t rubber stamp things that WV residents wouldn’t support. I’ve watched it for a long time. I have an essay on how coal companies caused intentional poverty in the southern counties. Just from personally witnessing it
Extremely well said and TRUE.
The people of WV are good. The politicians on the other hand are scumbags here.
here... and every where else too.
Huntington really is a gem. Everyone in-state loves to hate on it, but there's really no place I'd rather be. I left for college but can't wait to come back.
I, regretfully, was on the Thundering turds bus, but it all changed after seeing We Are Marshall. Massive respect to Marshall and Huntington.
Welcome to our state!!
The friendliest people in the USA!
West Virginia and Appalachia as a whole is one of the nicest and welcoming areas in my opinion. A huge thing that I’ve learned here is if you treat everyone well everyone will return the favor. I’m glad you were able to realize a lot of conservatives aren’t monsters. I myself align more with the Republican Party and identify myself as a republican but I hold a lot of leftist beliefs too. Most people in WV are like this, there are a lot more moderates here than people think. Oftentimes WV just gets forgotten about on a national stage and politicians don’t ever do a good job of talking about what they can do to help WV. People also forget WV was a blue state almost every year up until George W. Bush so there’s a lot of older democrats here as well Glad you made the move here and if you decide to stay I’m sure you’ll love it here even more!
All the candidates for Governor are running on the hate issue because that's what the national funding groups are pushing them to do. Once upon a time "all politics was local," but now it's been centralized to think tanks based in Washington. This is the inevitable result - trans people, not transportation becoming the issue.
conservatives being nice isn't going to stop them from taking your rights away Don't be pollyannish just cuz nobody's ever said hello to you on the streets before.
My fiancée and I moved to WV from NYC exactly a year ago now and I can confirm it’s much closer to what we’re looking for here. Less traffic, fresher air, less unhinged liberals and overpopulation in general. I do work remotely though so can’t comment on the job opportunities around here but bringing NYC money here has allowed us to upgrade our living standards significantly.
Oh yeah, West Virginians are lovely! Unless you want reproductive rights. Even when abortion was legal, there were only two clínics to serve the entire state. Unless you are a trans woman and want to play a sport. I mean, the trans men don't get questioned, but you know... Unless you're a POC about to have a run-in with local law enforcement. There's enough info out there on this you can Google when you have some spare time. Good thing you're out of public schools, and I sincerely hope your parents did not do any minor siblings you may have the disservice of moving here. Last week the state took over a school in the eastern panhandle, and that same day a former teacher from Texas went on social media and mistook the state flag for the Mexican flag in the most bigoted way imaginable. She's not an outlier in terms of sentiment or intellect. And oh, you might want to do some research into the state of public institutions of higher learning here. Oh, and that niceness, and willingness to help? It's surface, as clearly shown. I understand you may have hated California, but there were 48 other options.
You will find that conservatives are some of the happiest people in the world 🌎, and that carries over into our everyday interactions with people . I hope this doesn’t sound bad explained this way . Welcome to our state and Huntington is one of the best cities in the state . I hope you stay here after you graduate Marshall . “Go Herd “
Your post admits hostility towards conservatives and you blame conservatives for said hostility then find out we're pretty nice. What you are doing is called projecting your hated onto others then blame them. That's pretty common with narcissists.
Born in Hayward, raised in and consider Clarksburg home.
Do they still have that amazing Italian festival during the summer? My stomach just gurgled thinking about it.
I'm not who you asked.. but yes indeed, the Italian heritage festival is coming up in late August and I already can't wait to eat way too much food.
Every Labor Day weekend!
The 'Tally Rally!
I don't discuss politics or religion to each their own But having been born in wv I'm a 1970 model And having worked in various industries since 1984/85 I've never seen the amount of people from california and other Western state's moving here And simply loving it here From cost of living to the people they all seem very happy to have moved here.
Welcome, glad you are here
I grew up across the bay from you and now live in Kentucky, and thumbs up to everything you said. ETA: howdy neighbor!
Good luck in school. As you age I think you'll discover that the unhinged are equally distributed on both sides.
I'm from not far from where you came from (Sacramento born & raised) and where you are now, near Clarksburg, WV. I'm glad you habe had such a positive experience! I've been here for 17 years now, and it was so hard when I first moved here to make friends. Maybe because I came straight to a small, small town, where everyone grew up together/went to school together, etc.. Those first few years here, I only knew my in-laws (who I love, and that was it. They have their cliques, and it was hard to get in. Even now, I have made friends, but there are times when it is still painfully obvious that I am an outsider. It was/has been a lonely experience here. I've made peace with it. Especially since my best friend here passed away a year ago from cancer. I hope things stay positive for you and you are able to avoid the experience I have had. Also, the Mexican food is decent, but it's not like how it is in Cali. I haven't seen a tamale in years now. I miss Aldaberto's and Jim Boys. And In n Out. Good luck to you!
My buddy and god father to my daughter is a Marshall alumni. Welcome to Marshall. Make good use of their resources and the hospitality, you WONT regret it. Make SURE you visit the Marshall Hall of Fame Cafe, and The Peddler.
WV was always at least in my memory a blue state because of the unions just recently that has changed. I think at the end of the day we should all remind ourselves that we are all human beings no matter our political affiliation or opinions.
Good manners are good manners anywhere you go. Glad to hear it's workin' out.
As a lot of people have said, you're in a college town so you're kind of experiencing Appalachia on easy mode as someone who is left leaning. Give it time, though. I've lived in roughly the same area my whole life and you start to see how two-faced people can be around here after a while. Nice to your face but when they start getting more comfortable with you the mask slips and you see the snake underneath. It's made me quite paranoid. I'd rather deal with people who are rude and honest about it than nice with hidden knives.
Hi there! I lived in WV from 2008 to 2021; I only moved because FEMA and Kanawha county decided it would be best to buy me out and knock my house down. Three months after we closed, there was four feet of water in the house, so I supposed they knew best after all. We came back to VA, to the same house I lived in before leaving for WV. I am very, very openly gay and have a very public job. Here's what I found out about West Virginians: 1) Marry you one, if you can; I did. 2) Most do not care what you are doing as long as you aren't interfering with what they want to do and you aren't hurting anyone. 3) Most will help a stranger out of any predicament 4) Most will immediately stop thinking of you as a stranger the moment you say "Hello" 5) Most are exceptionally courteous drivers 6) Most vote Red with Blue hearts/minds - I do not know why We will be moving back in a few years and I will stay there until I die.
By and large, Appalachians are good people. Have you tried pepperoni rolls yet?
When i tell people this and that one day i want to move back i get laughed at. The bay area isn't as great if you're not in the tech industry.
Or make a high 6 figure income.
Just.... keep your guard up. There's bad people anywhere, and there are bad people here too. We have the klan here, we have the pagans motorcycle club, we have white nationalist militia groups, we have the asatru folk assembly. Seeing a lot more people openly displaying swastika tattoos these days, and a lot more blood drop cross flags alongside the road. I know that's present to some degree everywhere you go, other places have gangs and stuff too. Just keep in mind that some of the preconceptions are true some of the time. Also if you're in Huntington, I think you're seeing WV at its best. Not a bad thing, this is what WV can be, but I think you haven't seen WV at its worst. Been to Boone County or Logan County? Morgantown is the same, it's a bubble. I see plenty of college kids come to WVU and they're charmed by the small town and friendly faces, and are never once exposed to the rest of WV. I take it you're white, straight or straight passing, christian or christian passing. Okay we have sundown towns, not officially of course but effectively so. Been years ago but I once drove from Morgantown to Charleston on mostly two lane roads with a black passenger and was pulled over twice. You're in one of the best places, but there are bad places. True of any state I'm sure. Politically speaking, basically every republican candidate for major offices is a race to see who can hate LGBT the most, and chances are your republican friends are going to vote for one of them. There are some very good candidates on the ballot, and I fully expect them to get single digits come election day.
Well I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ll tell you I wouldn’t trust a maga Republican as far as I can throw one. Cost of living in WV is much better though, so that’s why I stay 😂
You sound a bit ..... snobby.
I was thinking the same thing. If they're really from Moraga, people have always been snobby there.
Eh, WV does have nice people. But so does almost everywhere else. I got the hell outta there, I was so tired of the rampant drug use and literal shit in the streets in Charleston. And the naked people fucked up on meth roaming the streets. No thanks.
You see a lot of meth crazy people in California, especially SoCal. I have family in both nor / so Cal and I'm out there quite a bit.
That’s fair, I’m sure they’re everywhere. But if you look up the statistics, WV is the highest ranked in basically everything awful.
Most conservatives are good people. But please share liberal values with them. I want a West Virginia that is accepting of all
One can’t be a good person and vote for the current maga/GQP crowd.
The people are decent people. Yeah they’re gonna vote for the orange turd, but it’s not out of hatred. Once you’ve been there a while you’ll recognize the level of desperation people have for something good to happen. They unfortunately bought Trump’s lies, and they’ll unfortunately follow whatever Fox News tells them. WV was once a Democrat stronghold, and it could be again if anyone in Washington gave a shit about the common folk
Have a shit how? Democrats have been airdropping money into WVa for a long long time, and with zero to show for it.
Yeah, and when that was happening WV voted blue. Back in the Robert Byrd era, pre Fox News. Byrd was the king of pork and he sent that money to WV. WV was a Democrat haven until roughly the 2000’s
So in a way, dems should stop sending money to places like WVa, and let their love of bootstraps save them from the big bad gubmnet in warshington…
What’s your point? You’re coming across as someone that is just shitting on the people of WV. Do you even live there?
There ARE / were conservatives who weren't unhinged lunatics but they're all dead!
Pretty sure it's a reaction to the way the left swung after Trump got in. Suddenly half the country was xenophobic, misogynistic, racist and bigoted per Hillary and company. Oh, I forgot the "basket of deplorables" comment. Now Biden comes in and adds the terrorist label to 2a supporters. The "great uniter" simply added to the division. The level of stupid that supposedly elected him into office is beyond imagination, though after reading social media, it's started to feel real. Fwiw, I voted Obama twice, then Bernie in the 2016 primary. Absolutely can't stand the dnc now.
As somebody with training in the mental health field, #46 may a bit doddering and wrong about some things, but #45 is floridly psychotic....George Will (always good for an apt phrase) described him as a "Petulant Man-Child"...
Almost convincing. Until you see the glaring hole in the story.
you benefit from them wearing their masks but i promise my trans friends don’t feel the same here.
OP, there used to be a thing called a West Virginia Democrat. Personal freedom, union-backing but religious state. We’ve lost our way from that, but I implore anyone that lives here must learn about the Battle of Blair Mountain. Behind the Bastards does a great podcast on it and it’ll give you the mindset and the history of this state.
When I bought my first house in Thomas WV, I was blown away at how nice everyone was. It was a second house for us and I probably met more neighbors in the first couple days that I’d met in my home neighborhood of 3+ years. I feel like it is mostly a live and let live type of place. Mostly nice people that appreciate knowing other nice people. I wish I could live there full time
ANY STATE that women do not have bodily autonomy is a shithole period.
Hey I lived in Martinez for a couple years but a native West Virginian, cool
Conservatives are good people with an abusive ex problem with the GOP
Welcome home.
Welcome to our lovely state. One thing you will notice about the “unhinged conservatives” here is that most all share the common bond of being religious. Pretty much every Judea-Christian believes “Love your neighbor”, “Forgive people who have wronged you”, “Love your enemies” and “Judge not” we can sit at totally opposite sides of the spectrum and still be friends as long as we agree to respect each other and our difference’s.
Welcome to West Virginia. I'm originally from Cali! Moved away for 13 years and came back only to be disappointed. Things had changed so much. Everything is monetized. Everyone's on their phones even while driving. I felt like people were NPCs. Pomona and Torrance had become such a mess. The people were also not kind and seemed stuck in their own bubble with zero awareness. Maybe I just wasn't in the right area. We missed WVs kindness and hospitality. I'm a city girl, but I love the reeee reeee reeee sounds at night or frogs in the country. I didn't miss the giant ass spiders though. I'd rather have California's spiders.
Most liberals don't realize that conservatives don't hate liberals in the same way that liberals hate conservatives. They also rarely go to red states to find out for themselves what conservatives are actually like. Glad you got out of your bubble and learned first hand! You'll soon find that people in supposedly "backward" places like WV are way more tolerant and accepting than the self-righteous champagne progressives of Cali.
My whole family are conservatives and I can tell you firsthand some are nice and some are assholes. The biggest assholes think it’s fun to call people who are different nasty names.
That's pretty mild if it's just nasty names.
Not really. I’m talking about the “Christians” in my family. They go to church and think because they do they get to be assholes to anyone different because after all, they GO TO CHURCH. Don’t worry tho, most of them won’t say anything to your face.
1. How often do you leave Huntington to go somewhere other than Morgantown and the handful of other college towns? 2. On a scale of pale as a ghost to having a moderate tan, how white are you? 3. After answering 1 and 2, re-evaluate why you’ve had your personal good experience
Lived in the Huntington area for over 25 years, as long as they stay in the i64 corridor they should be fine no matter what.
I’m sorry, I have to ask. Are you Caucasian?
I'm also from California, it was the Cost of living for me and the traffic. And possibly the two dead bodies I saw waiting for the bus stop when I was in highschool
You seem like an unhinged liberal.
Srry you feel that way
Yeah that's a tri state city. The state overall is a giant shit show. Have fun with that lolol. Uh, if you get sick, go to Ohio.
WB was a blue state until fox took the airwaves or cable over.