[Pupaw]

This is basically a knock on the lives of Eastern Kentuckians. The things that I have heard are going to absoulutey give the wrong impression of our area to the rest of the world.

[Stardust]

What will they focus that could be that much of a story?

[fanatic45]

I'm not sure. It is interesting that there has been so much interest in eastern Kentucky in the past few years. PBS had their show, "Country Boys," which looked at the lives of two teenage boys from Floyd county. I wonder where this interest has come from.

[clipperw]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1

From the looks of it, it will show children from the area and how they are affected by poverty and drugs.

[Stardust]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1

From the looks of it, it will show children from the area and how they are affected by poverty and drugs.

So I guess it's worse there than anyplace else??? They could have probably did this in thousands of locations, but to take pot shots just because of a media perception.

[Pupaw]

I also read somewhere where they had some "statistic" that every 1 out of 10 children living in Appalachia are toothless. This is a first for me, as I have lived in "Appalachia" all of my life, and I haven't even met 5 toothless children (old enough to have teeth) since I've been alive.

[Stardust]

I also read somewhere where they had some "statistic" that every 1 out of 10 children living in Appalachia are toothless. This is a first for me, as I have lived in "Appalachia" all of my life, and I haven't even met 5 toothless children (old enough to have teeth) since I've been alive.

Are you serious? wow.

[Stardust]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1

From the looks of it, it will show children from the area and how they are affected by poverty and drugs.

Shawn Grim, 18, an Appalachian high school football superstar, sleeps in his truck to avoid the thievery, alcoholism and despair of his family's life in the hollow in Flat Gap, Ky. During the course of Sawyer's report, Grim moves eight times. He is determined to be the first one in his family to graduate from high school and go to college. Will he be able to achieve his dream of a different life?


Courtney, 12, is one of those children whose face reminds us of the famous portraits of the Appalachian past. Her clothes are stuffed in a suitcase under her bed in the small home she shares with 11 relatives in Inez, Ky. Her mother, Angel, struggles to stay off drugs and hopes to give her four daughters a better life by getting her GED and becoming a teacher. With no car and no public transportation, Angel walks 16 miles roundtrip, four hours total, to her GED class.

Erica, 11, hopes to save her mother's life: "She's almost 50 and… if I don't get her out of this town soon, then she'll probably die any day." Erica and her mother, Mona, live in Cumberland, Ky., a once booming coal town. Mona battles addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, her life ravaged by her struggles and despair. The region has a prescription drug abuse rate twice that of major cities like New York or Miami.

[Afternoon_Delight]

Listen guys, as bad as they make Appalachia sound it's not the worst in the US.

Did you know that Mississippi has the highest poverty rate in the US. Kentucky ranks #7 and they also #7 (I believe) in children living in Poverty. Boonesville TX is the county with the highest poverty rate in the US.

It's a negative portrayal of Eastern KY because they have nothing else to write about. It's sad really and it's off base.

But I will be honest and say that KY as a state, especially Eastern KY has a serious problem and needs it taken care of. Until the economy can get back on track I don't see how it can get better but I have faith that more families will have jobs and receive medical care for their children.


I sent an email to ABC regarding the whole 20/20 segment. Probably won't make any difference but I just wanted to vent.

[PC_You_Know]

Shawn Grim, 18, an Appalachian high school football superstar, sleeps in his truck to avoid the thievery, alcoholism and despair of his family's life in the hollow in Flat Gap, Ky. During the course of Sawyer's report, Grim moves eight times. He is determined to be the first one in his family to graduate from high school and go to college. Will he be able to achieve his dream of a different life?


Courtney, 12, is one of those children whose face reminds us of the famous portraits of the Appalachian past. Her clothes are stuffed in a suitcase under her bed in the small home she shares with 11 relatives in Inez, Ky. Her mother, Angel, struggles to stay off drugs and hopes to give her four daughters a better life by getting her GED and becoming a teacher. With no car and no public transportation, Angel walks 16 miles roundtrip, four hours total, to her GED class.

Erica, 11, hopes to save her mother's life: "She's almost 50 and… if I don't get her out of this town soon, then she'll probably die any day." Erica and her mother, Mona, live in Cumberland, Ky., a once booming coal town. Mona battles addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, her life ravaged by her struggles and despair. The region has a prescription drug abuse rate twice that of major cities like New York or Miami.

He came to college and dropped out.

[HAIL PIKEVILLE!]

Its like Ive always said. Let them portray us however they want. As long those people see us like that THEY wont want to move here and IMO thats a good thing. WE who live here know the truth and thats all that matters. You can go anywhere in the country and wont have to look far to find poverty unfortunately.

[Stardust]

Its like Ive always said. Let them portray us however they want. As long those people see us like that THEY wont want to move here and IMO thats a good thing. WE who live here know the truth and thats all that matters. You can go anywhere in the country and wont have to look far to find poverty unfortunately.

Excellent reply

[blitzingback]

Its like Ive always said. Let them portray us however they want. As long those people see us like that THEY wont want to move here and IMO thats a good thing. WE who live here know the truth and thats all that matters. You can go anywhere in the country and wont have to look far to find poverty unfortunately.

:Clap:

[IISnakE]

Well... I am of the mind that instead of all these folks loading up and heading off to third world countries and the middle east... why not employ some good old yankee ingenuity and stay home to help someone in need here @ home... they actually might just be your neighbor and your friend! I say... c'mon ABC... put your money where diane sawyer's mouth is and help us to do something to help her fellow Kentuckians....

[IISnakE]

Or even better still... let's let all of the non-coal producing counties in the Commonwealth reimburse the COAL PRODUCING COUNTIES OF ALL THE COAL SEVERANCE MONEY THEY'VE WEASLED OUT OF US FOR YEARS... AND USED TO BAIL OUT ONE GOVERNOR's SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS AFTER ANOTHER... AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND THOSE FOLKS CAN SIT IN THE DARK OR HOOK THEIR RECUMBANT BIKES UP TO WIRES AND PEDDLE THEIR TAILS OFF (LIKE GILLIGAN) TO LIGHT THEIR MALLS OR RUN THEIR MICROWAVES!

[Panther Thunder]

It's on right now, the Grim part was nice.

[PC_You_Know]

Is this on youtube anywhere? I missed the beginning.

[If...Then]

Shawn Grimm has heart. That motivation and the want to be big someday like he has should be in every football player. Hes a great role model and i will gagg if he doesnt get to college. I wish more luck to him than ever

[PC_You_Know]

Shawn Grimm has heart. That motivation and the want to be big someday like he has should be in every football player. Hes a great role model and i will gagg if he doesnt get to college. I wish more luck to him than ever

He went and dropped out, didn't you read that from earlier in this thread? I lived on the same floor at PC as him.

[Panther Thunder]

Shawn Grimm has heart. That motivation and the want to be big someday like he has should be in every football player. Hes a great role model and i will gagg if he doesnt get to college. I wish more luck to him than ever

He dropped out of college I believe.

[PC_You_Know]

I've watched 10 minutes, I think this show is embarrassing. They found some people from the HEAD of the holler for this show. People in central KY have an income below the cost of a new car? WTF? Are you talking less than a Ferrari?

[alfus21]

I've watched 10 minutes, I think this show is embarrassing. They found some people from the HEAD of the holler for this show. People in central KY have an income below the cost of a new car? WTF? Are you talking less than a Ferrari?

The median income for a household in Pike County is $23,930, so it's a lot worse than people think.

But I must say I thought the segment of Appalachians being addicted to Mountain Dew was hilarious.

[BballFan63]

I've watched 10 minutes, I think this show is embarrassing. They found some people from the HEAD of the holler for this show. People in central KY have an income below the cost of a new car? WTF? Are you talking less than a Ferrari?

Come on now; these are kids you're talking about. Kids that are too young to do much for themselves. Shame on you for saying they're embarrassing - their parents may be embarrassing - but give the kids a break. If just one of these kids can be helped from this program, then it's worth it. No, all of us are not in this shape, but YOU can't deny that some are.

[PC_You_Know]

Shawn could have taken out a loan to pay for college. That's BS that he couldn't afford it, scholarship money and financial aid should have paid for all of his college anyway, he probably didn't file for financial aid.

[PC_You_Know]

Come on now; these are kids you're talking about. Kids that are too young to do much for themselves. Shame on you for saying they're embarrassing - their parents may be embarrassing - but give the kids a break. If just one of these kids can be helped from this program, then it's worth it. No, all of us are not in this shape, but YOU can't deny that some are.

I'm not saying the kids are embarrassing, just showing the worst people here is what's embarrassing, there are plenty of good people here.


Mountain Dew is an anti depressant??? LOL!!!

[outdoorsman43]

He dropped out of college I believe.

Yeah, he did.

[If...Then]

He dropped out of college I believe.

Yeah I saw that part after the post, I hate it when good athletes end up like that.

[BballFan63]

I'm not saying the kids are embarrassing, just showing the worst people here is what's embarrassing, there are plenty of good people here.


Mountain Dew is an anti depressant??? LOL!!!

Yeah, that Mountain Dew statement is pretty silly, I agree.

One question - why are you being so hard on Shawn? I don't know who you are, but do you have any idea of what he's had to deal with? If not, then ease up on him. Those of us who haven't walked in his shoes do not know.

[PC_You_Know]

Yeah, that Mountain Dew statement is pretty silly, I agree.

One question - why are you being so hard on Shawn? I don't know who you are, but do you have any idea of what he's had to deal with? If not, then ease up on him. Those of us who haven't walked in his shoes do not know.

He walked around campus always with music playing, I heard he constantly fell asleep in class. He was ALWAYS in one of my friends rooms in Wickham Hall, I personally don't think he tried very hard.

[BballFan63]

He walked around campus always with music playing, I heard he constantly fell asleep in class. He was ALWAYS in one of my friends rooms in Wickham Hall, I personally don't think he tried very hard.

Ok, maybe you're right. I still hate it for him. He had a good support system in high school (not his parents); maybe he didn't have it in Pikeville. I don't know. I just think it's sad.