All of West

Virginia

is contained

in Appalachia,

along with

parts of states

from The Catskills

to the Blue Ridge

and Great Smokies

too.

It’s true,

it’s a region

that’s seen

seemingly

endless

poverty;

struggling

economically,

though

rich in natural

resources.

Symbolically 

significant

of the indigent

white folk,

powerless

to the political

process

until relatively

recently.

And most

potently,

with an emissary

who began

his career

with 

Hillbilly Elegy.

JD,

as you know,

won 

a seat

in Ohio,

with Trump’s

support

and Thiel’s

backing.

Vance’s

pay pal

from 

venture capital

to The Capital

advanced

Vance

to VP

nominee.

As JD

claims

to be

the Harvard

guy

and venture

capitalist

now

representing

the Midwest,

it’s his roots

in Appalachia

that he gets

to claim

as authentic.

He gets it,

right?

The region

emblematic

of the tragic,

left behind,

produced 

a guy

with gumption

to have 

the assumption

that the dream

was his

to reach.

However,

what actually

produced him

was rebellion

and disdain,

and the world

of the elite

with whom

he’d complete

his aspiration.

Power

is inspiration,

a motivation

of and for

itself.

He literally

sold himself

and proved 

himself

to be

an Appalachik—

an agent

of the powerful

using the powerful

story of his humble

beginnings

deprived

but survived

and thrived

to unimaginable

success.

But he doesn’t

represent

the Appalachian

address,

other than

to confess 

the terrible conditions

of his 

youth.

He remains 

true

to himself

for himself

and will

say

and do

anything

to have pals

who pay

for him to 

stay

an Appalachik—

his version

of diversity

equity

and inclusion

identity

for straight,

white,

men,

comfortable

with misogyny

and 

just weird

when it comes

to biology,

or frankly,

humanity.