r/news • u/FreeChickenDinner • 4d ago

West Virginia couple charged with trafficking their adopted Black children to be used as ‘slaves,’ authorities allege

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/us/west-virginia-adopted-black-children-slaves-reaj/index.html
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u/IL-Corvo 4d ago

As another West Virginian, born and raised in the heart of coal-country, I can tell you I saw more than my fair-share of Confederate flags in Logan, Mingo, Wayne, Raleigh, and Cabell counties when I lived there.

Were they common? Not particularly. Even so, I watched with dismay as my home-state went from reliably blue to deep crimson during the Bush-era. West Virginia has a dysfunctional relationship with its origins, just as it has a dysfunctional relationship with coal.

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u/ElectronicOmelette 4d ago edited 3d ago

I totally agree with this. I moved out of state years ago and when people mention something about my "Southern draw," I'm always quick to correct them and explain the differences between the Southern and Appalachian dialect!

I'm originally from Wayne county and the more in the sticks I'd go, the more Confederate flags there were. It's mind boggling.

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u/IL-Corvo 4d ago

Logan County native here, and I saw the same there as well. The deeper up a holler, the more confederate flags you'd spot.

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u/Psychological_Fish37 3d ago

Logan County native here, and I saw the same there as well. The deeper up a holler, the more confederate flags you'd spot.

I never visited, I would love to though, I heard its beautiful country. I did drive all the way down to Atlanta Ga as a teen. The confederate flags were jarring. Of course it was Nascar season but couldn't be avoided. My family and I are Caribbean decent, my step dad is Rastafarian. Said he like it better in the south, liked his racism in the open. Of course everyone was super polite, but this was well before 2016, now it seems like Maga is the dog whistle racist flag people fly.