7/10/2015
photograph, by Zack
Spear on Unsplash. Free to use under
the Unsplash License.
Introduction
Greetings,
to each international, national, regional, and local reader --
especially to you, dear reader. My hope, in the Lord, is that you are
well. By
the Gregorian calendar, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (Easter)
have passed. Иисус
воскрес! Воистину, Он воскрес!
My brother, next in age to me, attained age 60, on Resurrection
Sunday. We enjoyed a good phone conversation. His family and he are
doing well enough, thankfully.
On
Monday, family remembered my mother-in-law, Phyllis Ann House Gordon
(4/10/1941 - 4/30/2017). Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, my father-in-law,
her sister, and I disassembled my sister-in-law's bathroom sink
faucet. The new faucet assembly required new water line, which we
didn't have. That “work in progress” completed today. My
mother-in-law would have enjoyed the “fun” on her birthday. The
effort, to help my sister-in-law, honored my mother-in-law, whom I
look forward to seeing again, where she is now, with the Lord.
This
twenty-fourth article,
on Appalachia
- Upper East TN,
is
my response to the article of 2/16/2023, on Appalachian
History.
The excellent website “has
been digging up stories, quotes and anecdotes about the region since
2006 . . . with an emphasis on the 1880s - 1950s.” The
articles, about one a month, are usually informative, historical, and
entertaining.
For example, the article, of 4/4/2023, shares an excerpt from an
author's book, which is quite interesting! Apparently, a man, thought
to have been dead, was not. This
article, by no means, critiques the body of work on Appalachian
History!
The
guest article, of 2/16/2023, however, had raised my Irish dander,
when I read it, initially, in late February. I happened to notice it
again, while reading the excellent article of 4/4/2023. My Irish
dander arose again! This article is how I speak my mind. The
conclusion will explain the true source of and solution to problems
-- in Appalachia, Oregon, this once great nation, and the world in
general.
The
2/16/2023 Article
The
guest article that rekindled my Irish dander today is: “Why
Appalachia’s Substance Use Problems Have Systemic Roots,” on
Appalachian History, written by Amanda Winstead, published by Dave
Tabler, 2/16/2023. The guest writer, as Dave Tabler notes, in his
introduction to her, is from Portland, Oregon.
The
guest article, of over a thousand words, has five sections: an
introduction, “Poverty and the 'Diseases of Despair,'” “The
Economics of Addiction,” “The Legacy of Big Tobacco,” and “The
Takeaway” (or conclusion). First, I summarize those sections. Then,
I state my response and conclusion.
The
Introductory Remarks
Properly,
the introductory remarks compliment the beauty of the Appalachian
region, disapprove of the stereotype of the region's inhabitants, and
state, “Appalachian
peoples are not more 'prone' to addiction than any other regional,
cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic demographic.”
The
final paragraph, of the introductory remarks, states the theme of the
article:
Addiction
in the region has deep, complex, and multigenerational roots. It is a
systemic plague that will only be addressed through comprehensive
interventions.
Three
sections continue the theme. They are as follows.
Poverty
and the “Diseases of Despair”
The
point, in this section, is that poverty in Appalachia is a root cause
“to a lack of access to quality health care,” “uninsured
and underinsured” folks, “a dearth of healthcare
providers” -- especially “mental health care” and
“addiction recovery services.”
Apparently,
Appalachia suffers from “diseases of despair” (which links
to a 5/31/2021 Forbes article). This is explained as “excessive
rates of suicide” and “significantly higher risks for
substance use disorders.”
This
section embeds links to four other websites, three of which are not
noteworthy. One, however, is to the Appalachian
Regional Commission (ARC), which proclaims itself to be “an
economic development partnership agency of the federal government and
13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian
Region.” Its mission is
“to innovate, partner, and
invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in
Appalachia.” (Interestingly,
the guest writer's notation of poverty in Appalachia does not
indicate that the ARC has been doing very well in its mission.)
The
section's concluding statement is that a “generational cycle”
“continues even when the original catalyst (poverty, lack of
healthcare access, etc.) ends.” “[C]hildren grow up in a
home with substance-abusing grandparents, parents, or siblings. A
family legacy of dependency is born.”
The
Economics of Addiction
This
second section, apparently, attempts to indicate that the economy of
Appalachia contributes to alcohol, drug, and especially opioid
addiction in the region. It begins by stating:
Farming, especially tobacco
farming, and coal mining have long been the principal industries, and
one of the few sources of stable work, in the region for generations.
The
guest writer theorizes that injuries and illnesses from those
dangerous jobs have “been egregiously exploited by the
pharmaceutical industry” (or “Big Pharma” as the
article states). The exploitation by “Big Pharma,” as the article
speculates, caused the “opioid epidemic,” which may have
originated in Appalachia.
The
Legacy of Big Tobacco
In
the third section, the guest writer speculates that tobacco farming
“has given rise to generations of smokers and snuff users. From
chewing tobacco to cigarettes, tobacco products remain ubiquitous in
many parts of Appalachia.”
The
section ends with comments on how folks have been turning to
e-cigarettes and “vaping” those e-cigarettes. Apparently,
according to the guest writer, the government's efforts to control
e-cigarettes are driving folks in the region to buy them on the black
market.
The
Takeaway
The
guest writer concludes her article, in one paragraph, by stating:
The story of addiction in
Appalachia is far more complex than the stereotype acknowledges. It
is a pervasive disorder with deep, systemic roots. It is a pandemic
that will only end when, as a nation, we confront the economic,
political, medical, and cultural catalysts driving it.
My
Response
What
is my response? In general, after my Irish dander cooled enough, the
guest writer appears to stereotype Appalachia, in a manner similar to
the stereotyping done by others, whom she criticizes correctly. I,
however, don't think that she realized that she was doing so.
First,
was the guest writer born and raised in Appalachia, before moving to
Portland? I doubt it. If not, then why, pray tell, did she write
a guest article on Appalachia?
Having
never been to Portland, Oregon, or even to Oregon, I could write an
article titled “Why
Oregon's Substance Use Problems Have Systemic Roots.”
Unlike
the guest writer, however, I am not that impudent.
I did search by that potential article title. I discovered and
downloaded the “2020-2025
Oregon Statewide Srategic Plan,” by the Alcohol
and Drug Policy Commission, on Oregon's
state government website.
I
suggest that the guest writer publish future articles about her “back
yard,” not mine. The “2020-2025 Oregon Statewide Strategic
Plan,” by my quick glance, shows that Oregon has systemic substance
abuse problems -- just as Appalachia does. I am not so impertinent as
to publish an article about her “back yard,” while I stay in
mine!
Second,
the logic of the guest writer argues, incorrectly, that “poverty,
lack of healthcare access, etc.”
lead to “substance-abusing grandparents, parents, or
siblings” that creates a
“legacy of dependency.” The
writer has committed the
logical fallacy of causation,
by assuming that the former leads to the latter, without sufficient
proof. Correlation does not imply causation.
For
example, Mom and Dad raised us four boys on soup beans and taters. As
the oldest, I passed down clothes to younger brothers. Doctor
Goforth, other doctors, the hospital in town, and hospitals in nearby
cities were available. Dad could afford health insurance for us,
until the cost became too high to afford. My maternal and paternal
grandparents were by no means wealthy. The guest writer, to hear my
story, would say that I was raised in poverty or near poverty. Dad
was a water well driller. Mom left her job at the telephone company,
to raise us boys. We raised garden. We survived well enough.
The
“economically challenging” environment of my grandparents,
parents, and siblings, however, did not lead to substance abuse!
Again, correlation does not imply causation. We, instead, relied on
the Bread of Life to sustain us, which He did. Poverty
does not, inherently, cause substance abuse.
Third,
the guest writer must have gone back in time. Farming, tobacco
farming, and coal mining are certainly legacies of Appalachia. They,
however, are not -- and have not been for decades -- “principal
industries” and “the few sources of stable work” in
the region.
The
old tobacco warehouses are mostly gone -- replaced by businesses.
Farm land has become subdivisions, industrial parks, and office
complexes. The Appalachia in the writer's mind existed decades ago.
Folks still farm and raise tobacco, often on the side.
My
area of Appalachia did not and does not have any noticeable number of
coal mines. Apparently, there are no coal mines in Tennessee. For
example, U.S.
Energy Information Administration (EIA), Tennessee, Profile Analysis,
Coal (last update, 8/18/2022) reports, “.
. . the state no longer produces coal. The state's few mines last
produced coal in early 2020.”
Fourth,
it appears that the guest writer was running out of vapor, by writing
about vaping, near the end of her article. Dad smoked, until he
decided to quit. I tried cigarettes, in high school. Dad caught me,
bought me a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He said, “I can't
tell you not to smoke, son, since I do, but don't hide it.”
Dad's eight-grade-educated psychology worked! I never bothered to
smoke again! I wonder if folks in Oregon have ever smoked, chewed
tobacco, or smoked e-cigarettes.
Finally,
the author's “The Takeaway,” or conclusion, offers
no solution as to how we, as a nation, can improve the
“catalysts,” which are stated. (As an interesting note, the
author describes the “story of addiction in Appalachia” as
a “pandemic.” I thought that a pandemic was global.
Appalachia is a region on the globe.) Don't worry! My conclusion
will offer the solution!
Conclusion
The
solution to systemic substance abuse -- in Appalachia, Oregon, this
once great nation, or the world -- is not found in the United
Nations, the federal government, any state government, or any
government partnership agency (e.g., the Appalachian Regional
Commission). What is my solution?
My
solution patterns the inspired apostle Paul. In his first century
letter to the church at Ephesus, he wrote (with my emboldening added
for emphasis):
Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the
Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always
giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5:18-20, NIV)
The
reading of the entire letter to the Ephesians is encouraged.
Ephesians 5:18-20 is a section in the apostle Paul's theme “to
live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Eph. 4:1,
NIV), which continues to Ephesians 6:20. The theme to live worthy of
Christ's calling follows the apostle's eloquent statements of God's
grace, in chapters 1-3. This is an inspired statement of
causation.
The
solution is to be filled with the Spirit of God -- not wine,
alcohol, drugs, or any form of immorality. My parents, maternal
grandparents, and paternal grandparents were filled with God's
Spirit, as their godly lives demonstrated. Despite impoverished or
near impoverished conditions – with hard manual labor and
limitations on health care and insurance -- my ancestors did not
succumb to substance abuse -- since they filled themselves with the
Spirit of God. This is my family legacy of faith, in Appalachia.
This
article is also my ninety-second on heritage
and is
written in honor of my paternal grandfather, Marion Ferrell
(4/13/1880 - 11/21/1970). Tomorrow will mark the date of his birth,
in 1880.
The
systemic solution is spiritual. “Dear Lord, as my written
prayer, thank you for your grace, the faith of my ancestors, and your
gift of grace to me, through Christ Jesus. May all people, in
Appalachia, Oregon, this nation, and the world, in free will, accept
your everlasting solution of salvation, which frees us from the
systemic evils that plague humankind. In Christ's name, I pray.
Amen.”
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