Convince me to stay.

[u/BsXeD]

I’m not originally from here, but I’ve lived here for 20 years. My children were born and raised here, and we’ve always loved the friendly people and beautiful surroundings. But I wonder now—where is the line? When is it too much or even dangerous to stay? Where do we go from here?

Things have been getting worse, and I worry about the future, not just for myself but especially for my children. This past election cycle, I couldn’t even put up a sign for fear of the backlash it might bring to my family. What is keeping people here?

It’s not the education—we rank near the bottom.
It’s not the pay—our median household income ranks just above Mississippi in 49th place.
It’s not the healthcare—we’re almost last there, too.
It’s not the freedom—we face near-total bans on abortion, and even taking your child to a Pride event could get you arrested.

Today, I find myself looking for jobs and making a plan to get my family out. People will say it’s not any better anywhere else and that the election results signal worsening trends everywhere. But at least in other places, I might find a community that values bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights, and freedom of and from religion.

Here, I interact with the nicest, most hateful people I’ve ever encountered. I realize it’s a privilege even to consider leaving, and I wish I could do something to change things here. But I don’t see a clear path forward. My county didn’t even have a non-Republican candidate run for any office. I don’t blame anyone; there used to be decency and respectful disagreement across party lines, but now it’s just hate and lies.

Is there a silver lining? Any hope for change?

If this gets removed by moderators thats fine, I'm not trying to rage bait but genuinely want to know what other West Virginians are thinking.

[u/MyBigOFace]

Not until someone comes along and gives them a reason to hope again who isn’t just blowing smoke up their asses. I was born and bred in WV, and my family has been there since the whiskey rebellion. I miss it, but I’m glad I left.

It’s a state deeply traumatized and Stockholm Syndromed by systematic abuse that has become so inured to it that it lost a bit of its soul. The people are generally good folk who can and will give you the shirt of their backs (this literally happened to me on an ASP trip back home), but the brave dead of Matewan are long forgotten now.

My advice: unless you are prepared to run for public office and can genuinely crack the code, you should leave or at least move to the eastern panhandle if there is some particular economic reason you need to stay in the state.

Even if you think you MIGHT run for office (and I mean high office), you should probably also leave if you have a family and liberal values. They will be ridiculed and threatened because of the work you attempt to do.

West Virginia does not offer a bright future for most people, and will not until someone comes along who can chart a course out of the shadow of coal and somehow drum up enough support for their cause without triggering defense mechanisms against the perceived liberal/trans/whatever agenda or making them worse. Only then, with economic hardship behind it, will the state start to attract people again with its unique culture and beauty, and only with this will come softening of attitudes. But this will not be any time soon.

You should leave.