Author: Lewis Loflin
While this analysis focuses on my community in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, its insights could apply to any dysfunctional community. Notably, so-called conservatives are as much a part of the problem as anyone else. For further context, see my related piece, Virginia Republicans are Hypocrites on Welfare.
New Year’s Day began with a literal bang in neighboring Kingsport, where a violent Black felon fired a handgun into a complete stranger at a local Waffle House. Two days later, a local deputy was nearly killed when a violent Black gang, fleeing an armed robbery, ran him over. Jails are overflowing with white individuals arrested on drug charges, with an average age of about 38, clustering heavily between 31 and 42. Meanwhile, two more feral Black males, part of a gang of ten that executed two men at a Kingsport store, are set to face murder trials.
The Tri-Cities, as we’re often called, is increasingly resembling an inner-city war zone. This level of violence was absent 15-20 years ago, prompting the question: what has gone wrong?
The liberal elite attribute the vast array of social ills plaguing this community—crime, drug addiction, and violence—to poverty and lack of economic opportunity. Their solution involves expanded government intervention, enhanced social programs, and increased education funding. In their view, society bears responsibility for these individuals’ plight, absolving them of personal accountability.
Yet, despite years of such efforts, the outcome has been minimal beyond creating a permanent underclass dependent on the state. This approach defies logic, whether applied to whites, Blacks, or any other group. Historically, the white community here endured greater poverty than today yet exhibited far less self-destructive behavior. Similarly, Black Americans before 1960, despite rampant racism, experienced nowhere near the current levels of crime and social dysfunction. Now, lower-class whites are rapidly following suit.
Today’s poverty differs significantly from the past due to a vast array of social services. Before these existed, the poor—regardless of race—relied on family, church, and community rather than government social engineers, often affluent whites crafting policies from ivory towers. These programs stem from half-baked academic studies by similarly isolated elites, disconnected from those they claim to represent.
The liberal/leftist elite are openly hostile to the cultural values—family, church, self-reliance—that once empowered the poor to navigate hardship. These values have been systematically undermined, replaced by a welfare state that benefits its administrators with lucrative jobs and political power. The result is evident in the community’s current state.
Where families and communities once policed destructive behaviors (imperfectly, to be sure), liberals have recast these individuals as victims demanding restitution, eroding personal responsibility.
Holding people accountable for their actions and punishing irresponsible behavior could break the cycle of stupidity and dependency on welfare, dismantling the entitlement mentality it fosters. This would also challenge the political power of the liberal/left elite—an unlikely prospect.
Poverty persists here, and the economy is grossly unfair, even to those with advanced degrees, where lack of political access overshadows all. Yet, this is no excuse for animalistic behavior. Jobs exist in this community, though mostly low-paying, and sitting idle in front of the television is no justification for inaction.
Many able-bodied white residents exploit Social Security disability, a racket openly advertised by lawyers. Driving along I-81 between Bristol and Abingdon, one encounters a prominent billboard from the Gene Cochran law firm (www.genecochranlaw.com), proclaiming, “Injury law, Social Security Disability and Worker’s Compensation is all we do…” Their success is evident in the high number of disability claimants.
We could debate endlessly whether poverty drives destructive social behavior, as liberals assert, or if sloth and family breakdown cause poverty. My view is that both contribute equally—50-50. Neither side holds the full truth.
Local liberals have become entrenched in a system of corruption and indifference. Many of their organizations thrive on government grant funding—a process I call “grant farming”—shifting focus to environmentalism and “saving the planet” as their primary concern. One local environmentalist declared, “the earth comes first.”
In reality, people—especially the poor—are secondary, if considered at all, to this new culture war issue. By throttling economic development under the guise of environmental protection, they’ve worsened an already dire job market. Efforts to halt new housing construction “to protect the environment” exacerbate housing shortages, driving up inflation and worsening living conditions. Environmentalism, in this context, amounts to economic murder for the working poor.
While the American political ruling class bickers over ideology, the common man and woman bear the cost.
