[Hoot Gibson]

Perpetuating hillbilly stereotypes has real consequences. I remember my elementary school in central Ohio soliciting old shoes, books, and canned goods to send to eastern Kentucky. There was a widespread impression among school children and teachers that many people were too poor to afford shoes. Add in shows like the Beverly Hillbillies and the media's practice of seeking out the poorest, least educated with the fewest teeth among us to feature in national stories and it is little wonder that large companies are so reluctant to locate new businesses there.